B8 Of Hope

15/10/2026

Not every visit to b8ofhope.org needs to begin with B8 of Hope.

Our Resources section is for anyone looking for thoughtful ways to understand more about Israel, Palestine, peacebuilding and the people trying to create alternatives to violence and division.

You’ll find films and documentaries, books, podcasts, talks, news and analysis, including conversations between Palestinians and Israelis who disagree, grieve, organize and imagine differently.

There is no single resource that can explain this reality. The aim is something more useful: different entry points for questioning assumptions, hearing perspectives that are often missing, and continuing to learn.

Start exploring at www.b8ofhope.org/resources

13/10/2026

One of B8 of Hope’s missions is to help change the narrative around an increasingly polarized discourse in Switzerland and beyond.

Whether we are speaking to younger or older audiences, our aim is to bring nuance back into the conversation.

Our message is simple: You can feel deeply connected to one side or the other, but not at the expense of recognizing the humanity, rights and aspirations of the other. By standing with peacebuilders and changemakers from both Israeli and Palestinian societies, we believe it is possible to take a more constructive position and, ultimately, have a more constructive impact.

It was within the framework of this mission that we were recently invited back to Institut Le Rosey school, with whom we have built a valued relationship over the years.

We screened Résister pour la Paix, co-directed by Hanna Assouline and Sonia Terrab, a documentary featuring activists and movements from several organizations we are proud to support, including Standing Together.

The film was watched by 100 students and followed by a conversation with B8 of Hope’s director, Mehra Beit Rimer, and Shir Yerushalmi from Standing Together, who brought the perspective and experience of the movement into the discussion.

What matters most to us in these moments is what happens in the room. The thoughtful questions. The curiosity. The willingness to challenge assumptions. The desire to understand more rather than retreat into easy certainties.

And sometimes, the impact becomes tangible almost immediately: students asking how they can attend our events in Geneva, get involved, or contribute to initiatives supporting this work.
That means the world to us.

Our heartfelt thanks to Institut Le Rosey for continuing to open this space for dialogue; to our dear partner Shir for bringing her voice and experience; to Hanna Assouline and Sonia Terrab for creating a film that makes these courageous voices visible; and, most importantly, to the brilliant, curious and enthusiastic students who engaged so openly with the film and the conversation.

This is how narratives begin to shift — one conversation, one encounter, one young person at a time.

07/10/2026

A reflection from our director, Mehra Beit Rimer:

In early October 2023, I was in Jerusalem.

B8 of Hope had supported a large gathering organized by two of our grantees, Women Wage Peace and Women of the Sun. Their initiative, “The Mothers’ Call,” brought together hundreds of Israeli and Palestinian women with one simple message: Enough. Enough bloodshed. There has to be another way.

It was a long, hopeful and deeply moving day. I felt incredibly proud to be there, surrounded by women from both sides who refused to accept that violence was inevitable.

None of us could have imagined what was about to happen. I flew back to Geneva on October 6. On the morning of October 7, I woke up to the devastating news.

One of the first people I tried to reach was my dear friend Vivian Silver. I had barely seen Vivian during the gathering. She was one of the organizers and, as always, she was everywhere, running around, making sure everything worked. This leaflet from that night is the last thing I have from her.

Vivian was killed on October 7. I think of her every day.
Her legacy is very much alive, through her son Yonatan, but also through the hundreds of Israeli and Palestinian women who continue the work she believed in and who still refuse to give up on one another.

The past three years have shattered my heart in more ways than I can describe. I have friends and people I love in Israel, Palestine and Lebanon, and I carry my own Iranian family and country in my heart as well. At times I have called this my quadruple empathy.

And yes, I believe it is possible. It is possible to grieve for Israelis without grieving any less for Palestinians. It is possible to hold the immense devastation that Palestinians have endured and are still enduring, while also mourning an Israeli friend who was taken from us on October 7. It is possible to care deeply about the people of Lebanon and about the people of Iran at the same time.

Empathy is not a finite resource. One grief does not cancel another.
This conflict did not begin on October 7, and the grief and trauma carried by Israelis and Palestinians over these past three years and beyond cannot be contained by any one date. And yet dates matter. They give us a moment to return to, to remember, and to make space for particular losses.

For me, October 7 is the day I lost Vivian. I remember her energy, her determination, her impatience when things weren’t working properly, her extraordinary commitment to peace, and her unwavering belief that Israelis and Palestinians could—and must—find another way.

Three years later, Vivian’s message is as urgent as ever.

05/10/2026

Bringing B8 of Hope to Zurich

We were so honored to have our director, Mehra Rimer, invited by the American International Club of Zurich this week to share the deeply personal story that ultimately led to the creation of B8 of Hope.

