Alexandra Seaman Scholarship Takes Center Stage at Right to Listen Event

For applicants interested in studying conflict resolution in Israel, the Alexandra Seaman Scholarship for Women offers new support within Tel Aviv University’s International MA in Conflict Resolution and Mediation program. The scholarship was formally presented during the inaugural event of the Right to Listen series, with an immersive evening curated by Alexandra Seaman and the lov.foundation where food, music, performance, and conversation shaped a space centered on listening and leadership.

Rather than following a traditional academic format, the evening was designed to be experienced. Guests moved through a Lebanese-Levantine culinary program, live music, contemporary dance, poetry, and short talks, all intentionally woven together to foreground listening as something practiced, felt, and learned.

Nabeel Hayek, graduate of the TAU Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, performing Iberia, T.105 by Isaac Albéniz at the Right to Listen inaugural event at the Clairmont Concert Hall of Tel Aviv University. (Photo credit: Guy Iluz)

What Is the Right to Listen Initiative About?

In her opening remarks, Alexandra Seaman, a graduate of TAU’s International Program in Conflict Resolution and Mediation and founder of the lov.foundation, framed the evening as part of an effort to rethink how societies engage with conflict.

“My dream is to see Israel become a blueprint for peaceful co-flourishing, a society in which people do not simply live next to one another, but live together in the process of mutual becoming.” —Alexandra Seaman

Drawing on the foundation’s work at the intersection of art, culture, and social change, Seaman explained how Right to Listen places listening at the center of dialogue, coexistence, and leadership. 

Tzach Bar of Fortuna Records recreates soundscapes of the Middle East, evoking a profound sense of time, culture, and collective memory. (Photo credit: Guy Iluz)

Seaman underscored that while freedom of expression is widely recognized, listening remains undervalued.

“As citizens, we understand that the right to speak must be facilitated, strengthened by institutions, and protected by law. But we’ve been slow to recognize that for democracy to function well, listening must be also supported and defended.”—Alexandra Seaman

Throughout the evening, that idea took tangible form. Piano and cello performances, alongside a contemporary dance piece that transformed historical political speech into physical expression, reinforced listening as something experienced through the body as well as through words.

SPEECH-LESS: Aint' I a Woman? A live dance perfornance by Khaveevyah Hercules, transforming historic political speech into embodied listening. (Photo credit: Guy Iluz)

Why Listening Is So Hard And Why It Matters

TAU Vice President International Prof. Milette Shamir addressed listening as a civic responsibility, underscoring its importance in moments of conflict and division.

“Alongside the right to expression, there is something just as essential and far too often forgotten, and that is the right to listen,” she said. “Listening is not passive. Especially in times of war and conflict, listening is an ethical act. It means making room for voices that may be unsettling for us.”

Left to right: Prof Milette Shamir, VP International at Tel Aviv University; Doris Sommer, Ira and Jewell Williams Professor at Harvard University and founder of Cultural Agents; Alexandra Seaman (Photo credit: Guy Iluz)

Shamir suggested that meaningful change often begins quietly:

“The road to healing, to recovery, even to peace, may not begin with declarations or speeches, but with insisting on our right to listen.”—Prof. Milette Shamir

From the academic side, Prof. Nimrod Rosler, Head of the International MA in Conflict Resolution and Mediation and the lead of the Peace Index research study, explained how the program translates this focus into hands-on learning for students.

“My work, as well as my colleagues’ work, has been dedicated to understanding why it is so difficult to listen in regions engulfed by violent and long-standing conflicts,” he explained. These societies, Rosler noted, develop conflict-supporting narratives about their past, present, and imagined future. “We do that not because we are bad people,” he said. “We do that because we are human.”

Prof Nimrod Rosler:  “For any change or peace to happen, we have to unfreeze these barriers. For people to open up and listen, they first have to feel understood and accepted.” (Photo credit: Guy Iluz)

This research underpins the program’s approach to training students: 

“We are trying to offer students a unique interdisciplinary approach to the analysis and study of conflicts, combining theory with practice and looking at the full spectrum of conflict situations around the world.”—Prof. Nimrod Rosler

He added that the program is designed “not only to study conflict resolution, but also to practice it, to be practical, and to learn mediation.”

