Palestine: A photo gallery to promote tolerance
October 25, 2012
As part of the activities organized by Interpeace and its local teams around the world for Peace Day, the Mustakbalna team, Interpeace’s partner in Palestine, set up a temporary photo exhibition in Gaza. Forty photographs taken by Palestinian photographers and journalists were presented under the name ‘Palestine Through Your Eyes’ to promote civic peace and call for reconciliation between the two main political parties, Fatah and Hamas.
Stimulating reflection and dialogue
Visitors of all ages, backgrounds and political convictions came to see the exhibition. The use of art to convey a message of peace was favourably received and generated dynamic discussions. “The gallery provided a variety of pictures that call for tolerance and unity. I hope that by working hand in hand we can end the division,” said a university student.
As part of the exhibition, presentations and explanations of the pictures were provided to the visitors. A young poet also recited a poem calling for optimism and unity. “The idea of the gallery is great and special,” one of the photographers commented; “It inspires a human perspective to use art for promoting tolerance, and serves as a unifying call.”
A successful show
Thanks to the organizers’ dedication, the exhibition attracted nearly a hundred visitors and was extended on the following day due to such high demand. The event also received extensive coverage from the local media.
The Mustakbalna programme (which means ‘Our Future’ in Arabic) works in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and is contributing to the development of a sustainable and comprehensive solution for the ongoing conflict in the Middle East by helping Palestinians resolve their internal differences and work towards unity.