Taghyeer U.S. Tour
Taghyeer Founder Ali Abu Awwad, after nearly three years denied entry to the United States, was the lead presenter in a speaking and fundraising tour that reached nearly 2,000 people in 24 American venues. He was joined by Taghyeer Executive Director, Muhanad Kharaz, and Stephen Stern, the Co-Founder and Director of the U.S. Friends of Taghyeer Movement. The tour began on January 5, 2020 and lasted until February 5, 2020. We are grateful for major tour support from the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace and J Street; and to 40 U.S. donors (so far), and especially the Topol Family Foundation of Boston, for providing funds for Taghyeer activities in Palestine.
Taghyeer inspired audiences around themes concerning the need for building a Palestinian mass civil society movement based on nonviolent identity in action. Audiences heard that the key to change lay in the Palestinian grassroots taking responsibility for social change, bettering community living conditions, while partnering across Palestinian society to build a path to end occupation. Throughout the tour, key relationships were established or renewed among conflict resolution and nonviolent action professionals, in universities and Middle East advocacy organizations, across Muslim, Jewish and interfaith communal spaces, and among Palestinian American community leaders. The tour ended with Ali galvanizing a large international, inter-communal audience at the Middle East Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC. According to organizers, it was the first standing ovation in the event’s 13-year history.
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Ali Abu Awwad Taghyeer Speaking Tour - January/February 2020 places and sponsors
January 5
Washington DC
Launch event, Friends of Taghyeer Movement
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January 6
Washington DC
IPF Atid at Gather DC
January 9
New York City
Tibet House - Annie Berdy; Friends of Taghyeer Movement; J Street, IPF Atid
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January 12
Tinton Falls, New Jersey
Monmouth Reform Temple, Muslims 4 Peace
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January 14
Maitland, Florida (Orlando)
Roth Family Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando and Jewish Federation
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January 16
Chicago, Illinois
University of Chicago, One Voice on Campus
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January 17
Chicago, Illinois
Mishkan Chicago J Street
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January 18
Chicago, Illinois
Anshe Sholom B'nai Israel, S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace
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Chicago, Illinois
J Street private home
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January 19
Chicago, Illinois
Moishe House, Hyde Park; IPF ATID, Moishe House
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Winfield, Illinois private home
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January 22
Washington DC
Howard University, One Voice on Campus
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January 23
Washington DC private home
January 24
Washington DC
Middle East Institute; J Street, Foundation for Middle East Peace, New Israel Fund
January 26
Scarsdale, NY private home
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January 27
New York, New York
Columbia U. SIPA
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January 28
Needham, MA
Our Generation Speaks
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January 29
Durham, NH
Friends Forever International, J Street
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Concord, NH
Temple Beth Jacob, J Street
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January 30
Medford, MA
Tufts University, One Voice on Campus
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Cambridge, MA
Harvard University, Amitai Abouzaglo
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Brookline, MA
Temple Beth Zion, J Street
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February 2
Potomac, MD
Am Kolel Renewal Community
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February 5
Washington DC
Middle East Prayer Breakfast