ABRAHAMIC REUNION INC

ABRAHAMIC REUNION INC. 2024 PROGRAMS SUMMARY: ABRAHAMIC REUNION HELD 57 ONLINE AND IN-PERSON PEACEBUILDING EVENTS IN 2024 THAT REACHED OVER 6,068 PARTICIPANTS AMIDST THE ESCALATED CONFLICT IN ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES. PROGRAMS CONTINUED KEY EVENTS AND SOME LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH, WOMEN, AND A GROUP OF EDUCATORS AND CLERGY. YOUTH PEACEBUILDER TRAININGS PALESTINIAN & ISRAELI YOUTH MET TWICE IN 2024 WITH ABRAHAMIC REUNION LEADERS AND CLERGY FOR INTERFAITH DIALOGUE AND DISCUSSION ON MULTIPLE TOPICS. THIS PROGRAM WAS ABLE TO MEET ACROSS THE ISRAEL-WEST BANK BORDER BY USING ZOOM, AND SOME OF THE COHORT OF PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PROGRAM CONTINUED TO TAKE PART IN ONGOING YOUNG PEACEBUILDER TRAINING DISCUSSIONS, WHICH HAD ITS FIRST MEETING IN OCTOBER, 2022. YOUTH WERE CALLED UPON TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE ABRAHAMIC REUNION'S IN-PERSON EVENTS INCLUDING THE IFTAR DINNER AND TEL AVIV MUSIC NIGHT, AND ATTENDED AN OVERNIGHT PROGRAM TO MT. GRIZIM, HOSTED BY THE SAMARITAN COMMUNITY IN THE WEST BANK. WOMEN'S PEACEBUILDING TRAININGS WOMEN ARE ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL POPULATIONS WHEN BUILDING PEACE, NOTABLE FOR THEIR COMMUNITY, FAMILY, AND EDUCATIONAL INFLUENCE AND LEADERSHIP. ABRAHAMIC REUNION CONTINUED TO KEEP CONNECTION WITH WOMEN WHO ARE EDUCATORS, PROFESSORS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS. THIS PROGRAM MET 2 TIMES IN 2024, LARGELY ON HIATUS DURING THE WAR. THE PROGRAM IS PLANNED TO CONTINUE, AND IS HEADED BY ABRAHAMIC REUNION AMUTAH CO-CHAIRS WHO ARE, RESPECTIVELY, A SUFI-MUSLIM WOMAN, AND A JEWISH WOMAN. MULTIFAITH RAMADAN IFTAR PEACE DINNER CELEBRATION ("THE LIGHT OF FAITH & PEACE") SINCE 2006, THE ABRAHAMIC REUNION HAS ORGANIZED LARGE GATHERINGS AT A BREAKING-OF-THE-FAST DINNER (IFTAR) IN RAMADAN. IN 2024 WE HELD THREE MAJOR RAMADAN PEACE DINNER (IFTAR) CELEBRATIONS, WHICH BROUGHT TOGETHER OVER 240 PEOPLE IN JERUSALEM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SHALOM-HARTMAN INSTITUTE, FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, 300+ IN DALIAT AL-CARMEL, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DRUZE COMMUNITY, AND 80+ IN NAZARETH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHRISTIAN AND MUSLIM ORGANIZATIONS THERE. THE EVENT IN JERUSALEM WAS LIVESTREAMED, INCLUDING A TEXT-STUDY SESSION, PRAYERS AND SPEECHES BY PROMINENT RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL LEADERS FROM THE DIFFERENT FAITHS, THE MAYOR OF JERUSALEM, SHEIKH GHASSAN MANASRA, DONNIEL HARTMAN, DAVID LESS, KHALID ABU RAS, NAJAH KABAHA, SIHAM HALABI, AND NUMEROUS OTHERS LEADERS AND CLERGY FROM THE HOLY LAND AND THE ABRAHAMIC REUNION. SACRED MUSIC NIGHTS IN NEVE SCHECHTER IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NEVE SCHECHTER AND AR COLLABORATOR RABBI ROBERTO ARBIB, A NIGHT ENJOYING MUSLIM, JEWISH, ARABIC, AND SUFI MUSIC AND POETRY WAS CONVENED IN TEL AVIV IN SEPTEMBER, 2024, AND AGAIN FOR NEW YEARS' EVE, DECEMBER 31ST. THESE EVENTS BROUGHT TOGETHER OVER 300 PARTICIPANTS FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS TO FOSTER INTERCONNECTION AND COMMUNITY AMIDST VIOLENCE THAT WAS ROCKING THE COUNTRY, AND PROVIDED A BULWARK OF HOPE. RENOWNED JEWISH MUSICIAN YAIR