Meet The Women
Sixty Years, Sixty Voices carries the voices of 30 Israeli women and 30 Palestinian women who share their wisdom, experiences, points of view, wounds, and joys. Their stories show the richness of female minds and hearts and demonstrate that women are those best prepared to reach across differences and build peace on mutual goals. We invite you to get to know them. We invite you to become inspired.
2008 is celebrated by Israelis as the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel. It is lamented by Palestinians as the 60th year of the Naqbah, the catastrophe. Negotiating between the different narratives, we asked repeatedly, “Is peace possible?” Every woman said yes. Their words are proof that Palestinian and Israeli women, in all their diversity, can bring peace to the Holy Land of the Abrahamic religions of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.
Apart from a shared commitment to peace, the women share concern for the health and well being of children, the need for economic development, the inadequacy of politicians, and the need to stop violence in all its forms.
These “ordinary extraordinary” 60 women, from all social strata, professions, and political belief, share daily experiences and seasoned wisdom. They are joined by other women also interviewed in Palestine and Israel whose work, ideas, and beliefs highlight women’s unique capacity for creation and rebirth under the most trying circumstances.
Now is the time and peace is the way.
The Team
Meet the women who crossed over walls, borders, political differences, and conflict zones to capture the stories.
Patricia Smith Melton is Founder and Board Chair of Peace X Peace, an international, nongovernmental organization, connecting women around the world for direct, secure, internet-based conversations. Patricia, a poet, photographer, and playwright, conducted the majority of the English-based interviews, edited the excerpts, and was the principal photographer. She is an American and lives in the United States.
Elana Rozenman is a Middle East consultant for Peace X Peace, and is an Israeli living in West Jerusalem and working with Israeli women of all sectors. She is Executive Director of TRUST–Emun, building trust among people in the region, and Founder of Women’s Interfaith Networks (WIN), promoting interfaith dialogue. Elana directed the selection of the Israeli women, conducted interviews done in Hebrew, coordinated Hebrew translations, and photographed several of the women.
Rula Salameh is a Middle East consultant for Peace X Peace, and is a Palestinian living in East Jerusalem and working with Palestinian women throughout the West Bank. She is Education and Outreach Coordinator in Palestine for Just Vision, and was one of the founders of the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation. Rula directed the selection of the Palestinian women, conducted interviews done in Arabic, and coordinated Arabic translations.
Ruth Gardner is the European liaison for Peace X Peace. She conducted several English-based interviews, managed all aspects of audio technology, and was onsite as an advisor, overseer, and inspiration. Ruth, who has worked in the investment industry for over 20 years, is Canadian and lives in Paris.
Zainab Cheema is the Coordinator of Manuscripts for the Sixty Years, Sixty Voices project. Zainab transcribed the interviews, managed the flow of materials, helped coordinate the translations, conducted research and wrote scripts for the videos. Zainab lives in the United States and is interested in global women’s issues. She has served as Executive Coordinator for Peace X Peace, and is currently studying women’s literature.
