A search for peace
A Search for Peace: A Palestinian perspective on nonviolent conflict resolution introduces the viewer to three rarely told stories about Palestinians and their journeys to nonviolence. It is a short documentary and a prelude to Unexpected Peace and its exploration of alternatives to extreme violence.
We, the viewer, first meet Dr. Nakhle Bishara (a seventh generation Nazarene), a medical doctor and cantor at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, in Nazareth, Israel. He shares a childhood story at this historic fourth-century church and then, at a first century farm, he tells a 2,000-year-old story about conflict and the importance of justice.
Next, we meet Anis and Nawal Barhoum, founders and directors of House of Light, a community organization that works with underprivileged children, women escaping domestic violence, and prison work. They share a painful and intense family conflict and how after 17 years they managed to overcome it through forgiveness leading to restoration of family relationships.
Finally, we meet Zoughbi Alzoughbi, founder and director of Wi’am, a conflict transformation centre serving the Bethlehem community for more than 30 years. Zoughbi speaks about trauma and its impact on the community’s mental well being. He shares about how Wi’am combines Sulha, a trusted Bedouin/Palestinian tradition for breaking cycles of violence, with contemporary mediation and restorative justice methodologies designed to lead to nonviolent conflict resolution.