DALAL, AND SUFI MUSICIAN SAID ABBASSI, PLAYED TOGETHER, INDIVIDUALLY, AND WITH OTHER MUSICIANS AS PART OF THESE EVENTS, WHICH ALSO INCLUDED PRAYER, PUBLIC SPEECHES BY LOCAL RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND THE ABRAHAMIC REUNION. INTERFAITH MARCH IN JERUSALEM & "BELIEVERS" EVENT AT HARTMAN INSTITUTE FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR, OVER 100 PEOPLE CAME TOGETHER TO PARTICIPATE IN AN INTERFAITH MARCH AND PRAYERS THROUGH THE OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM, WELCOMING AND PROMOTING PEOPLE OF ALL FAITHS TO WALK TOGETHER IN PEACE, HARMONY, AND CONNECTION. THIS CAME IN THE WAKE OF NUMEROUS HOSTILE AND VIOLENT PREJUDICIAL EVENTS IN JERUSALEM, AND BROUGHT PARTICIPATION AND SPEAKERS FROM OVER 50 NONPROFITS, RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL COMMUNITIES, AND GROUPS, WHO SPOKE OF THE NEED TO HONOR EACH OTHER'S PLACE IN SOCIETY. THE EVENT WAS FOLLOWED BY THE "BELIEVERS EVENT" AT THE NEARBY SHALOM-HARTMAN INSTITUTE, ORGANIZED BY ABRAHAMIC REUNION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HARTMAN INSTITUTE, FEATURING LIVE JEWISH AND ARABIC MUSIC, SPEECHES, PRAYERS FROM DIFFERENT FAITH LEADERS FOR PEACE, AND A DEPTH OF FEELING AND ABILITY TO MEET "THE OTHER" THAT HAD BECOME SO RARE DURING THE WAR. ISRAELI NONPROFIT (AMUTAH) SUPPORT THE PEACEBUILDERS IN THE HOLY LAND HAVE A NEWLY REGISTERED ISRAELI NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH A NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS THAT REPRESENTS THE CAUSE OF NONVIOLENCE, DIALOGUE, AND MULTIFAITH FRIENDSHIP. THE CO-CHAIRS ARE A JEWISH WOMAN AND AN SUFI-MUSLIM WOMAN, AND OTHER LEADERS INCLUDE DRUZE AND CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS, MEN, AND WOMEN. FOLLOWING ON ITS REGISTRATION IN 2021, THE ABRAHAMIC REUNION CONTINUED TO SUPPORT AND INTEGRATE THE INSIGHTS OF THE AMUTAH BOARD IN ISRAEL, AND ORGANIZE PROGRAMMING IN CONCERT WITH THEIR INPUT. THE AMUTAH REACHED IT'S FULL STATUS AND ABILITY TO RECEIVE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS IN ISRAEL, ALONG WITH GRANTS. ONLINE PRAYER VIGILS DURING 2024, IN THE VIOLENCE AND CONFLICT FOLLOWING AFTER OCTOBER 7TH IN GAZA, ISRAEL, AND THE WEST BANK, THE ABRAHAMIC REUNION CONVENED 23 ONLINE, MULTI-FAITH PRAYER VIGILS. PRAYING FOR PEACE AND SAFETY FOR ALL PEOPLE IN THE HOLY LAND, AN END TO ALL VIOLENCE, KILLING, AND BLOODSHED. VIGILS WERE HELD DURING THE YEAR ONLINE, DUE TO SIMMERING VIOLENCE AND TENSIONS ACROSS THE HOLY LAND. PRAYER VIGILS FEATURE LEADERS FROM AROUND THE HOLY LAND - MEN, WOMEN, YOUTH, CHRISTIANS, MUSLIMS, DRUZE, JEWS, AND SAMARITANS - TO OFFER PRAYERS AND WORDS FOR PEACE, SAFETY, AND CONNECTION. THEY WERE JOINED BY RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND PEACE LEADERS FROM THE US, UK, AND CANADA. THIS PROVIDED A VISIBLE FORUM FOR THE MANY RELIGIOUS VOICES AND TRADITIONS TO SHOW THEIR SOLIDARITY WITH EACH OTHER. ATTENDEES JOINED FROM AROUND THE WORLD. ONLINE UNITY PRAYERS FROM THE HOLY LAND FOR NEW YEARS' EVE, IN 2024, RELIGIOUS AND PEACE LEADERS GATHERED FOR AN HOUR OF JOINT REFLECTION, PRAYER, AND INSPIRATION ON THE THEM OF NEW BEGINNINGS. THIS GATHERING SHOWCASED THE BREADTH AND DEPTH OF RELIGIOUS AND PEACE LEADERS THAT THE ABRAHAMIC REUNION IS WORKING WITH WHILE BUILDING COMMUNITY AND PROVIDING INSPIRATION FOR THE