Sulha Peace Project
Co-Founder & Co-Director Of The Sulha Peace Project (2001-2009).
A grassroots organization, inspired by the indigenous process of mediation (Sulha), aims to rebuild trust, restore dignity, and move beyond the political agenda.
Working primarily on the grassroots level, preparing people for peace from "bottom-up" and complementing peacemaking efforts that are undertaken at the governmental and diplomatic level.
Sulha, under Gabriel's leadership, developed the following Projects:
1 - Annual On the Way to Sulha Gathering
Three days, bringing together Palestinians, Israelis, Arabs & Jews from all ages & all walks of life to learn and experience each other's stories, pains and hopes, and to celebrate peace and reconciliation.
2 - Sulhita Youth Gatherings
A four-day camp for around eighty Arab Palestinian & Jewish youth. The gatherings took place in a secluded space. Nature played a big part in breaking the ice and served as a catalyst for bonding between participants.
3 - Sulha Family
Ongoing in-depth study and exploration of new methods of peacemaking by thirty core activists of Sulha's different programs. Sulha family meetings served as an opportunity for staff and activists to bond, gain skills, and create our peacemaking community.
4 - Sulha Workshops
Participants learnt about conflict resolution with an innovative, experimental approach, and acquired simple, yet effective tools to use in their everyday lives.
Our new peace language has developed throughout the years, since our first On the Way to Sulha gathering in 2001. Its grassroots methodology is expressed through listening circles, multicultural workshops, interfaith rituals, and celebration through the arts, all led by trained facilitators. A broad cross-section of Israeli and Palestinian society, including: Muslims, Christians, Jews, Druze, Bedouin, academics, peacemakers, spiritual activists, children, artists, professionals, elders, clergy, educators, secular and religious.
Anyone who felt the need to take responsibility to facilitate the coexistence and healing of the Children of Abraham in the Holy Land, at the heart level, was welcome.
Sulha Peace Project's Story
The creation of Sulha Peace Project can be traced to the spiritual itinerary of our co-founder, Gabriel Meyer, and the peace visions and experience of the late Palestinian Sulha mediator and co-founder, Elias Jabbour.
Gabriel's vision was inspired by several cross-cultural projects in which he was involved in Metatron - collective multifaith ritual theater group, an interfaith Palestinian/Israeli tour in the USA, culminating in the U.N. Millennium Spiritual Summit, The Peace Vigil in the Old City of Jerusalem, and the interfaith International Peacemaker Community encounter in Tantur Monastery (Jerusalem, 2000) where the first seed vision of the Sulha was born.
The goal was to universalize responsibility for healing one of the most excruciating epicenters of conflict and pain: Jerusalem, reminding the Holy City of her true destiny: the inheritance of Peace.
Because Gabriel lived in Galilee, it was only natural that the journey would begin there, close to his home. He reached out to peacemaking elder Elias Jabbour - founder of The House of Hope in Shefaram & author of the book: "Sulha: Palestinian Traditional Peacemaking Process", son of the well-respected Sulha mediator, Galilean elder and mayor of Shefaraam for many years: Jabbour Jabbour.
About the origins of the first Sulha Day gathering, Gabriel recalls: "I was Elias Jabbour's guest at his home in Shfaraam. I had just called him up on the phone which I found in a pacemaker's phonebook list. I introduced myself and he invited me over to his home. We connected right away, despite the age difference. From our stories and my music to our shared dreams together, we gave birth to our first Sulha Day gathering in 2001. We celebrated Chanukkah, Christmas, and Ramadan in Chan Amirei Hagalil. It was a deep and heartfelt encounter. We, Jews, cooked the "iftar" breakfast meal of Ramadan, and Christian and Muslim Arabs lit our Chanukkah candles after a moving listening circle that lasted the whole day."
At our first gathering, we had 150 adults and 15 children. We continued in 2002 at Chan Amirei Hagalil, this time for two days, with the celebration of the "Kidush Halevanah" (moon sanctification) with 600 adults and 75 children. By then, we had added prominent settlers Rabbi Menachem Fruman z"l and his wife Hadassah & South African Zulu peace leader - John Sithole Qhuzulini - as honored guests to our gathering.
In 2003, we were offered an olive grove near the village of Mghrar by Mahdi Serhan, one of our community members, and held our annual gathering for three days with 1500 participants & 150 children. We invited the silent peace walkers and meditators of Shvil Hazahav (Middleway) to join us.
In 2004, we kept moving south towards Jerusalem, out of the Galilee, to Park Shuni, near Binyamina. The Bereaved Families' Forum was invited as a core partner to our gatherings, and they participated in every one of our activities since. We also hosted 200 Palestinians and 40 Jordanians within our midst for the gathering; this time it was for five days.
In 2005, we created the Sulhita Youth Project, including our newly developed relationship with Combatants for Peace and held our fifth annual On the Way to Sulha gathering in Park Mekorot Hayarkon, Petach Tikvah, with 6,000 adults and 600 children amid the turmoil of the "Gaza Disengagement".
