At HDS, Damelin joined Palestinian mother Layla Alsheikh for an event titled “Our Shared Humanity: Israeli and Palestinian Voices Against Violence.” Clad in black, the pair shared their stories of loss, grief, and reconciliation. Hearing Israeli stories of loss was the first time Alsheikh believed grieving Israeli and Palestinian parents shared the same pain. After both Damelin and Alsheikh embraced peaceful rhetoric, each faced a challenge that threatened to shake their mindset. She thanked him for sharing, saying, “If you hide that part of your story, I will never forgive you, but I will forgive you now because you have that courage and that honesty to speak in front of me.” She continued, “This is reconciliation. But if you [are] pro-peace, that will help us much more than you think.” Damelin asked listeners to directly support peacebuilding in the region.