Ambassadors on True Community

On Wednesday evening, Saint David's had the distinct pleasure of hosting H.R.H. Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein, Permanent Representative of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the United Nations and H.E. Ron Prosor, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations. The ambassadors visited Saint David’s for an engaging conversation framed by the school-wide theme “true community” on the future of peace in the Middle East. Hyman Hall was filled to the rafters and the audience did not leave disappointed.

The evening, sponsored by the school’s Committee on Community, posed the question of whether true community could be attained between Israel and the Arab nations of the Middle East. Our guests shared their perspectives on the obstacles to the peace process, the current political turmoil in the Mideast and differences in approaches to the peace process.

The ambassadors concluded the evening's conversation by exploring what they felt would be needed in order to move forward in the region. While both expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of the process, each ended the conversation with expressions of hope that peace can be achieved.

As our school continues to explore the concept of “true community” this year, last week's talk was a reminder that to truly be a community requires commitment, understanding, and the ability to accept and respect differences.

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