She shared how, as a young girl, she travelled from Iran to Israel with her father, beginning an unlikely connection to the region that was interrupted by revolution, exile and loss—and how a remarkable return nearly 40 years later ultimately led her to Palestinian and Israeli peacebuilders and to co-found B8 of Hope.

The courageous Palestinian and Israeli activists Mehra encountered remain at the heart of our work today. Even in the most difficult moments, they continue to work for dignity, equality, security and a shared future for everyone living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.

A warm thank you to the American International Club of Zurich for the invitation and for creating the space for this conversation. We are excited to continue bringing Mehra’s story, and through it, the work and voices of our grantees, to new audiences across Switzerland and beyond.

Next stop: Geneva.
If you are in the region and would like to hear Mehra speak on October 6, please reach out for more information. And if you would like to invite Mehra or B8 of Hope to speak to your community, organization or event, we would love to hear from you.
You can reach us through the Get Involved page on our website.

01/10/2026

A reflection from B8 of Hope’s director, Mehra Beit Rimer:

It has been such an honor to have Chen Alon, one of the incredibly inspiring founders of Combatants for Peace, here with us in Geneva this week.

Of course I grabbed the opportunity to see him, but Chen gave me an unexpected gift as well.

Participants from the Freedom School/ Bridges of Hope, Combatants for Peace’s youth program, are currently in Switzerland with Coexistences, our wonderful partners in Lausanne. Coexistences brings cohorts of Israelis and Palestinians here for a deeper bridge-building experience—through difficult, sometimes painful, but ultimately meaningful dialogue, shared experiences, healing and the possibility of new horizons.

B8 of Hope is very proud to have made a modest contribution by sponsoring the participants’ flights and helping make this experience possible.

But the cherry on the cake for me was Chen inviting me to join an impromptu Theatre of the Oppressed workshop he was leading with the group—a form of theatre in which the audience is not simply passive, but becomes part of what is unfolding.

It was a privilege to watch Chen in action. But even more moving was watching these young Palestinians and Israelis—the age of my own kids—navigate deep emotions together. Sometimes confronting them, sometimes struggling with them, and sometimes, right in front of my eyes, opening a small crack in the wall.

Those cracks matter.

Thank you, Chen, for giving me this unique experience. Thank you to these wonderful young people for allowing me to be a visiting friend in your space for a couple of hours. And thank you, as always, to our incredible partners at Coexistences.

For me, those few hours were a real booster shot of hope—and a powerful reminder of why I do what I do through B8 of Hope. ❤️

Want to hear more? Listen to this great interview on Swiss radio (in French) all about the youth program here: https://www.rts.ch/play/radio/redirect/detail/ec72f015-0b5a-3937-ab7f-932e41566ea8

28/09/2026

A personal reflection from .rimer , Executive Director of B8 of Hope, on a recent trip to the US—and the B8 connections along the way:

A personal trip, with a little B8 of Hope along the way…
My recent trip to the US was meant to be personal—but, inevitably, B8 of Hope was never very far away…

First stop: New York
A wonderful meeting with Libby Lenkinski from Albi, whose expertise in films and cultural initiatives helps us think more strategically about the cultural projects we occasionally support.

A mini “family reunion” with Jake Shapiro, a Tech2Peace alumnus and very much part of our extended B8 family. It was great to catch up, exchange thoughts on the current situation and hear how he is putting his experience from the ground to use in his professional journey in the US.

And the pleasure of seeing three members of B8 of Hope Next Gen who are currently in New York—including my daughter! 😊

Next stop: Philadelphia.
A very fruitful meeting with Eve Guterman, the new CEO of American Friends of MEET (and previously involved with another B8 grantee, Comet-ME). We compared notes on the challenges of fundraising for peacebuilding and brainstormed potential synergies between MEET and other organizations in our network. To be continued!

Final stop: Washington, DC.
A great meeting with Caroline Mais, Alex and Hanna from New Story Leadership, which brings young Palestinian and Israeli professionals together and gives them tools to become leaders in their communities—and with Tarik, a uniquely talented moderator and facilitator I’ve had the pleasure of working with on several occasions.

And finally, always a pleasure to see Micah Hendler, founder of the Jerusalem Youth Chorus, bringing young Israeli and Palestinian voices together—quite literally!—through music, solidarity and empathy.

Learning from our peers. Staying connected to our community. Following the journeys of people we’ve met along the way.

Even on a personal trip, B8 of Hope is never very far away… ❤️

23/09/2026

What does it mean to build peace from Switzerland?

