00:00:17: So, good morning everybody on this... ...morning of the very first day of the ITB Berlin Congress.

00:00:26: And welcome to all our guests and listeners….

00:00:28: …to our first ITB podcast which is called Jörnt Business!

00:00:34: We're sitting here in the midst of a hall so you might hear little noise around us….

00:00:39: In the midst.

00:00:39: for the first days it's already very busy.

00:00:42: And we are sitting at a little Volkswagen Bulli –which is our studio-.

00:00:46: It seems to be quite convenient for me here.

00:00:49: I'm very honored that my first guest today is Mr.

00:00:51: Assis Abu-Sarrah, he's a peace activist and tour operator from Palestine.

00:00:59: so welcome Mr.

00:01:00: Asis Abu Sarrah.

00:01:01: it's great having you on our first podcast.

00:01:04: Thank You For Having Me.

00:01:05: i am happy To Be Here.

00:01:06: The

00:01:06: First and Foremost Question In These Difficult Days Did Your Head A Safe Connection And A Safe Flight Arrival to Berlin because this is very difficult in these days.

00:01:17: Yes, I have but many people i know right now Many friends and families are stranded unable To go back home to Jerusalem which Is where am from And so it's a difficult time all considering But also its really difficult when there's a war happening and people dying to be, you know functioning as normal.

00:01:40: And we're coming into an exhibit... ...and it is very difficult to do our work while many of us are getting killed.

00:01:48: Yeah!

00:01:48: As all can witness right now through the media.

00:01:52: When I checked the list of speakers from ITB Congress then i discovered your name.

00:01:58: what were doing.. ..I was really saying myself that I want talk with this person because he seems Very special and very important in these days.

00:02:09: And being a peace activist, working for peace especially which is one of the most tested areas on earth... ...and then the most hostile area with so many things seem to be hopeless at this moment.

00:02:23: So thanks again for being here.

00:02:25: It's really great to have this occasion to talk about peace.

00:02:29: You go up close to a town close to Jerusalem To East Jerusalem Probably in the eighties or what was it that like?

00:02:36: In those days

00:02:37: when you grew up in It, You don't realize.

00:02:39: That's different than What your childhood probably Was like.

00:02:43: my neighborhood its Bethany where I mentioned and The Bible is just about two kilometers three kilometers outside the center of East Jerusalem.

00:02:51: We had no playgrounds we have No activities not nothing And then we Had Israeli soldiers raiding our school.

00:02:58: When i was a kid i was shot at first time when i was seven Or eight years old.

00:03:03: It was very difficult to grow up in those times.

00:03:07: I think all of us are terribly traumatized, and then when I was ten years old my brother was killed by Israeli soldiers... ...and I grew up very angry and very bitter….

00:03:19: …I didn't believe in peace.

00:03:20: so now you introduce me as a peace activist but.. ..as a kid?

00:03:24: I wasn't!

00:03:25: To me it's about avenging my brothers death The feeling that revenge is the only path because if somebody kills your brother, That's not only way forward.

00:03:34: And...that continued with me until I was eighteen years old.

00:03:39: and thats when i had a transformation in realization by choosing revenge as being a slave to person who killed my Brother!

00:03:47: And I was reacting their actions..and wanted be free from this person saying you don't deserve forgiveness necessarily.

00:03:55: You didn't ask for it But the power is me being able to give it even though you don't deserve.

00:04:01: Looking at your website, You're a peace activist?

00:04:05: Your journalist or social entrepreneur also are politicians but furthermore...

00:04:11: Failed

00:04:13: politician!

00:04:15: And furthermore, you're also a tour operator.

00:04:18: The company is called Mejdi?

00:04:19: Do I say that correctly?

00:04:20: You said the perfect Mejti.

00:04:22: Maybe you can tell us because we are on ITB or you could just tell me about what this tour operator was doing.

00:04:28: So Mejdie means honor and respect, glory in Eric.

