In a region often defined by the volume of discord, a new initiative is asking a radical question: What if the path forward begins not with speaking, but with listening?
This week, the US-based nonprofit LOV. Foundation, in partnership with Tel Aviv University, launched the Israel Edition of Right to Listen (R2L), a groundbreaking program reconceiving listening as a vital, active practice for civic engagement and conflict transformation.
Moving beyond the simplistic notion of hearing, R2L positions deep, intentional listening as a form of soft power and a catalyst for empathy. The four-day gathering convenes a diverse assembly of scholars, artists, peace practitioners, and cultural leaders for an immersive exploration of listening as both a cultural artifact and a political act: a necessary skill for societies seeking new pathways to understanding.
“In an age of fragmented narratives, the act of listening becomes revolutionary,” shared LOV. Foundation founder, Alexandra Seaman, “Right to Listen is built on the belief that to listen is to acknowledge another’s reality, which is the fi rst step in transforming confl ict and fostering a shared civic imagination.”
The program’s intellectual core features a Pre-Texts workshop led by Doris Sommer, Professor at Harvard University and Director of the Cultural Agents Initiative. Pre-Texts, an innovative methodology developed by Sommer, uses artistic creation: from theatre and music to visual arts as a tool to activate close reading and critical thinking. By transforming text into collaborative art, the workshop embodies the initiative’s goal: turning passive reception into an imaginative, empathetic, and analytical process.
The opening will set a poetic tone with a reading by renowned poet and peace researcher Ada Aharoni of her seminal work, Peace Is a Woman. The event will also mark a significant legacy moment with the launch of the Alexandra Ruth Seaman Scholarship for Women, Living Our Values. The scholarship, honoring the LOV. Foundation founder and Tel Aviv University Conflict Resolution alumna, will support up to three promising young women pursuing the university’s Master’s program in Conflict Resolution, investing directly in the next generation of peacebuilders.
Keynote dialogues will feature leading voices like Yirmiyahu Danzig and Samer Sinijlawi, who will explore practical frameworks for using listening as a bridge across profound differences.
True to its holistic philosophy, R2L integrates cultural experience as essential to dialogue. The inaugural event will include a musical journey by Fortuna Records, reviving the forgotten soundscapes of the Middle East, and a culinary reception curated by Chef Farah Raslan of Knafeh Kaa. Raslan, a MasterChef Israel finalist, will bridge local and Lebanese kitchens, drawing on the shared culinary traditions of Bilad al-Sham to create a tangible, sensory experience of common heritage.
Through this symphony of dialogue, scholarship, art, and shared meal, Right to Listen proposes a bold reframe. It invites participants and observers alike to consider that the future of a region may not hinge on crafting the perfect argument, but on cultivating the courage, curiosity, and capacity to truly listen. In doing so, the initiative suggests, we might just hear the first notes of a new, collective story.
This article was written in collaboration with Tel Aviv University.