Sometimes it looks like 600 people gathering in Geneva for screenings of Résister pour la Paix and conversations with Palestinian and Israeli peacebuilders.

Sometimes it means bringing the creators of Unapologetic: The Third Narrative podcast into Swiss schools to speak with more than 130 students about identity, narrative and polarization.

Sometimes it is quieter: Palestinian and Israeli activists sitting around a table in Geneva, reconnecting at a time when meeting one another has become extraordinarily difficult.

B8 of Hope works from Switzerland to create spaces where these voices, ideas and initiatives can travel: to classrooms, communities, donors, institutions and international audiences.

The work happens on the ground. Our role is also to help it be heard beyond it.

See how we build peace from Switzerland at www.b8ofhope.org/community

17/09/2026

Organizations matter. But movements are built by people.

A Palestinian nonviolence advocate whose thinking was shaped by prison, loss and resistance. An Orthodox rabbi whose encounters with Palestinian neighbors transformed his understanding of the place he calls home. A bereaved mother who chose reconciliation over revenge. A young organizer who discovered the power of collective action through a workers’ strike.

These are some of the people you will meet in the Community section of our new website.

They are not the B8 of Hope community. They are a small selection from a much wider and more diverse network of Palestinian and Israeli activists, leaders and peacebuilders.

Their experiences are different. So are their ideas. What connects them is the decision to act rather than surrender the future to violence, inequality, hatred or despair.

Meet some of the people behind the work at www.b8ofhope.org/community

Read their stories

15/09/2026

Why does civil society matter?

Q: You are a small organization. How can B8 of Hope have an impact?

A: B8 of Hope is a small organization, but our work is part of something much larger: strengthening the civil society foundation needed for a just and lasting peace.

In conflict regions, peace cannot depend only on leaders or formal negotiations. Political agreements do not emerge or survive in a vacuum. They need societies with people, organizations, relationships, trust, language, and leadership already rooted in communities.

Civil society plays a vital role in creating change now. It keeps channels open when politics are frozen. It challenges fear, hatred, and dehumanization. It supports communities affected by violence, trauma, inequality, and insecurity. It creates spaces where Palestinians and Israelis can recognize each other’s dignity, rights, grief, and hopes. It also gives voice to people often excluded from formal political processes, including women, youth, bereaved families, educators, activists, and local leaders.

Much of this work is overlooked because it happens far from the spotlight of official politics. But it is where attitudes shift, relationships are built, leadership emerges, and practical alternatives become possible.

This is why B8 of Hope invests in a diverse peacebuilding ecosystem. We identify, fund, connect, and amplify Palestinian and Israeli civil society initiatives working in different but complementary ways — through dialogue, shared society work, trauma and bereavement support, women’s and youth leadership, humanitarian responses, cultural projects, and grassroots engagement.

No single organization can transform a conflict alone. But a strong and diverse network of courageous peacebuilders can create real change today while also preparing society for future political possibilities. B8 of Hope’s role is to strengthen that network.

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Our new Questions & Answers section on our new website goes deeper into how we work, how we choose grantees, how we assess impact, and what we mean when we say B8 of Hope is nonpartisan but not without values.

https://b8ofhope.org/

B8 of Hope supports Palestinian and Israeli civil society actors who reject violence and work to build empathy, dignity, recognition, resilience, and cooperation within and between communities.

10/09/2026

There is another way. And it is the only way.

That was the message Combatants for Peace brought to Geneva earlier this week through the award-winning documentary There Is Another Way.

Director Stephen Apkon was invited to screen the film at the United Nations in Geneva, before an audience of diplomats, joined by two remarkable Combatants for Peace activists—and protagonists of the film—Iris Gur and Sulaiman Khatib.

A second screening at Cinélux Geneva opened the conversation to the wider public, with Steve, Iris and Sulaiman sharing not only the film, but the lived reality behind it. Members of the B8 of Hope community, including our Next Gen, were there to listen, reflect and meet them.

There Is Another Way follows Israelis and Palestinians who refuse to accept violence, separation and despair as inevitable. Through Combatants for Peace, former fighters and others affected by the conflict come together to co-resist violence and injustice and work for a different future.

Their choices are neither easy nor abstract. They require courage—especially now. And they challenge the idea that Israelis and Palestinians are destined only to fear, fight or dehumanize one another.

B8 of Hope was proud to contribute to this important film, released in 2025 and recognized here in Geneva at FIFDH, and we are proud to support Combatants for Peace as one of our grantees.

At a time when it can feel as though there is no alternative, their work insists otherwise.

There is another way. And it is the only way.

Discover Combatants for Peace and the wider community of peacebuilders we support at www.b8ofhope.org