Welcome to Meeting Peacemakers, founded in 2022 to provide opportunities to experience the land and people of Palestine and Israel in deeply personal ways. In partnership with Wi’am Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center in Bethlehem, the leader, Joan Deming, has been leading”Living Stones” listening-study tours since 2012.*

Pilgrimages link traditional holy site visits with opportunities to meet leaders of schools, community organizations, and other significant peacemakers. Covid-19 put these tours on hold for several years. Now, with appropriate precautions, we are ready to travel again in 2022. Our October 13-26 Pilgrimage is detailed here. Follow us during the pilgrimage on our blog page here, or on our Meeting Peacemakers Facebook Page (please visit and “like” us here).

“Meeting Peacemakers” offers the opportunity to dive deeper into experiences that include exploring the land through trekking, and getting to know organizations that work for a just peace. If you are a traveler who wants to go beyond visiting holy sites (the Dead Stones), to meet and learn from today’s Peacemakers (the Living Stones) on both sides of the Green Line, these tours are for you.

*From 2012-2019, Joan led tours through the US-based nonprofit organization Pilgrims of Ibillin while serving as a Pilgrims staff member. Now in retirement, she continues working with Usama Nicola and Wi’am, offering similar tours and experiences, emphasizing opportunities to engage more deeply with local people and explore the Land.