American Friends of Combatants for Peace

Let’s continue to hope and discuss 2025 from a #healing perspective. Healing is deeply connected to how we communicate with one another. This is why our grantee organization, Combatants for Peace(CFP), integrates Nonviolent Communication (NVC) into their programs. NVC is a powerful tool providing a pathway to bridge the gap between opposing perspectives and, in a nutshell, consists of - Observing without judgment, creating a foundation for honest conversations. - Sharing feelings without blame, cultivating mutual understanding. - Focusing on universal needs, paving the way for meaningful solutions. Nonviolent Communication is about connection instead of polarization. It is about healing instead of harming. To quote CFP : “By creating a safe space to express feelings, understand needs, and make requests, we provide the opportunity for activists to build trust, foster empathy, and build strong relationships for joint co-resistance.” It is exactly what is needed during these dark times.

As a challenging year comes to a close, we are faced with ongoing devastation and the emergence of new challenges. We end the year without a ceasefire, with a horrific humanitarian crisis in Gaza, unreturned hostages, the deepening occupation in the West Bank, and the rise of extremist leadership in multiple countries, including the US. The need for global solidarity and the work toward collective liberation has never been clearer. On December 17th, join CfP Palestinian co-founder sulaiman khatib, Israeli co-founder Avner Wishnitzer, Iranian-Swiss B8 of Hope founder Mehra Rimer, and AFCFP Executive Director Tiffany Goodwin-Van Camp for an important and final 2024 CollectiveEd event. Another Way Forward: Co-Creating Amid Catastrophe Tuesday, December 17th 1pm ET / 8pm Jerusalem REGISTER: https://lnkd.in/ejAWf2te This conversation will explore our interconnectedness and offer inspiration for action toward a future where all people are safe and free. Souli and Avner will share lessons from CfP over the past year on how to adapt, persevere, and remain collectively steadfast in action through adversity. Mehra, born in Iran and having emigrated to Switzerland during the Iranian Revolution, will offer her unique perspective as a global advocate and international organizer for peace and justice. Join us to reflect, hold space, draw strength, and commit to one another for the year ahead. We look forward to seeing you next Tuesday.

🌍 This #GivingTuesday, we need your help. Every day this year, we have borne witness to immeasurable violence and loss. With each passing hour, the horrific status quo spirals into new depths. Many in our community have not only witnessed the devastation; they are living it. Yet, amid the suffering, Combatants for Peace stands firm, jointly declaring: ✋ No more bombs. ✋ No more displacement. ✋ No more lives cut short. ✋ No more injustice, no more inhumanity, no more war. As we confront the bitter fruits of violence, our movement deepens its resolve that there is another way. In the face of horror, we sow the seeds of nonviolence, with absolute hope that our labor will produce a harvest far greater than the fruits of brutality. After almost twenty years, we understand that our harvest will not come overnight. Like the olive trees of our land—planted by our ancestors and tended by generations—it will take time for a just peace to prevail. Yet, the harvest will come if we remain steadfast. And like the interwoven roots of olive trees that draw nourishment from each other, our movement draws strength from you. Your solidarity, generosity, and perseverance are vital to the movement, like water to the soil. At the close of the year, we want to thank you. 🌿 Thank you for embodying hope that dispels despair. 🌿 Thank you for your partnership—you uplift us. 🌿 Thank you for every act of humanity and conscience. 🌿 Thank you for fueling another path, this third way. 🌿 Thank you for remaining steadfast. This #GivingTuesday, we have set a goal of raising $12,250 by tomorrow at 11:59 PM to sustain CfP’s critical work. Your contribution is essential to empowering us and our collective efforts for justice and peace. Together, we can hold fast to the promise of a land where liberty is bountiful, justice flourishes, and we can share a harvest of peace. 🕊️ Join us today. DONATE: https://lnkd.in/gjYiG7nV

I'm glad that I was able to contribute to the discussion on civil prevention and peacebuilding at the Berlin Peace Dialogue 2024 at the closing panel, “Civil Society and Peace – Powerless or Powerful?”

Thank you Ilaria for your time and wisdom! It's always a pleasure to talk to you...

Hi friends - I’m Nicole Munson, Operations & Program Coordinator for AFCFP. Since joining in April 2024, I’ve been inspired by CfP’s incredible work. A bit about me - I hold a Master's in Conflict Resolution & Reconciliation from Trinity College in Dublin, where I researched masculinities, religion, peace, and conflict in post-conflict Northern Ireland. I’m passionate about supporting peacebuilding, transitional justice, and conflict transformation. This month, I led a U.S. tour with Israeli CfP activist Elie Avidor. Due to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, Elie joined easily. In stark contrast, Palestinian activist Mai Shahin was blocked by a discriminatory visa process that systematically denies Palestinians mobility and silences their voices. Despite this injustice, our team got creative and Mai joined the tour virtually. However, her physical exclusion underscores the systemic inequalities that we work to dismantle. Our tour took us to Minneapolis, Denver, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. We screened There Is Another Way, a new documentary building on Disturbing the Peace. We engaged with students on combatting polarization, met with peace groups, and connected with allies, such as the White Men for Racial Justice group, to share CfP’s message of nonviolence, co-resistance, and another way. At every stop, we encountered new supporters, connected with beloved friends, engaged deeply with communities, and shared stories that resonated across divides. As we look to 2025, I’m excited to expand AFCFP chapters across the U.S., building grassroots momentum and deepening connections with CfP activists in Palestine & Israel. While we work for an end to the occupation, we also acknowledge that this work isn’t just about addressing injustice abroad—it’s about learning from the CfP model to navigate our own divides here at home. Building international solidarity and a collective call for justice rooted in nonviolence is the foundation of lasting change. In the year ahead, at AFCFP, we hope to grow local engagement, provide more tools for fostering transformation, and energize our base of supporters who are advocating for justice, dignity, and equity for all. Thank you for your solidarity and for being a part of the movement!

