Perspectives on the Arab-Israeli Conflict
Internationally acclaimed author, journalist and broadcaster Charles Glass was joined by Magnum correspondent Micha Bar-Am and two members of Parents Circle-Families Forum (PCFF) - a network of over 400 Israeli and Palestinian bereaved families dedicated to pursuing peace and dialogue as an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict - for an extraordinary panel discussion held at the Royal Geographical Society on 11 July.
Micha Bar-Am has been a Magnum Correspondent since 1968 and has spent many years photographing the Arab-Israeli conflict from his home in Israel. Through a presentation of his images, he explored the personal dilemmas of a photographer as witness-observer who covers his own backyard.
Bar-Am was joined by Jammal Khudiri and Avraham Shomroni whose moving accounts of the circumstances which led them to join the Parents Circle-Families Forum in pursuit of peace and reconciliation inspired a host of pertinent questions from the audience.
Guests were invited to view an exhibition of photographs by Israeli and Palestinian children trained in photojournalism skills by 
PhotoVoice and the PCFF as part of Side by Side - an ambitious six-month photographic project which hopes to achieve dialogue between the students, who have all lost family members in the ongoing conflict.
While the project faces continual challenges – including violent clashes in the West Bank and regular checkpoint closures - the students are determined to represent an alternative view of the conflict.
For many of the children involved, just the notion that someone outside might be listening is a very powerful thought. Sameh, a 16 year-old participant from Nablus wrote in his personal statement “I hope this project can connect our lives with the world.”
Lecture Images © Kyna Gourley