The Peace Café: A Safe Space for Change

Abstract

The Peace Cafe1 is a venue providing an opportunity for Arabs and Jews and all those interested in a just peace to sit side by side and begin to create layers of understanding onto which a foundation for true peace can be built. It is a modest appeal to the human spirit based on the belief that both Arabs and Jews have legitimate and valid concerns and need an opportunity to express their points of view. The Peace Cafe hopes to create an alternative, non-threatening environment where those who have gathered can break bread together and share ideas and hopes. It is not a forum for policy statements or finger-pointing, but rather a place to share personal stories and thoughts and to listen to the stories of others. In most cases, a Peace Cafe event begins with a shared experience such as a play or a film dealing with the Middle East. The first Peace Cafe took place at Theatre J at the Washington DC Jewish Community Center following Via Dolorosa, a play written by David Hare which explores the lives of Israelis and Palestinians living in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza. In a reception hall outside the theater, tables were set with hummus, whole pita bread, olives and dates. The audience was given “menus” with “food for thought,” using excerpts from the play for discussion points. They were encouraged to mix with people they did not know and were asked to introduce themselves to one another. Each group started by breaking the pita bread and passing it around the table in a spiritual act of sharing. Simple, basic ground rules were put into place. The participants were reminded to listen more than speak. This opening ritual set the stage for an hour of intense dialogue within each group-ranging from 6 to 10 participants. The discussion was then opened to the whole room for another hour. For many participants, it was their first encounter with “the other.” The Peace Cafe has become the vehicle for bringing both communities together to listen to one another. So far, thousands of Washington area residents have participated in Peace Cafes. For many, it has become a way for dealing with and re-framing the current issues in the Middle East.