OneVoice at Glasgow University

The OneVoice movement kicked off its 2008 UK campus tour at Glasgow University with a ground breaking Rally For Peace. Students, activists, professors, and politicians all gathered in unprecedented numbers for one of the largest student led events ever to be held in Glasgow University.

University Rector Charles Kennedy, MP, marked the beginning of the event with an inspiring speech through which he expressed the importance of such programs and his gratitude to OneVoice Glasgow for this initiative on campus. Mr Kennedy stressed the importance of interfaith relations and dialogue in Scotland while describing the Palestinian – Israeli conflict as one of the issues that often drives people apart. He went on emphasizing the importance of One Voice’s work as the drive that brings people together through that very issue.

Anthony Silkoff, chair of OneVoice Glasgow and Hala Ousta, treasurer both welcomed the crowed and together they demonstrated the significance of having an audience that includes people of all faiths and political affiliations to join and discuss this sensitive topic.

Hitham Kayali, Director of Education and Outreach at OneVoice introduced the organization and its work on the ground before introducing Ana Lipnik from Israel and Abeer Al-Natsheh from Palestine. Abeer and Ana both arrived at Glasgow University to share their stories of growing up amidst the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They struck the audience with powerful presentations about the pain that led them to work for a peaceful solution, and why they want it to be based on a two state solution.

The floor was open for discussion as the audience engaged with the speakers in a wide range of topics such as the role of civil society and its influence on a peace agreement, issues of history, identity, and why Palestinians and Israelis have chosen the two state solution rather than any other one of the proposed solutions.

The two hour event that was held at the historic University Chapel, was followed by a reception through which the audience, the speakers, and OneVoice Glasgow committee members engaged in further discussion about how to get involved with the movement and attract others to play the proper role they should be playing to support the people of Israel and Palestine.

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OneVoice is a non profit organization and citizen activism movement working in Israel and the Palestinian territories to achieve a two-state solution through non-violent means. An initiative of The PeaceWorks Foundation, the organization is headquartered in New York City, with field offices in Tel Aviv, Ramallah, and Gaza City, and international offices in London and Ottawa.
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