We also started bimonthly gatherings of the Sulha Family - with core members and staff of all our programs. This was a sort of lab where we experimented with new ideas and strengthened our bond as a team. It was also an opportunity for new members to join. That year, a board of directors for the Sulha Peace Project was created, and Ihab Balha joined the executive board.
In March 2006, we held our first Local Sulha Day in Jaffa with 600 adults and 100 children in attendance, empowering businessmen, artists, and neighbors of Jaffa to share their wisdom, conflicts, and hopes. We also had our second Sulhita Youth Gathering in Chan Maalei Shacharut in the Arava Desert.
In August 2007, we held the 6th annual On the Way to Sulha gathering in the olive groves of Latrun Monastery and Sulhita at Chan Derech Habesamim.
In 2008, we held the seventh annual gathering and more Sulhita Youth Gatherings, and at the beginning of 2009, Gabriel handed over, after 8 years, together with Ihab their role as co-directors of the Sulha Peace Project.
Sulha's Vision
An indigenous Middle Eastern way of mediation and conflict resolution. In the Arab culture, this word describes the ritual after all conditions and prerequisites are determined, which marks the end of conflict. Unfortunately, our two people are still fighting each other, so we acknowledged the fact that we were still in the process: "On the Way to Sulha." Our new peace language was developed throughout the years. Our grassroots methodology is expressed through the following stages in our program:
Morning: "Heart opening" of deep trauma, pain, and hopes at a personal level in the listening circles.
Afternoon: Experiential and theoretical workshops as tools for melting the ignorance of each other's culture at a national, religious, and ethnic level.
Sunset: Interfaith prayers and rituals rooted in the different monotheistic traditions. Evening Arts, Music, and Dance.
Evening: Integration of the emotional and intellectual dimensions experienced during the day. Celebration of our two peoples through the Arts as a means of healing and transformation.
Beyond Sulha: From an Interview with Gabriel in 2004
"Because of the highly volatile conditions in the Middle East, we are aware that all our highest plans have to remain flexible enough to be possible. Nevertheless, our direction points towards Jerusalem. Our intention is to create a "spiritual security council" for the sacred Old City of Jerusalem. This council would be composed of spiritual, cultural, and prominent figures from Academia, Sports, Arts, Business, Clergy, and Statesmen of the global community, and representative members of the old city of Jerusalem, and take responsibility for the healing of Jerusalem. Jerusalem would serve as a model for the resolution of other ethnic, racial, and religious stress points and conflicts of the Planet.
The phrase "On the Way to Sulha" means that we are creating the conditions for the ultimate Sulha, which marks the end of conflict. Jerusalem is the chosen location for the ultimate Sulha. We will keep checking reality until it allows us to manifest our vision. Zooming in closer and being even more courageous, we foresee the actual Sulha preceded by a three-week nomadic peace caravan. This caravan would pass through Arab and Jewish villages, pitching a tent in between them and inviting locals to join the Sulha in Jerusalem.
The moving caravan would continue to grow until it reaches the "Holy Old City." This would be the last station, and it will surround the meeting of the spiritual security council by Israelis, Palestinians, and internationals in a massive human gathering around the Wailing Wall, the Holy Sepulcher Church, and Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Our power grows when each one of us takes responsibility and does not delegate the design of reality to political leaders and the media. If we get to be a critical mass of people, who embody the way of peace, our life in the Middle East will look very different... beauty and creativity flowing rampant beyond imagination.
N'shalla (God Willing), we will bring comfort to Jerusalem. An event like this can have a great influence. Its echoes could be heard and felt around the world: Africa, Europe, and even the Far East, not only by humans, but also trees, animals, and angels might feel this. I am optimistic that in the future, most people will accept the fact that our two peoples have to live in the same land - "the Land of the Prophets" and our destiny as the inheritors of the "Chalil" (friend of God) - Abraham, Sarah and Hagar is to share light, loving kindness and harmony with the world. With the Holy One's help, light will come out from Jerusalem and we'll serve as an inspiration to the whole world."
Peace in the Middle East Gathering
Since, Gabriel co-ignited together with Iranian, Turkish & German partners the Peace in the Middle East Gathering in the mountains of Turkey. He then further developed the connections with the Iranians & Israelis as part of The Blend in San Francisco for Israeli & Iranian musicians, out of which material came out for two of his songs in his album: The Human Project.
As part of his continued trips to Sinai, Gabriel met over the years with conscious creative artivists from the Tahrir revolution in Egypt, out of which the track & video: Children of Liberty was born. Israeli artists answered the call to support the Egyptian creative family.
Celebration at Ras Sinai
We Refuse to be Enemies
Bethlehem - with Dani, Lee, Micha and Sami Awad
Gabriel was part of the We Refuse to be Enemies Vision Camp during the last Gaza War (2014) in Gush Etzion, at Ali Abu Awwad's land, initiated and supported by The Tamera Peace Research Village, where Palestinians, Israelis & internationals came together in nature to embody a new paradigm for peace.
Defend the Sacred
Since its inception in 2017, Gabriel has been a core member of the Defend the Sacred global alliance of sacred activists inspired by Standing Rock.
Gabriel with Lakota Allies Tiokasin Ghosthorse and Ladonna Brave Bull Allard.