In the beginning of my summer holiday Salam from Betlehem Fair Trade Artisans, (BFTA) called me about an assignment, she needed a designer for. When I hear what it was about I immediately accepted because, this was about all I long to use my designerly skill for. A cooperation between BFTA, a Palestinian NGO I already was working with and then Sindyanna of Galilee, an Israeli non-profit organization led by a team of Arab and Jewish women working to create social change. My summer was set.
The project was to combine products from the two partners and my task was to develop a concept and giving shape to the products from the organisations. Also I was given that the concept had to be the about Peace. At our very first meeting I sugessted to build the concept up around food and having sharing a meal. This idea stayed with us and eventually became the Living Peace concept with a Living Peace Meal Box. The box contains a Table Tower with two small stacking dishes, one of olive wood and one made of ceramic. Along with the dishes Olive Oil and Za’atar to put in the dishes. In the centre of the box did we decide to put the Balancing Peace Bird and a Peace Conversations Menu.
The idea with the box is, that person receiving the box invites friend or even somebody they like to reconcile with to a meal. The small dishes and the oil and za’ater is to start the meal, break bread and start the Peace Conversation.