Israeli and Emirati women to lead 'Peace Starts from Within' conference
A woman from each country decided to take action to implement the Israel-UAE peace agreement in non-political areas.
By SARAH CHEMLAFILE PHOTO: A student takes classes online with his companions using the Zoom app at home(photo credit: REUTERS)
Now that peace between Israel and the United Arab Emirates was announced on the political level earlier this month, two women – one from each country – decided to take action to implement this peace agreement on non-political levels.These women – an Emirati civic activist and an Israeli meditation teacher – will host "Peace Starts from Within," a one-hour open video conference on Zoom this Sunday, August 30 at 8 p.m. UAE time, 7 p.m. Israel time, aimed at promoting a mindset of unity for a wide Middle Eastern audience.“I invite everyone who has a glimmer of hope that peace will prevail to join their energy to ours,” said Mariam al-Ahmedi, an Abu Dhabi-based founding member of the Arab Council for Regional Integration, a pan-Arab initiative dedicated to fostering a spirit of partnership that knows no borders.“By building inner peace," she continued, "we can overcome the programming of hostility that has been implanted in us and gain the strength to love one another.”“I feel privileged to share in this effort with Mariam, a woman of valor and a kindred spirit,” said Michal Lichtman, an Israeli yoga and meditation guide based in New York who has led Israelis, Palestinians and others in courses on self-healing and self-realization."We both agree that peace starts from within, and will be appealing to those who join us to turn their inner light on,” she added.The two hosts launched a media campaign to draw attention to the session, including a joint interview on Israeli national radio and pan-Arab outreach via media across the region.The program will feature a dialogue between the two women, followed by a meditation session, and then a Q&A with the participants.The link to the Zoom conference can be found here.
In the aftermath of the historic peace agreement announced earlier this month between Israel and the UAE, many projects emerged to gather Israeli and Emirati civilians around non-political collaborations.This agreement signals a major geopolitical shift in the Middle East, and has already prompted massive interest in lucrative opportunities in the business, technology, tourism and academic sectors that have now been made possible.
