The delegation began on November 14th with a visit to the Treasures collection of the British Library, where ancient religious texts, Shakespeare, and the Magna Carta are all on display. The students then went to Bentham House, where they had an engaging discussion on public international law, and the laws of war, with Professor Kimberley Trapp. The delegation then met with several Middle East experts at Chatham House for a discussion about peacebuilding, and the “Israel and Palestine: Beyond the Stalemate” project. Afterwards there was a two hour workshop at Europe House, which focused on Brexit. There the delegation also met with youth from different countries through the Asfar organization. Finally, the day concluded with a briefing at the Behavioral Insights Team, where the students learned about behavioral economics, and its impact on policy-making.

On Friday the delegation was photographed Fran Monks as part of the Hug Project. Then the delegation joined the Muslim Educational Center of Oxford for Juma’a prayers, where they heard the khutba from Dr Taj Hargey and had a lively discussion on contemporary Islam. That evening the delegation joined the Jewish community at the University of Oxford for shabbat dinner.

From Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon the students engaged in their respective committees, representing a range of countries such as Australia, China, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. At the closing ceremony on Sunday Teba Massalha (UAE) received a Best Position Paper award in OPEC, while Eliran Ben Yair (China) received an Honorable Mention award in CSW.

Back in London the delegation met with peacebuilding experts at Conciliation Resources, and visited the Embassy of Ecuador, where they met Ambassador Jaime Marchan-Romero, and the Embassy of Kosovo, where they met Counselor Imer Berisha. They also visited one of the largest Hindu temples outside of India, and heard a piano concert by Rachel Starritt at the St. Martin in the Fields church. The delegation also received a private tour of the Institute of Ismaili Studies, including a visit to the Agha Khan Centre Gallery, featuring work by contemporary Egyptian artist Bahia Shehab. The delegation was lucky to be guided by curator Esen Kaya, and joined by academic and musician Dr. Vanessa Paloma. Kaya told Diplomacy that she was very interested in “hearing about the students debate programme and the passionate messages they had conveyed in Oxford. They all liked our building, the Islamic gardens and were amused with reading some Arabic text within specific art works and gardens around the building.” She added that it was interesting to see the responses of young leaders to topical contemporary culture as well as traditional religious texts. 

The delegation also found time to visit the National Gallery, the Museum of Natural History, and the British Museum, featuring the Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies and other treasures. They finished the delegation by meeting with Jaron Soh to learn about his efforts to help refugees and displaced persons support themselves using traditional handcrafts, contemporary technology, and global economics.

Lareen Habashi from Iksal High School told Diplomacy that this was “a special experience that I did not have before. We discussed different topics concerning the whole world, we met people from different ages, different positions and fields from several countries around the world.” 

Shahaf Navon, from Ben Gurion Comprehensive school in Petah Tiqva, added that the delegation “helped us to personally evolve and not only to get to know the other side but to befriend them, (and the) meetings with different NGO was a wonderful experience.

Maya Qawasmi from Al Qassemi high school in Baqa added “we had an amazing week, visiting different places and meeting with people who gave us so much information about several subjects. We had a fun time in the museums, and finally three incredible days in Oxford conference.”

The upcoming Debate for Peace delegations will be to Yale MUN and Johns Hopkins MUN in the US.

Photo Credit: Fran Monks and Debate for Peace

A Debate for Peace delegation participated in the Model UN of Malmo for the first time in November 2019. Six students, from four cities around Israel and representing three religions, traveled to Malmo for the MUN conference, interfaith and intercultural programming in Malmo, and a day of briefings and study sessions in Stockholm.

The students represented Pakistan and Sweden in a variety of committees, dealing with topics ranging from women’s empowerment to combating narcotics cultivation, to the conflict in the Kashmir region. They spent several days debating and negotiating with students from dozens of ethnic, religious and linguistic backgrounds at MUN of Malmo, hosted by the Malmö Borgarskola.

