Building Freedom and Trust Together

Meeting

  • Voices of Peace

    Voices of Peace

    Voices of Peace brings two Arab peace activists from Israel and Gaza for a dialogue in the Netherlands. They will unfold personal stories living with war in Israel and Gaza and their activities for Peace.  

    Soumya Bashir, an Arab-Israeli Muslim, is a mother of five, 4 daughters and a son. Somaya is a social and political activist who served in the Israeli parliament. Among her social-political activities are founding the We Have No Other Country group bringing social partnership between Arabs and Jews in Israel, the Insan Association for the Rights of the Underprivileged Populations, and the coordinator of the Women Rage Peace society. In her activities, Somaya advocates for Arabs as full-fledged Israeli citizens and fights against racism and extremism in Israel.

    Houssam (Sam) Khadra is a Gazan Palestinian, a father of three: two kids in Egypt and a little baby in Paris. Sam is an actor, and a journalist for an Egyptian newspaper reporting from Gaza. Sam started his youth under Hamas education and now is a peace activist preaching against terror and extremism.

  • The Amsterdam Declaration

    Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, stands as a testament to the resilience of its residents, who united to overcome the relentless threat of flooding. Through cooperation and collective effort, the city transformed adversity into strength, showcasing the power of community.

    Inspired by this civic history, we aim to build unity and strength between Palestinians and Israelis through a European-based collaboration..

    Amsterdam’s legacy as the birthplace of citizen-led global trade initiatives has fostered a deep sense of participation and engagement. Coupled with its long-standing tradition of openness, liberalism, and tolerance, the city provides the ideal setting for for the launch of GazEl, bringing together Gazans and Israelis living in Europe to work on the citizen2citizen level rather than the political arena.

  • Founders’ Meeting

    Founders’ Meeting

    14 December 2024 | Amsterdam

    The first meeting of our initiative took place on 14th December 2024 in Amsterdam, where the voices of peace and liberty from Gaza, Israel, and Europe gathered to shape the initiative and build teams to plan and implement together. 

    The day was devoted to getting better acquainted, building trust, and shaping the goals and projects.

    Read our declaration and our manifest produced together after this meeting.