In the wake of the war in the summer of 2014, in the heart of Tel Aviv, Israel, the Parents Circle – Families Forum (PCFF) established the Peace Square - a physical, makeshift space where the PCFF held vigil for 70 nights, from the outbreak of the war to International Peace Day in September. There, PCFF members, both Israelis and Palestinians, shared their stories, facilitated dialogues and provided an alternative to the propaganda and rhetoric of hatred and violence.
The Peace Square Mural, inspired by the anti-war, anti-violence Peace Square, invited bereaved Palestinians to paint a canvas mural, painted in Beit Jalla in the West Bank, and was then completed by bereaved Israelis at the Peace Square in Tel Aviv, Israel. All this took place during a time of war. The mural, bright in color and strong in messages of peace and reconciliation was then displayed in the Peace Square as a strong and vivacious message of reconciliation and anti-violence.
In 2015, the PCFF plans to build off this momentum and the more public position the PCFF has established. The PCFF has launched the Mobile Peace Square and bring reconciliation to the Israeli and Palestinian streets. This spring, the Peace Square Mural will travel to venues all over the world including the J Street Conference in Washington, DC from March 21-24, 2015 and the United Nations in New York City from March 30-April 10, 2015 in order to bring messages of dialogue, mutual understanding, non-violence and most of all, reconciliation.
The Peace Square continues to be held every week in Tel Aviv and travels from city to city in Israel and the West Bank.
The Peace Square mural was created in collaboration with Artolution founder Max Frieder, and Israeli and Palestinian members of the PCFF. Artolution is a community based public art network that facilitates opportunities for communities to empower themselves through creative, participatory and collaborative public-art making. This mural was inspired by the Peace Square and its central message – “It won’t stop until we talk”.
See original article from source: The Parents Circle