00:04:31: I co-founded it with a Jewish friend.

00:04:33: most of my initiatives almost all am a serial entrepreneur have been with Jewish friends And we both worked in conflict resolution and realized you cannot make peace only in conference rooms, it needs to be every aspect of our life.

00:04:48: We thought tourism is the best industry.

00:04:50: there are one point five billion people who travel internationally every year.

00:04:54: now what if instead of just taking photos and seeing sites they actually connect truly connect?

00:05:01: two people will live where they go It's the biggest cultural exchange we can have, and then start developing these programs that were different.

00:05:08: We realized there is a lack of understanding.

00:05:12: different sides and voices are unheard in certain countries on Israel Palestine with side to put an Israeli and the Palestinian tour guides together to lead the whole trip for ten days or one week at the same time.

00:05:25: And during the trip we meet many people families, eat dinners with them rabbis, imams archeologists journalists musicians and just connect to the place we going too.

00:05:38: And then we start replicating that in other places South Africa Northern Ireland Uzbekistan Columbia all these places on realize many tourists go through these places.

00:05:51: they leave without meeting one person other than a single tour guide.

00:05:56: I'm reminded usually of a quote from ibn Battuta in which he says, travel makes you speechless.

00:06:03: But then it turns into story teller and always ask people who I meet to say they traveled the land like have you got any story to tell?

00:06:12: A story if somebody met an?

00:06:14: if don't haven really travelled.

00:06:17: It's not only about beaches and sightseeing.

00:06:19: we do those important their fun.

00:06:22: its much more to true stories and not only accepting the dominant narrative.

00:06:29: No place has a single story, there are many stories.

00:06:32: Berlin doesn't have a single-story Germany doesnt' have a singeal story.

00:06:36: And yet I can beg you Actually i know because we've run tours in berlin... ...I can bet you most tours that go in berlain especially the organized tours will tell a narrative.. ..and it all flows perfectly.

00:06:51: That's not how life is.

00:06:53: Nothing flows perfectly.

00:06:54: I can assure you to that, especially when it comes to Berlin.

00:06:57: at least there's an East German perspective and a West German perspective And in many ways they turn out be very different and then even controversial Even after so many years.

00:07:09: That is more true from the other part of world we are talking about right now.

00:07:14: You're dividing your life between Palestine living in US.

00:07:18: How does this work on practical basis?

00:07:22: Israel and the US are not so nice to Palestinians in those days, to put it mildly.

00:07:28: Yeah!

00:07:29: It's difficult but I'm used to that... ...I grew up with no citizenship….

00:07:33: …I had zero citizenship until i was my thirties – I had zero citizenship And.. So I am used to airports.

00:07:40: being nice to me, governments also.

00:07:44: being a peace activist is not about expecting governments be nice to you.

00:07:48: There're lots of sacrifices coming.

00:07:51: It's difficult, but it is what's needed.

00:07:54: And I think we all call to do What Is Uncomfortable.

00:07:58: If We Only Do Things That Are Comfortable Nothing Ever Changes.

00:08:02: To Make A Social Change In Our Countries To Push For Peacemaking... ...is not comfortable.

00:08:09: You pay a price for it But its whats good for us.

00:08:13: There was an organization called Olmab Alliance from Middle East Peace who did a polling recently in the United States, including among Trump's biggest fans—the MAGA people.

00:08:25: And vast majority of them say that the U.S.

00:08:28: investment should be more in peace than weapons in the Middle

00:08:32: East.".

00:08:33: So I got more people on my side.

00:08:35: then we think —we all have more people at our sides than we think.

00:08:40: Politicians fool us to believe they are for war and it is not true!

00:08:46: Talking to you as a peace activist, who has long experience in peace tourism.

00:08:53: So what would be the starting point?

00:08:56: for somebody wants get into that kind of business and I want contribute some piece process idea?

