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Jun 7, 2022

"Nonviolence is not a tactic to be taken out of the box when it seems fit to use. It is a way of life." --Sami Awad

Sami Awad: A Holy Land for All

When Sami Awad was 16, his uncle was permanently exiled for leading Palestinian nonviolent resistance during the first Intifada. That is how dangerous non-violence is, says Sami. His parents were refugees, displaced by the conflict, and Sami watched his own father abused by Israeli authorities. Yet his mother emphasized the Christian teachings of loving your enemies and forgiveness, while his uncle exposed him to the messages of non-violence from Jesus to Mahatma Gandhi to Martin Luther King Jr. In the late 90s, Sami founded Holy Land Trust, a non-profit in Bethlehem engaging in deep healing work for the trauma of both Palestinians and Israelis. For Sami and HLT, healing the collective traumas that prevent peace is an intense and spiritual process focused on personal transformation and community.