United in the Face of a Divided Homeland

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict has polarized our world, affecting thousands of individuals. Through my Dan Leslie Bowden Fellowship at Ransom Everglades, I researched the human interactions between Israelis and Palestinians amongst this long-lasting conflict. This past summer, I extensively researched the conflict from an unbiased point of view, traveled to Israel, and interviewed numerous individuals impacted by the conflict. My final project is a podcast interviewing humans about their biases growing up, how to reconcile with the other side, and what it means to be human in regards to war. The goal of my podcast is to show that differences are what make us human, and we have more commonalities than differences. No matter how differing our beliefs may be, it is important to gain perspective from the other side. The most valuable aspect I learned during my project was how biased my research and education had been toward one side. I needed to question my own beliefs in order to truly understand the conflict from another point of view. As humans, we need to seek different perspectives to fully understand each other and create peace.

Introduction to Podcast:

https://youtu.be/wOroVZXJCGs

Reconciliation

Episode 1, titled Reconciliation, interviews Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger and Noor Awad on how their organization (Roots) is "envisioning a social and political reality that is founded on dignity, trust and a mutual recognition and respect for both peoples' historic belonging to the entire land."

Listen here: https://youtu.be/kK_9UJf0xro

More information about Roots: https://www.friendsofroots.net/about

We Can Do it Because We Are Young

We Can Do it Because We Are Young explores the bias of 20 year old Subhair Abu Awwad's education and how she is taking matters into her own hands to connect with and learn both sides' perspectives.

Listen here: https://youtu.be/QWRdWueYwEw

Growing Up in Israel

In Growing Up in Israel, Arielle Iluz (a 17 year old Israeli) discusses what it is like to grow up in such a polarized conflict and how her personal connections to this conflict shaped her views on humanity.