For More Tolerance, We Need More … Tourism?

Aziz Abu Sarah is a Palestinian activist who has a unique approach to peacekeeping: tourism. Shortly after his brother was arrested for throwing stones at Israeli cars and died from the internal injuries he sustained in jail, his perspective changed. He was 18 and decided to begin Hebrew classes, in an effort to get a job. This was the first time that he met Jews who were not soldiers. After bonding with them, he decided to dedicate his life to breaking down the walls that exist between cultures. This TED Fellow shows how simple interactions with people in different cultures can erode decades of hate.

ABOUT TAVAANA

Tavaana: E-Learning Institute for Iranian Civil Society is Iran’s pioneer e-learning institute. Tavaana – meaning ‘empowered’ and ‘capable’ in Persian – was launched on May 17, 2010 with a mission to support active citizenship and civic leadership in Iran through a multi-platform civic education and civil society capacity building program. Tavaana holds a vision for a free and open Iranian society, one in which each and every Iranian enjoys equality, justice and the full spectrum of civil and political liberties.

ABOUT THE TOLERANCE PROJECT

The Tolerance Project aims to inspire conscience, pluralism, religious freedom, and celebration of difference. Using an array of educational materials in Arabic, Persian, and English, The Tolerance Project emphasizes the capacity of each and every individual to counter hate, and imparts the benefits of living in tolerant, open societies. The Tolerance Project educates to prevent persecution and genocide, cultivating the basis for vibrant and stable societies in the broader Middle East.