INTERNATIONAL PEACEBUILDING COMMUNITY. IT WAS FOLLOWED BY A SUPPORTERS' GATHERING, BRINGING TOGETHER PEACEBUILDERS FROM US, CANADA, UK, GERMANY, EUROPE, ISRAEL, THE WEST BANK, AND OTHER PLACES, ONLINE TO FOSTER COMMUNITY AND REFLECT ON THE YEAR. VIRTUAL REALITY PEACEBUILDING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PEACE LITERACY INSTITUTE AND THE PATHS TO PEACE (P2P) FOUNDATION, ABRAHAMIC REUNION CONTINUED TO DEVELOP PILOT PROJECTS AND APPLY FOR GRANTS FOR A SMALL, MULTI-FAITH GROUP OF YOUTH, TESTING PROGRAMS AND THE CAPACITY PEACEBUILDING IN THE VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) ENVIRONMENT. RESULTS WERE RESOUNDINGLY POSITIVE, USING THE PATHS TO PEACE MANDALA PROGRAM TO FOSTER DIALOGUE AND CONNECTION. VR OFFERS SOLUTIONS NUMEROUS ISSUES FACED IN PEACEBUILDING WORK, HELPING PARTICIPANTS OVERCOME GEOGRAPHICAL AND BORDER BARRIERS TO MEETING, PROVIDES ANONYMITY FOR THOSE WHO WISH OR NEED IT, AND IS HIGHLY ATTRACTIVE TO YOUTH PARTICIPANTS. SMALL IN-PERSON GROUPS GATHERED TO EXPERIENCE AND ENGAGE WITH VR PEACEBUILDING PROGRAMS FROM PLI AND P2P. ABRAHAMIC REUNION PEACE SUMMIT (IN-PERSON) THE PEACE SUMMIT BRINGS PEACE LEADERS, PEACEBUILDERS, RELIGIOUS FIGURES AND LEADERS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND WELL-KNOWN INTERFAITH LEADERS TOGETHER FOR A DAY OF SPEECHES, PRAYER, DIALOGUE, ENCOUNTER, AND COMMUNITY BUILDING. THE 2024 PEACE SUMMIT WAS POSTPONED DUE TO THE WAR. RELATIONAL PEACEBUILDING AND PEACEMAKING RELATIONAL PEACEBUILDING AND PEACEMAKING ARE INTEGRAL TO THE ABRAHAMIC REUNION'S WORK IN THE HOLY LAND, AND ARE HAPPENING AT ALL TIMES, WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS DURING PARTS OF THE YEAR WHEN VIOLENCE AND WAR MAKE IN- PERSON INTERCULTURAL PROGRAMMING UNSAFE, ESPECIALLY IN 2024 SINCE OCTOBER 7TH, IN THE ENSUING CONFLICT. THE ABRAHAMIC REUNION DEVELOPS, CULTIVATES, AND NOURISHES A WIDE NETWORK OF RELATIONSHIPS IN ALL RELIGIONS AND CULTURES OF HOLY LAND SOCIETY - JEWISH, MUSLIM, CHRISTIAN, AND DRUZE. THIS INVOLVES PARTICIPATING IN EVENTS FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, ATTENDING SERVICES AND CONFERENCES, ARRANGING MEETINGS ON THE PHONE, ZOOM, AND IN PERSON, MAKING PHONE CALLS OF CONDOLENCE, ENGAGING IN INTER-PERSONAL AND INTER-COMMUNITY PEACEMAKING AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION, PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR ABRAHAMIC REUNION PARTICIPANTS DURING THE WAR, VIOLENCE, AND TENSIONS, WHILE ALSO DEVELOPING CHANNELS IN THE LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS TO PUSH FOR PEACE, CEASEFIRE, AND DIALOGUE; PROVIDING INTERCULTURAL FACILITATION AT HIGH LEVEL DISCUSSIONS AND CONVERSATIONS, MEALS, VISITS, AND OTHER MEANS. THIS WIDE NETWORK GIVES ABRAHAMIC REUNION ITS INFLUENCE, CREDIBILITY, AND INVOLVEMENT FROM ALL PARTS OF SOCIETY, AN UNPARALLELED CAPACITY TO BUILD BRIDGES BETWEEN AND WITHIN GROUPS, AND AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS, WHILE ALSO MODELING AND INFLUENCING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE TO BECOME PART OF A PLURALISTIC SOCIETY THAT HONORS ALL CULTURES, RELIGIONS, AND IDENTITIES. SPEAKING TOUR EVENTS IN THE US AND UK ABRAHAMIC REUNION PEACEBUILDERS TRAVELED TO LONDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE, LONG ISLAND, WASHINGTON DC, LAKE WORTH, FL, FORT LAUDERDALE,