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Thursday, November 12, 2009
For more information contact:
Mary Dickey
Manager-Public Relations & Marketing
212-870-1046
Mdickey@odysseynetworks.org
Desiree Frieson
Associate-Public Relations & Marketing
212-870-1053
Dfrieson@odysseynetworks.org
Odyssey Networks to Stream Exclusive Audio Interview with 2009 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish and Tzvika Shahak
Peace Advocates Discuss Tragedy and the Path to Love and Forgiveness
New York- November, 12, 2009--Odyssey Networks, the nation's largest coalition of Christian, Jewish and Muslim faith groups dedicated to promoting tolerance, peace and social justice through the production of media will feature exclusive audio interviews on their website with Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, 2009 Nobel Peace Prize nominee and Tzvika Shahak, co-founder of Parents Circle-Bereaved Families Forum and the Association for the Commemoration of Bat-Chen.
Abuelaish, a Gazan physician, has been an important figure in Palestinian-Israeli relations for years, treating Palestinian and Israeli patients and promoting forgiveness and healing as engines in the peace journey. In January 2009, he lost three of his daughters and a niece when tank shells shattered his house in the Jabaliya Refugee Camp. In the face of this personal tragedy, Abuelaish continues to advocate for peace and harmony in the region.
Tzvika Shahak, an Israeli businessman, lost his daughter Bat-Chen in a bombing outside a Tel Aviv mall in March 1996. While grieving her death,Shahak and his wife, Ayelet , discovered Bat-Chen's diary which was filled with writings and poems about peace. The Shahaks published The Bat-Chen Diaries, through the Association for the Commemoration of Bat-Chen. They also became founding members of Parents Circle-Council of Bereaved Families, a 500-member group of Israelis and Palestinians who have lost loved ones to conflict and who work toward peace.
The two men met on the January night when the shells struck the Abuelaish home. Hearing the news of the tragedy on television, Shahak rushed to the hospital to provide comfort and support.
The interviews were conducted by Nick Stuart, a veteran journalist who is now CEO of Odyssey Networks. Stuart has reported from the Middle East and is committed to exploring the commonalities among the world's faith traditions. In the course of their candid individual conversations with Stuart, Abuelaish and Shahak share both the depth of their losses and their commitment to forgiveness and personal peace-making.
Beginning November 12, the audio interviews with Abuelaish and Shahak will be available at www.odysseynetworks.org. They are a featured part of Odyssey's web-based campaign in support of the Charter for Compassion, which will be unveiled at a press conference November 12 in Washington, DC.
To listen to the interviews, visit www.odysseynetworks.org .
About Odyssey Networks
Odyssey Networks is the nation's largest coalition of Christian, Jewish and Muslim faith groups dedicated to producing and distributing media that promotes peace and tolerance and addresses issues of social justice. Established in 1987, Odyssey Networks is a service of the National Interfaith Cable Coalition, Inc. For more information visit www.odysseynetworks.org.
