ISRAEL - PALESTINE - EDINBURGH.

Photographer Angela Catlin and I spent some time recently in Irsael and the West Bank documenting peace projects for an international festival in Edinburgh.

The region often makes headlines for the wrong reasons but despite the political turmoil there is some outstanding work on-going at grassroots level to promote peace and tolerance and to advance human rights.

The media often focuses on the negative so we wanted to provide contrast and highlight the positive work of individuals who look beyond the labels people attach to each other.

We met some inspiring people who often put their lives at risk to aid others. These included Rabbis who work side by side with Palestinians in Jerusalem to stop home demolitions, and we visited a unique village called Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam (Oasis of Peace) where Arabs and Jews have lived together peacefully for more than 30 years.  

We also spent a day with Jewish doctors who forego time-off at weekends to travel to the West bank and Gaza to treat Palestinians.

I’ve written a series of articles for the press and Angela’s photographs have been shown at the Scottish Parliament and from Monday will be on shown for a week at The Out of the Blue Drill Hall in Edinburgh.

**We are looking to take the exhibition elsewhere in the UK so if anyone can suggest a suitable venue please email me – journalism@billybriggs.co.uk

PEACEMAKERS OF ISRAEL/PALESTINE is a photography exhibition as part of the 6th Edinburgh International Festival of Middle Eastern Spirituality and Peace which runs from 31st January to 15th March, 2009.

The exhibition will run from February 23rd, to March 1st at -
The Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 
30-36 Dalmeny Street, 
Edinburgh, EH6 8RG, UK
Tel – 0131 555 7100
www.outoftheblue.org.uk

 http://www.eicsp.org/events-list/details/61-Photography%20Exhibition-%2…

Thanks for your time.

www.billybriggs.co.uk