Rami Elhanan is Israeli, and Bassam Aramin is Palestinian. They live near each other but exist in separate worlds. Their lives were shattered when their daughters, Smadar and Abir, were killed—one in a Hamas suicide bombing in central Jerusalem in 1997, and the other by an Israeli policeman as she was leaving school in 2007.
Faced with these terrible circumstances, instead of succumbing to hatred and violence, they chose to join forces in pursuit of dialogue and to work together for peace, human rights for all, and an end to the occupation. Through The Parents Circle – Families Forum, they promote reconciliation between both communities. Rami and Bassam, who have since become close friends, now share their experiences around the world, insisting that “the only way forward is to talk to each other, understand each other’s perspective, and make concessions.”
Author Colum McCann also captured their story in his novel Apeirogon (L’Altra Editorial and Seix Barral, 2021), which brought their journey to international attention.
Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan will dialogue with journalist and political scientist Jordi Armadans, an expert in peace processes, at the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB). They will discuss the transformative power of empathy and friendship and the needs and possibilities for building a future of peace and coexistence.
This event is a collaboration between CCCB and ICIP. Tickets cost €3 and can be purchased at this link. The session will be in Catalan and English, with simultaneous translation available.
