Hyam Tanus
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I am Hiam Tannous, born in Haifa, a retired supervisor of educational counselors, social activist, and leader in Women Wage Peace. I'm a member of the Rotary Club Stella and hold a master's degree in counseling from the University of Haifa. I introduced the subject of sex education in the 1980s in Haifa and nationally when the topic was taboo. As a trailblazer, I received the Woman of Haifa award in 1993. In 1997, I was appointed as a senior counselor in Haifa and the North, responsible for 400 counselors in Haifa and the North until the 2016 school year. I trained Jewish and Arab counselors in therapeutic topics to help schools, teachers, and parents. I gave several lectures on emotional dialogues and conflict resolution.

My love, belief, and concern for both the Palestinian people and the State of Israel led me to become an active member in promoting dialogues between the Jewish and Palestinian people, including the Palestinian Authority. Several activities were held at the Golda Meir Center with the assistance of the Ministry of Education. 300 Palestinian women from the West Bank participated in six seminars over two years to bring light and hope to both sides.

In 2004, I was one of the organizers of "From Memory to Peace," an Arab initiative to feel the pain of their neighbors, where preparations and seminars were held for 500 people (Arabs, Jews, French) who went on a journey to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Our goal was to touch the pain of the Jewish people, to know them better, to free both peoples from hatred and fear of each other, to create a new reality, and to give life to the Middle East (a film was created from this initiative called "We Were There").

In 2007, I was a member of the team that wrote the book "Listening and Protected Dialogue: Creating Dialogue Between Members of Multicultural Groups." The book was written from a narrative therapy approach, a theory developed by Michael White.

My team and I trained more than 500 teachers and counselors in Narrative Therapy, who then trained students and parents in schools.

I participated in 4 conferences worldwide, giving lectures and workshops on narrative therapy (New York, Ohio, Holland, and Chicago).

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Today I am free to lead politically, as I believe that Arab citizens of Israel have the right to be equal, valued, seen, and receive the recognition they deserve.