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.