00:09:03: What's your recommendation from your experience?

00:09:07: Look i'm in pain!

00:09:08: Watching the suffering is very hard to watch.

00:09:11: Whether it's in Gaza or whether it's Iran with an oppressive regime and then bombs falling over people, you between a rock-and-a-hard place... It's very difficult.

00:09:22: but if we just discourage We accept reality around us And that reality is broken and our views are accepted.

00:09:29: Hope isn't something we feel.

00:09:31: Hope is something we create by acting By doing something to change that reality.

00:09:37: So I'm always hopeful because iIm always gonna try to do something To change that reality.

00:09:44: I just finished writing a book called the futures piece my co-authors in israeli.

00:09:49: His parents were killed on october seven maozenon three days after four days After his parents, we're killed.

00:09:56: he was on television Crying and when they asked him why you crying?

00:10:00: He said i'm not crying for My parents only i'm crying For children in gaza.

00:10:05: And then he said, we can work together to stop this.

00:10:09: So I reached out to him and we became friends brothers and ended up writing this book together.

00:10:15: but i'm thinking if somebody like me my brother was killed by Israelis.

00:10:20: his parents were killed by Palestinians.

00:10:21: it's going come together days after his parents are killed.

00:10:26: Work Together Travel all over the world together Meet with leaders together.

00:10:31: We met Pope Francis and Pope Leo, we just carried the Olympic torch together last month to create symbols that people can believe in.

00:10:40: I can stand behind.

00:10:41: then change is possible.

00:10:43: And so my message for people who want do this look their travel industry still lacking massive spaces In which we include local communities in it.

00:10:54: To me Travel Is About.

00:10:55: i learned from Dr Harold Goodwin That responsible travels about making the places we go to, better for the locals first and then for us as travelers.

00:11:07: And so if travel isn't making it better for locals—isn't helping changing reality for good for locals?

00:11:15: Then its missing that point!

00:11:16: There are SO many opportunities... To do that, starting organizations build those kind of experiences not be afraid even talking about controversial topics social issues, economy political stuff in some countries.

00:11:31: It's dangerous I get it but many countries that's possible and we don't do it.

00:11:35: That where there is a big market i think has not been explored yet.

00:11:39: So they're always people who think differently Who feel differently?

00:11:43: And to act differently even those dark days We experiencing today and I mean looking at the west bank as a tourist destination then have been their two times.

00:11:53: It's such a great place to travel and I mean it is so diverse.

00:11:58: Yeah, its has so much history not only biblical history And you have very hospitable people.

00:12:05: So there are what we call as lot of potential right?

00:12:09: Absolutely!

00:12:09: So i'll give an example.

00:12:11: most German tourists who go on Holy Land trips Pilgrimage trips they go to Bethlehem for half-a day.

00:12:19: That´s pretty much their experience.

00:12:20: Then they go back the

00:12:22: whole West Bank And I'm like, how could you?

00:12:25: If you're going on a biblical tour, Biblical land was mostly in the West Bank.

00:12:29: How do not go and explore

00:12:31: that?".

00:12:32: Then...I am sorry to say it but Christians who got from here did pilgrimages don't meet with any of their Christians in the Holy Land.

00:12:40: Don't meet them at churches because they didn't want to hear something that might make them feel uncomfortable or maybe just don't think about it.

00:12:49: That's the change that needs happen.

00:12:51: At dinner What I design the tours, i work on and enjoy doing product development.

00:12:57: My favorite thing in my company to do is a product developing.

00:13:01: I go to place like Bethlehem and find families who would host our travelers for lunch or dinner.

00:13:07: I find ministers pastors come and host us their church conversation with them create food tour so you actually walk through market sample the different kinds of food that exists there.

00:13:22: We do some stuff with artists and Bethlehem has beautiful music scene, so we meet an artist to talk about their development in music on-and-on instead spending only two hours going through the nativity church after you all these things.

