It was my honor and pleasure to have this conversation with Sami Awad, a leader in the nonviolent movement to resist oppression worldwide and especially to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian people.

Please see the YouTube video of our talk, and/or listen to the audio podcast here.

Sami Awad is a Palestinian activist committed to nonviolence, healing and transformation. His path weaves personal and collective healing, the wisdom of ancient teachings, commitment to awakening consciousness and living life through radical love.

He serves as Co-Director of Nonviolence International and is based in Bethlehem, Palestine where he has been a leading advocate of nonviolent resistance to occupation and an inspirational leader for building a shared future of Palestinians and Israelis based on equality and human rights.

His recently published book, The Sacred Awakening – Reclaiming Christ Consciousness, shares his own story of “leaving Christianity to find Jesus.” In it, he offers his understanding of the life and teachings of Jesus as something we are invited to embody ourselves. He takes us through the inner meanings and instructions for life in the Sermon on the Mount, helping us see them as a path for awakening to higher consciousness and being agents of change here on Mother Earth.

In our conversation, Sami shares his own political and spiritual evolution, from embracing the two-state solution for Israel/Palestine, to seeing that what is needed is opening to “the consciousness of one-state.” He explains that this means making the vision of equality, dignity, respect and freedom for both Jews and Palestinians the primary focus for finding practical solutions. He holds a deep recognition of the need for healing the traumas of both peoples.

A very interesting part of our discussion involved his participation in an Ayahuasca healing ceremony for Israelis and Palestinians together which led to some very profound transformations of consciousness.

Please watch and listen to this conversation: YouTube video of our talk, and/or listen to the audio podcast here. While you’re there, please check out other conversations with people doing wonderful work to make the world better, and please subscribe to help get the word out more.

You can learn more about Sami at Nonviolence International, and his website, and his own website, sami-awad.com.