During the conference, the delegation joined several local interfaith initiatives as well, including a discussion on Promoting pluralism and tolerance in a democracy, with speakers from the Buddhist, Christian, Druze, Jewish, and Muslim communities, hosted by the Mahmood Ahmadiyya mosque in Malmo; a text-based discussion about “The Chosen People” through the Jewish-Muslim Amanah project, and an interfaith shabbat dinner with Christian, Druze, Jewish, and Muslim participants. The delegation also participated in an interreligious dialogue workshop run by the religious social-democrats in Skane-Blekinge.

Following the conference, the delegation traveled to Stockholm. There they met with John Robbins at the US Embassy in Stockholm; Ambassador Sotos A. Liassides at the Embassy of Cyprus; Anna Henderson Young at the Foreign Ministry of Sweden; Otto Widmark at the Olof Palme International Center for a discussion on international aid and development, and Dr. Mark Klamberg, professor of international law at Stockholm University, to learn about international humanitarian, human rights, and criminal law.

Yuval Cohen participated in the delegation from Kadima High School, and he told Diplomacy that this was “A great experience that I will never forget”, which “exposed me to different cultures and people all around the globe...an experience that every teen should experience!” Yara Katish, from Maghar High School,called the delegation a “once in a lifetime opportunity with unforgettable memories”, adding that the most interesting part of the trip for her was meeting different people in different positions in the political and educational fields, and “hearing advice and important things that will help us in our near/far future.”

Debate for Peace Director Steven Aiello expressed special gratitude to the Embassy of Sweden in Tel Aviv to the MUNOM organizers and hosts, to Imam Riwan Ahmad Afzal, and to Adrian Kaba and Peter Vig from the Interreligious Dialogue workshop, for their assistance in the delegation.

 Photo Credit :MUNOM and Debate for Peace

An unforgettable concert was held at Enav Cultural Center in Tel Aviv in honour of the Bulgarian Day of the National Leaders.

The event, a Bulgarian holiday usually celebrated on 1st of November, took place in Israel, on Tuesday, 5 November 2019 , under the auspices of the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria to the State of Israel, and the Bulgarian Cultural Center in Israel.

This special day in Bulgaria honours the work of Bulgarian leaders who have enlightened and revolutionized Bulgaria's national spirit, her values, and the pursuit of education and literature. These leaders have created and preserved the spiritual values of the nation.

The event also paid tribute to the brave actions of gentile Bulgarian Righteous Among the Nations who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. An extensive list of clergy and lay Bulgarian citizens was presented, describing their life-saving actions.

The entertainment consisted of a wonderful, mesmerizing concert by The Wladigeroff Trio. All three are members of the Wladigeroff family: Ekaterina on the piano, Alexander on the clarinet and piano, and Konstantin on the trumpet, flugelhorn and hand-percussion, and they all sing as well. They were born in Sofia to the family of the eminent choir-master and composer Alexander P. Wladigeroff.

The three have graduated from the National Academy of Music “Pancho Wledigeroff” in Sofia, as well as from the University of Music and Stage Art in Vienna. For over ten years now they have lived and worked in Vienna. Their projects showcase the tradition of music in the Wladigeroff ffamily and its development over three generations. In addition to the classic works written by their genius grandfather, professor Pancho Wladigeroff (1899-1978), their repertoire included works from his Berlin's period, which are considered as some of the first Jazz works in Bulgarian music.

Among the musical pieces that the trio performed were a brilliant foxtrot jazz piece from Berlin, a variations on a Jewish musical theme, a three-movements ("watercolours") work that ended with a melancholy movement and then a contrasting feisty dance. The trio performed also a rare arrangement for the familiar Hora Staccato and then a masterpiece of a medley that included tunes from Beethoven's Ode to Joy from the ninth symphony, and Ravel's Bolero.

The audience went crazy with enthusiastic applause that left no choice for the Trio, but to come back with an encore. They came back on stage with a Klezmer style piece playing intricate variations, with various muffled trumpet sounds, and Konstantin playing both, the trumpet and the flugelhorn simultaneously (!), as Alexander was strumming the piano strings with his fingers.

The audience was swept along with the trio, singing and clapping in a true celebration.

In attendance were Ambassadors , representatives of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as all the leaders of the Bulgarian Jews organizations in Israel.

Photos by David Goland and George Prajza