Page 23 - Human Rights Program 2025 Annual Report

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THERE IS ANOTHER WAY : STRUGGLING FOR
THERE IS ANOTHER WAY
A JUST FUTURE IN ISRAEL-PALESTINE
THROUGH STRATEGIC
NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE
Founded by Israeli and Palestinian combatants who laid down their weapons in pursuit of a
peaceful shared future, Combatants for Peace (CfP) engages in nonviolent activism while
acknowledging mutual humanity in the face of immense pain. CfP prioritizes the needs, rights,
and safety of all people living in Israel-Palestine. Teaching and practicing strategies of non-
violence, CfP challenges the Israeli occupation through collective education and promoting
mutual understanding.
On November 7, 2024, the Human Rights
Program, with the Institute of Global Studies and
the CLA Student Board, hosted two CfP
members, Mai Shahin via Zoom and Elie Avidor
in person, and film director Stephen Apkon, also
in person, for a preview screening and
discussion of Apkon’s new documentary, There
There
is Another Way
is Another Way. The film follows the
organization’s efforts to continue their work of
non-violent resistance against Israeli occupation
in the wake of the October 7 Hamas terror
attacks in Israel and Israel’s subsequent war
against Palestinians in Gaza, which has been
characterized by violations of international
human rights law, international humanitarian
law and international criminal law.
L-R: Stephen Apkon, Mai Shahin, and Elie Avidor
The screening drew around 80 students and
members of the University and broader
community who enthusiastically participated in
the question and answer session following the
film. In a notable exchange, Palestinian activist
Mai Shahin spoke of the challenges persisting in
the nonviolent approach to the oppression,
enclosure, and occupation Palestinians have
endured for seventy-six years. “Nonviolence is
not the absence of violence but the presence of
justice, compassion, and empathy,” Shahin
said. “And this is the difference.” Israeli activist
Elie Avidor added: “I cannot be happy if the
people around me aren’t happy … Until
Palestine is free, Israel is not free. When I lose
my brother and they lose their brother, we share
the pain.”
Students gave opening remarks. L-R: Nataya
Paisley, Mumtaaz Mahammud Hirsi,
Benjamin Blazel, and Skylar Strudwick.