00:13:43: suddenly when people go back They'll never forget this place, and when they hear about it in the news.

00:13:50: It's not This random place that all something happened?

00:13:54: They know they have friends there And I sometimes stay in touch many Many years later, and I have so many stories of fifteen Years after a tour.

00:14:03: people are still in touch with those they met Fifteen years or earlier.

00:14:07: That's a test if tourism is able to create change or not.

00:14:11: But the world knows too little about it, and I guess you're gonna use ITB also for spreading that kind of message.

00:14:17: Or is this the core message your giving on your speech?

00:14:20: Absolutely!

00:14:21: My message is we need to transform tourism into a place... ...for traveling peace or consciousness.

00:14:30: Nobody knew about eco-tourism twenty years ago And now its'a big thing.

00:14:35: but Eco alone isn't enough.

00:14:37: We have to do both.

00:14:38: It's socially responsible Connecting with locals and we do the eco.

00:14:44: if you allow me I have.

00:14:46: I created those boarding passes as a bookmarks, an I put on a poem by one of my favorite poets and his name is Samihal Kossima Palestinian poet and in it he says that they am killed like killer rifling through my pockets will find traveling tickets want to peace onto the fields under rain and one to the conscience of a humankind.

00:15:11: So I beg you, my dear killer do not waste such a thing.

00:15:15: please take these tickets and go

00:15:18: traveling.".

00:15:19: And To me travel is about traveling to peace.

00:15:24: every trip we do is an act of diplomacy.

00:15:28: if We think About it when we go from one place another?

00:15:33: We're creating our relationship.

00:15:34: that's diplomacy.

00:15:35: That citizen diplomacy that citizen diplomacy can do, and the power of travel has is much more than any politician could.

00:15:44: Because at this moment those one billion people traveling to another one-and-a-half billion people... Imagine!

00:15:51: One connection changes a whole world.

00:15:54: That's half of the world interacting.

00:15:57: And we are taking out politicians in the middle who tell us they hate each other saying no I know you I have no reason to hate you, because you're German and You Have No Reason To Hate Me Because I'm Palestinian And Vice-versa With Everybody.

00:16:12: That's How Things Can Change.

00:16:13: We can break all the stereotypes.

00:16:15: The fear Wars are made by Fear By Hate By Separation.

00:16:20: Martin Luther King Jr.

00:16:22: Talks About It.

00:16:24: People Hate Each Other Cause They Don't Know Each Other.

00:16:26: They don't know each other because they Are separated from one another.

00:16:30: Tourism is a One Industry That can truly break that.

00:16:34: It's not tech, it is not messengers or Facebook because... ...it isn't the same!

00:16:40: You meet somebody and you eat with them but they are so different.

00:16:43: I mean its great to hear such a message on our very first day of ITB And i think thats basically what all about.

00:16:51: The great thing about traveling and explore the unknown and explore.

00:16:55: we're people in this planet In one way other.

00:16:59: don't get divided.

00:17:01: Become a victim of your own bias or off.

00:17:03: Your own hostility and this is why we all should travel And become to know each other, and mr.. Abu Sada it was great having you here.

00:17:11: I think there were more things We would put talk about on various issues but time Is running out?

00:17:17: This is it be everybody's busy.

00:17:19: so thank You very much for being Here and i hope you have A great itb in The Great Time In Berlin.

00:17:24: Thank You Very Much

00:17:25: Thank You For Amplifying The voices that promote peace.

00:17:29: This is the one most important key thing for everyone can do, don't amplify only the voices.

00:17:35: I call for hate and violence in fear.

00:17:39: Don't amplify those voices.

00:17:40: Amplify Those Who Are Promoting Peace.

00:17:42: We Can Do It Even If Media And Politicians Don't.

00:17:46: We Will

00:17:46: Spread That Message Especially In These Difficult Days.

00:17:49: Thank You Very Much For Having You Here.