2026 Conference Keynote Speakers
Sari Bashi
Sari Bashi is an Israeli-American writer, blogger, human rights lawyer and strategic consultant, married to a Palestinian professor who grew up in a refugee camp in Gaza. She’s the author of the book Upside-Down Love (Maqluba), published in Hebrew and translated into Italian, Dutch and English, which describes how she and Osama met and fell in love. In her blog, she writes about raising their two children in the West Bank. She has changed the names of people in her book and blog to protect their privacy, and during her first years of blogging she wrote under the pen name “Umm Forat,” which means “Mother of Forat” in Arabic.
Sari is the executive director of the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, a human rights organization protecting Palestinian detainees and others at risk of being subjected to torture and mistreatment. She is the co-founder and former executive director of Gisha-Legal Center for Freedom of Movement, the Israeli human rights organization promoting freedom of movement for Palestinians in Gaza. She previously served as program director for Human Rights Watch, leading the organization’s global research and research staff of 270 people and as research director at Democracy for the Arab World Now, where she’s currently a fellow. She’s an expert in international humanitarian law, a subject she has taught at Tel Aviv University and Yale Law School.
Sari’s essays appear in the New York Times, MSNBC, Foreign Policy, the New York Review of Books and other publications. She received her B.A. from Yale College and her J.D. from Yale Law School and was a Fulbright scholar.
Sari is a marathon and ultra-marathon runner and really, really loves freedom of movement.
You can learn more about Upside-Down Love here, and read reviews here.
Aziz Abu Sarah
Aziz Abu Sarah is a peace builder, cultural educator, serial entrepreneur—Co-Fonder of InterAct International and MEJDI Tours, author and international speaker.
Harnessing the transformative power of travel, in 2009 Aziz cofounded MEJDI Tours—originators of the Dual Narrative™ and a leader of responsible travel. Aziz’s educational and conflict resolution work throughout the world has earned him the titles of National Geographic Explorer and Ted Fellow. He has written opinion pieces for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Al-Quds, Haaretz, and has been published by National Geographic, CNN, TED, and Al Arabiya. He has been named one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the World by the Royal Strategic Centre in Jordan each year since 2010.
His book, Crossing Boundaries - A Traveler’s Guide To World Peace, was released in July 2020. Co-author of the 2018 publication, Strangers, Neighbors, Friends: Muslim-Christian-Jewish Reflections on Compassion and Peace, Aziz continues to be at the forefront of peace and reconciliation efforts in conflict zones. Aziz has worked in 60 countries, including Afghanistan, Colombia, Syria, and the Balkans.
He has served as Executive Director at the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University and as the Chairman for the Parents Circle Family Forum representing the organization at international governmental organizations such as the European Parliament. He is the cofounder of InterAct International, an NGO with the mission to build lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians by 2030—through fostering genuine understanding and creating spaces for meaningful dialogue.
Aziz has spoken at numerous international organizations, tourism conferences, corporations and universities, including TED, The United Nations, National Geographic, Nexus and the European Parliament. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Goldberg Prize for Peace in the Middle East from the Institute of International Education, the European Parliament’s Silver Rose Award, the Eisenhower Medallion and the Eliav-Sartawi Award for his Middle Eastern Journalism. He won the Intercultural innovation award from the UN Alliance of Civilizations and the BMW Group. He was also recognized by former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon for his work in peace building.