🗓 Nov. 14 – Join Us For Two Powerful In-Person Events: 1️⃣ Film Screening: “There Is Another Way” 📍 12:15 p.m. | Loyola Notre Dame Library, Ridley Auditorium (L045) Loyola University Maryland. There is Another Way, directed by Stephen Apkon of Reconsider, builds on the award-winning film Disturbing the Peace (2016), which documents Israelis and Palestinians, born into conflict, sworn to be enemies, who laid down their weapons and challenged their fate—knowing that no one is free unless everyone is free. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director and activists. Free & open to the public! 🎥 2️⃣ Keynote Talk: Partnering for Peace: Ending the War & Building a Just Future in Israel/Palestine: An Evening with Combatants for Peace 📍 6 p.m. | Andrew White Student Center, 4th Floor Program Room Loyola University Maryland. Combatants for Peace (CfP) is committed to joint nonviolence and uses civil resistance, education, and other creative means of activism to transform systems of oppression and build a free and peaceful future from the ground up. Launched in 2006, CfP is one of the only movements worldwide founded by former fighters on both sides of an active conflict. Delivering the keynote talk will be 2 activists: Elie Avidor and Aziz Abu Sarah. Register now ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gV4GjkdU

https://lnkd.in/dKcNEjuU

As we approach October 7th and the one-year anniversary of the massacre in Israel and the war on Gaza, we invite you to join us for a time of reflection and action. This moment calls us to honor the sacredness of every life lost to the ongoing violence, to acknowledge our deep sorrow, and to renew our commitment to peace, freedom, and safety for all. On October 6, 7, and 8, we invite you to join our international community online at 2:00pm ET/9:00pm Jerusalem Time. Through these virtual gatherings, we seek to establish a unified ritual space to process grief, confront the systems of oppression that perpetuate immeasurable suffering, and reframe the crisis in Israel and Palestine by fostering a shared vision of reconciliation, justice, and collective actions to bring about peace. These events will be facilitated together with American Friends of Combatants for Peace and Nonviolence International. Please note that you only need to register once to attend all three events. https://lnkd.in/gJZB4M-b

🕯️ Join Us for “Every Life, A Universe: Global Days of Remembrance and Action” REGISTER: https://lnkd.in/g3V9iKBy As we approach the one-year mark since October 7 and the war on Gaza, we we invite you to join us for a time of reflection and action. As part of many initiatives happening globally, on October 6, 7, and 8, we invite you to join our community online each day at 2:00pm ET/9:00pm Jerusalem. These gatherings aim to create a unified space to process grief, confront oppression, and reframe the crisis in Israel & Palestine through a shared vision of reconciliation, justice, and actions to bring about a just peace. Facilitated by Nonviolence International, The Parents Circle Families Forum / American Friends of the Parents Circle - Families Forum, Combatants for Peace / American Friends of Combatants for Peace, each day features powerful speakers: DAY 1 - Facilitators on October 6: (Moderated by Sami Awad) Amira Haas: Author, Israeli journalist, and Haaretz correspondent for the Occupied Territories. She has reported on the human impact of conflict, having lived in both Gaza and the West Bank.  Rawan Roshni: Palestinian/Balkan activist & artist based in Jordan. Through her music and workshops, she promotes empowerment and healing in the SWANA region, focusing on conflict transformation/community building.  Ahmed Alnaouq: Gazan journalist and the co-founder of We Are Not Numbers. He holds a Master’s in international journalism and co-founded Border Gone, a media project sharing Gaza’s stories in Hebrew. DAY 2 - Facilitators on October 7: (Moderated by Shiri Ourian) Bassam Aramin: Incarcerated at 17, Bassam spent 7 years in Israeli jails. He later earned an MA in Holocaust studies and joined the Parents Circle after his 10-year-old daughter, Abir, was killed by an Israeli border policeman outside her school. Anat Marnin: Born in Israel as the youngest of three, her life changed dramatically when both brothers were killed in the Yom Kippur War on October 7, 1973. This led her to the Parents Circle, where she promotes peace and reconciliation. Special Message from Ma'ayan Inon: A bereaved Israeli daughter sharing her insights on loss and healing. DAY 3 - Facilitators on October 8: (Moderated by Miriam Turmalin & Mai Shahin) Noam Enbar: Singer/composer, bringing music to peacebuilding efforts. Hannen Sabbah: Palestinian nonviolent activist & organizer from Gaza. sulaiman khatib: Co-founder of CfP, Souli was sentenced to 15 years in prison at 14, where he studied nonviolent resistance and deepened his commitment to collective liberation. Chen Alon: Israeli lecturer and activist, former combatant and co-founder of CfP. In addition to joining us online, we encourage you to take action by organizing in-person gatherings. We also invite you to wear a black ribbon or armband as a symbol of our shared grief and commitment to collective liberation, writing "Every Life, A Universe" on it.