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