Featured Co-Existence Grants
2006
From Falljuah to Jerusalem to Washington, D.C. — religion is at the center of world events in almost every corner of our globe. Add to that the fact that many of our most pressing social issues (poverty, the environment, medical research) have a religious dimension and it is clear why religion is the "wild card" of our day. Yet despite its importance, responsible religious voices are often drowned out by extremists who reduce religion to an arena of opposing parties, rather than a wellspring of compassion, justice, and love.
Auburn Media was established to counter this trend and promote media as a way to highlight the religious and ethical imperatives of justice and compassion. Their work has two main strategies: (1) media training and media placement of responsible, engaging religious leaders and (2) efforts to use film and other media to expose communities to the lives of people of different faith traditions. In terms of the latter, they specifically work to ensure that the best documentary films have the greatest possible impact within religious circles. Currently, they are creating campaigns to inspire people of different faith traditions to organize for peace with the film Pray the Devil Back to Hell, to care for the environment with the film Renewal, to care for people recently released from prison with the film Hard Road Home, and to combat anti-Muslim bias in America with the Web site ChangetheStory.net.
While media coverage of Palestinian-Israeli relations is dominated by violent extremism, a number of individuals and organizations are attempting to reframe the issue to focus on the people who are committed to waging peace.
Enter Just Vision, a group of Israeli, Palestinian, North and South American women who teamed up to document the hundreds of Israelis and Palestinians, young and old alike, actively working towards peace and reconciliation on a daily basis. Just Vision increases awareness of these civilian-led conflict resolution efforts through the creation of films, an online oral history project, and educational resources. Their first completed project is the film Encounter Point which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and tells the story of a few members of the Parents' Circle-Bereaved Families Forum, a group of over 500 Palestinians and Israelis who have lost children and other family members as a result of the conflict, and who collectively advocate for nonviolence and reconciliation.
Just Vision sought funds for an international educational and outreach campaign. Via a grassroots network, their small staff organized screenings in over 200 cities, reaching more than 20,000 people in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and Palestine, along with screenings for the United Nations and the World Bank. Even during the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, they were screening the film in Jenin, Haifa, Gaza, and Jerusalem. The film went on to be broadcast in Canada, in Europe and on Al-Arabiya, the 24-hour news channel based in Dubai that reaches millions in the Arab world.
