Sami Awad & Sharon Avraham: A Lighthouse for the Middle East

Life is a Festival #167

I've never had so many requests for guests to return to the show as I have for Sami and Sharon.

As you may recall, a few days after the events of October 7th, I asked Midburn co-founder and artivist Sharon Avraham, and his Palestinian theme camp co-lead, peace activist Sami Awad, to come on the show and share their immediate experience. Much has happened since then, and many of you have wanted an update from these two friends.

You will be happy to know that they are involved in an ambitious peace project called the Lighthouse, which they share on the show today. We start with the role of the spiritual community amidst conflict and the impact of conflict on personal relationships. We talk about the reality of violence and hope for change in the region and the role of the festival community in peace efforts. Then we get into this ambitious Lighthouse Project, which is really a vision for peace in the Middle East taking place outside of the Middle East. It gets a lot of inspiration from other movements, specifically from Tamera, which was showcased on the last episode, a healing biotope in Portugal. We discuss the three pillars of the Lighthouse. They have a very clear map for what they're trying to do there. And we discuss the challenges of building the Lighthouse and how you, dear listener, can get involved.

Sharon Avraham, co-founder of Midburn and the Fugara art collective, uses photography and installations to explore human connections. A passionate artist-activist, he's collaborated with Palestinian Peace Activists, documenting and bridging diverse realities. His works span from intimate portraiture to broader social narratives. Sami Awad is the Executive Director of the Holy Land Trust and is deeply influenced by his family's history in Palestine and teachings of nonviolent resistance. Educated in the U.S., he holds a Master's Degree in International Relations and promotes global peace.

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