Bassam became a fighter at the age of 14, and quickly found himself spending 7 long years in the Israeli jails. Always considering himself a fighter for the Palestinian cause, Bassam saw that armed struggle was not bearing any fruits, and so upon his release he became more involved in peaceful demonstrations, eventually founding Combatants for Peace. 

In 2007, Bassam's 10 year old daughter Abir was shot by an Israeli soldier in the back of the head while walking out of school in the West Bank. Bassam could have chosen many paths to follow after the tragic death of his daughter, but he chose to continue his efforts to end the occupation by peaceful means. He joined the Parents Circle Families Forum - an Israeli/Palestinian organization for bereaved family members of victims of the conflict. Through this organization as well as Combatants for Peace Bassam has been able to share his story with many people around the world.

Themba lives in Gugulethu, a township in Capetown, SA. He is a musician, actor, community organizer, activist, and a reconciliation practitioner. Themba was a teenager during the years of South African Apartheid, and was present at many protests and marches. He remembers his youth as an angry time where he was forced to grow up very fast and without many options that were not violent. 

His path towards reconciliation was paved through his work in the arts, where he found a means to channel his angers at first, and later his compassion. 

Of an age with Wilhelm Verwoerd, Themba serves as a mirror to the exact other side of Wilhelm's life as a youth in South Africa. Together they help bridge many gaps between black and white South Africans in the workshops they lead.

Louise Little was born and raised in Belfast, to a Protestant family with a strong Unionist-Loyalist background. Her grandfather, Gusty Spence, was one of the founding members of the UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force), known as the most violent Loyalist paramilitary organization. The first time Louise met her grandfather was in prison. On her visits as a young girl, and he would tell her stories from the old days, as well as inspire her to become a peacemaker. He would talk of his transformation in prison, and the importance of creating change especially among young children, so that they would never become indoctrinated to hate those on ”the other side”. Gusty became a mentor to another young prisoner, Alistair Little, who he helped transform from an angry and vengeful young paramilitary into an agent of change and peace. Years later, after Gusty’s death, Louise would eventually marry Alistair. Louise never stops working for peace, and always with a passion and a smile that has immeasurable strength. She has a calming presence matched by a bold honesty and dedication to the truth.

Wilhelm Verwoerd’s grandfather, Hendrik Verwoerd, was the Prime Minister of South Africa from 1958 until his assassination in 1966, and is commonly known as the “Architect of Apartheid.” Wilhelm was just a toddler when his grandfather was killed, but has spent his entire life in the shadow of his grandfather's legacy. Wilhelm has been on a long and difficult journey for the past 30 years to find ways to reconcile his past and to share his process in the hope of broadening understanding in other communities that have suffered from violent conflict. Wilhelm’s work bringing rivalling communities together has alienated his own family

Alistair Little grew up in Lurgan, Northern Ireland, and by all accounts still has the same youthful exuberance at 55 that he had at 14. That’s the age he became involved with the UVF, a Loyalist-Unionist paramilitary organization. By the time he was 17 Alistair was found guilty of involvement in the UFV’s killing a young Catholic man. He was sent to jail and was released at age of 30. During his time in prison, Alistair came in close contact with those he had considered his enemies for years, those from a Catholic-Republican background. This experience served as a catalyst for what would become Alistair’s lifetime devotion - reconciliation and rehumanisation work. Relentless in his confrontational approach to dialogue, Alistair brings a direct and unwavering reality into any room he is in. The impact Alistair’s compassion has on the people around him, combined with an immense understanding of the pain and suffering all those involved in violent conflict go through, has made him one of the most effective conflict transformation facilitators in the Northern Ireland post-conflict era.

Gerry Foster is a former combatant from Northern Ireland. He became active in the INLA, a socialist anti-British paramilitary organization, and found himself heavily involved in violent conflict in and around Belfast in his youth. He spent a considerable amount of time in prison for his participation in paramilitary actions. Upon his release he claims he felt that his side "lost" the war, bringing him to give up his life as a paramilitary and instead focus on conflict transformation, especially in his own community in Andersontown in West Belfast. 

In an unlikely turn of events, one of Gerry's most important allies (and friend, even) became Alistair Little. Alistair comes from the complete opposite end politically from Gerry, and it is very likely that had they met each-other in the 80's they would have probably tried to kill each other. That in mind, Gerry and Alistair form a very effective and real example of how conflict resolution should look like.

Robi Daemlin's son David was killed by a sniper, along with nine other people. Ever since the tragic loss, Robi has been one of the most vocal members of The Parents Circle, inspiring people all around the world to see another way to deal with grief, as well as shedding light on the shared experience between bereaved family members on both sides of the conflict.

"I suppose all of my life I spoke about coexistence and tolerance. That must be ingrained in me because one of the first things I said is, "You may not kill anybody in the name of my child." I suppose that's quite unusual, an unexpected reaction to that kind of news"

Fidaa Zidan was raised in an Israeli-Druze family in the Village of Beit Jan. The family lost one brother in the Israeli army during a training accident before Fidaa was born. Another brother died in the Israeli Army when she was 6, from a bombing in Lebanon. Her Family has been in the Parents Circle ever since she can remember, and her first encounters with stories of Palestinians first hand were through the Forum.  In recent years Fidaa has found herself searching for answers in her own Druze community, as well as in her own self definition. She has reconnected with Palestinians in the West Bank through her social theater work in Jenin with the Freedom theatre. These experiences that have brought her to reclaim her identity as a Palestinian as well. 

As an officer in a combatant unit in the Israeli army, Chen Alon thought he was defending his people by taking up arms. He had been educated by a father who had also served in the 1967 and 1973 wars, and a grandfather who was a holocaust survivor. He began to see things differently after becoming a father and seeing the disparity between the life of his children, and the life of the children he met at checkpoints in the West Bank. Chen Alon decided to refuse to serve in the occupied territories and became a member of several organizations and theater groups that seek to end the occupation. He has been heavily involved in reconciliation efforts and in peaceful protests for the past 15 years.

Aisheh Khatib grew up in the tumultuous city of Nablus in the West Bank. In 1989 Her brother Mahmoud got shot in the heart by a sniper while walking past a group of kids throwing rocks. Ten years later he died from the injury to his heart, which he got as a result of the shot. In the wake of Mahmoud's death, Aisheh's older brother told her he would "follow Mahmoud". A week later he fell from a five story buliding and met his death. Despite the overwhelming pain, with thoughts of revenge and even suicide, Aisheh found comfort in the Parents Circle Families Forum. She has managed to overcome grief to become a mother and a University Professor, along with her speaking engagements for the forum.