Aziz Abu Sarah

All conflicts end. It’s in their nature. The only question is how much time and how many lives will be lost, and when the hard but necessary work of healing begins. Maya Savir, an Israeli professional in humanitarian and development work and peacebuilding, and a mother, spent years working in Rwanda and South Africa, countries that went through successful reconciliation processes many had thought impossible. In this book, she dares to ask whether what she observed and learned there can be applied to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Reconciliation is an artichoke. It’s not an onion, made up of layer upon layer you peel away until nothing is left. It has layers, yes, but at its center is a heart. This book peels away those characteristics that are not essential for reconciliation until all that is left is the heart. But before examining this heart, we take a close look at the outer layers in specific conflicts, because although they vary with context and may not all be necessary to bring about reconciliation, they are among the most noble and inspiring human expressions and can be part of the dynamics of reconciliation. Savir invites readers to explore this process of reconciliation candidly and soberly, showing what it takes for peacemaking and restoration to unfold between peoples and within individuals after conflicts. She leads the reader on this journey with compassion, intellectual precision, literary skill, and conviction. Though healing is difficult to imagine in the wake of October 7 and the war in Gaza, On Reconciliation helps us to reconsider the limits of what is possible.

People have lost hope that peace is possible. Talking about peace seems too vulnerable, too naïve, too dangerous. We have resigned ourselves to this unending war as the only way forward. But we have tried this. We have tried war. The only war that is won is one that leads to peace. On paper Aziz and Maoz should not be friends. Aziz's brother was killed by Israeli forces, and Maoz lost both his parents in the 7 October 2023 attacks. In The Future is Peace, these two lifelong peace activists take readers on a searing journey to understand this holy, bloodstained land and explore each other's personal and national histories. Pairing unapologetic candour and inspirational prose, Abu Sarah and Inon are sending a message to humanity that the people have the power to make change. Peace is achievable, not just between Palestinian and Israelis, but throughout the world.

An essential strategy book for how to have transformative, sustainable, responsible travel experiences--starting at your own front door. Recognized Peacemaker and National Geographic Explorer Aziz Abu Sarah shows how, by crossing boundaries, we can heal our world from stereotypes, prejudice, and ignorance. Whether you're planning future travels or exploring the diverse cultures in your own community, Crossing Boundaries provides strategies for growth and getting out of your comfort zone. Moving between inspirational stories, humorous anecdotes, and helpful conflict resolution tips, Abu Sarah guides you through having personal, meaningful experiences with people from different backgrounds. He sketches a vision of a kind of travel with the power to help heal the divides of a world polarized by seemingly intractable conflicts. Abu Sarah argues that transformative travel can start at home. He knows this firsthand: a former Palestinian radical, he shares his own moving story of creating connections across his divided hometown of Jerusalem, and of co-founding a tour agency with a Jewish American. Today, they direct Dual Narrative Tours, co-led by guides from different communities in countries like Israel and Palestine, Ireland and Northern Ireland, North and South Vietnam, and many others. Drawing on these experiences, Abu Sarah's book offers tips on how to meet people naturally and safely, design an inclusive itinerary, shop to support the local economy, deal with setbacks, and much more. A guide for going beyond museums and monuments, this book is for both the first-timer and seasoned veteran. Abu Sarah shows that if you put down your phone and strike up a conversation, you can break through the walls that separate people. You'll discover shared values, build lasting relationships, and realize that far more unites us than divides us.

From 9/11 to Israel-Palestine to ISIS, the fear of the religious stranger is palpable. Conservative talk show hosts and liberal public intellectuals are united in blaming religion, usually Islam, for the world's instability. If religion is part of the problem, it can and should be part of the solution. Strangers, Neighbors, Friends--co-authored by a Muslim, a Christian, and a Jew--aims to inform and inspire Abraham's children that God calls us to extend our love beyond family and fellow believer to the stranger. ""These essays are like rays of light. They provide insight into the Abrahamic traditions, but more importantly, they illuminate the path to a common life together."" --Eboo Patel, author of Interfaith Leadership, President of Interfaith Youth Core Kelly James Clark is Senior Research Fellow at Grand Valley State University's Kaufman Interfaith Institute. He is editor of Abraham's Children: Liberty and Tolerance in an Age of Religious Conflict (2012), and author of Religion and the Sciences of Origins (2014), Return to Reason (1990), The Story of Ethics (2003), When Faith Is Not Enough (1997), and 101 Key Philosophical Terms and Their Importance for Theology (2004). Aziz Abu Sarah is an entrepreneur, speaker, peace builder, and author. He is the recipient of the Goldberg Prize for Peace in the Middle East, the Eliav-Sartawi Award, and was named one of the 500 most influential muslims in the world by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre. Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and the founding Director of the Department of Multifaith Studies and Initiatives at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College where she was ordained in 1982. She co-edited Chapters of the Heart: Jewish Women Sharing the Torah of Our Lives (Wipf and Stock, 2013).

From 9/11 to Israel-Palestine to ISIS, the fear of the religious stranger is palpable. Conservative talk show hosts and liberal public intellectuals are united in blaming religion, usually Islam, for the world's instability. If religion is part of the problem, it can and should be part of the solution. Strangers, Neighbors, Friends--co-authored by a Muslim, a Christian, and a Jew--aims to inform and inspire Abraham's children that God calls us to extend our love beyond family and fellow believer to the stranger. ""These essays are like rays of light. They provide insight into the Abrahamic traditions, but more importantly, they illuminate the path to a common life together."" --Eboo Patel, author of Interfaith Leadership, President of Interfaith Youth Core Kelly James Clark is Senior Research Fellow at Grand Valley State University's Kaufman Interfaith Institute. He is editor of Abraham's Children: Liberty and Tolerance in an Age of Religious Conflict (2012), and author of Religion and the Sciences of Origins (2014), Return to Reason (1990), The Story of Ethics (2003), When Faith Is Not Enough (1997), and 101 Key Philosophical Terms and Their Importance for Theology (2004). Aziz Abu Sarah is an entrepreneur, speaker, peace builder, and author. He is the recipient of the Goldberg Prize for Peace in the Middle East, the Eliav-Sartawi Award, and was named one of the 500 most influential muslims in the world by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre. Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and the founding Director of the Department of Multifaith Studies and Initiatives at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College where she was ordained in 1982. She co-edited Chapters of the Heart: Jewish Women Sharing the Torah of Our Lives (Wipf and Stock, 2013).