From Vision to Access: The Scholarship

The scholarship, awarded to up to four female students each year, is designed to support women preparing for leadership roles in conflict-affected contexts through TAU’s International MA in Conflict Resolution and Mediation.

The scholarship is closely tied to Alexandra Seaman’s own experience as a student at Tel Aviv University:

“The program not only shaped my professional path, but also my ethical compass.”

Seaman explained that the decision to create the scholarship grew out of a deep personal commitment: “The land is very dear to my heart, and I truly believe that soft power can become a real force for social change,” she said. “This scholarship is my first small step toward this vision.”

Mahdalyna Krivych, a student of the Buchmann-Mehta International Music program, performing  Gavotte I and II from Cello Suite No. 5 by J.S. Bach (Photo credit: Guy Iluz)

Seaman’s decision to focus the scholarship on women reflects a broader understanding of leadership needs today: 

“I really believe that the world urgently needs leadership infused with empathy, care, and emotional intelligence, which is why this scholarship was set up only for women. But this is not about gender.”

What Does the Scholarship Mean for International Students?

The impact of the Alexandra Seaman Scholarship is already visible. This year, three female students from the United States, Brazil, and Russia are studying in the International MA in Conflict Resolution and Mediation with its support.

Right to Listen reception curated by Chef Farah Raslan of Knafeh Kaak (Photo credit: Guy Iluz)

For Arona Mostov (USA), the scholarship made all the difference in her decision to pursue her degree at Tel Aviv University. “I had been aware of the program for a long time,” she said. “I actually studied abroad in Israel during my undergraduate degree, and I always hoped I would be able to come back one day to do my master’s here.”

Before starting the program, Arona was working in Jewish nonprofit and immigration-related work in New York. Returning to Israel for graduate studies felt like a natural next step:

“Without the scholarship, coming to the program just wouldn’t have been possible for me. I’m incredibly grateful to have been chosen.”—Arona Mostov, Alexandra Seaman scholarship recipient

Now nearing the end of her first semester, Arona says the academic experience has exceeded her expectations. “I’m really impressed with the quality of the program,” she said.

“The professors and lecturers are so accomplished in their fields. Being in Israel, you’re learning from people who have real experience in government, policy, and law, and that makes a huge difference.”—Arona Mostov

Voices from Different Realities

Israeli activist Yirmiyahu Danzig talked about listening as a practice of co-creation rather than persuasion, particularly in divided societies. These perspectives reflect core questions explored throughout TAU’s Conflict Resolution & Mediation MA.

Palestinian political activist Samer Sinijlawi, who often participates in events hosted by the graduate program, addressed the importance of creating real, direct-contact spaces where Israelis and Palestinians can encounter one another beyond abstract narratives and political slogans.

Palestinian political activist Samer Sinijlawi (Photo credit: Guy Iluz)

The keynote address was delivered by Doris Sommer, the Ira and Jewell Williams Professor at Harvard University and founder of Cultural Agents, an initiative dedicated to the civic mission of the humanities. In her talk on Pre-Texts: Holistic Education Through the Arts, Sommer presented art as a practical resource in moments of crisis.

“When there’s a budget cut, when there’s a war going on, art looks as if it’s not important, but many times it’s the most economical and effective intervention.”—Doris Sommer

She illustrated this through concrete examples, from traffic police in Bogotá dressing as zebras to reinforce pedestrian safety, to Venezuela’s El Sistema, where youth orchestras offered children from the poorest neighborhoods a path to survival built on collaboration, appreciation for beauty, and staying busy.

Photo credit: Guy Iluz

At the core of Pre-Texts approach is an arts-based pedagogy where “any text… is a pretext to make art.” By encouraging multiple interpretations and questions, the method develops “agile, robust, serious, self-interrogating citizens.”

“We have the right to listen to everyone. We reflect on the process of interpretation. And what's delicious about that is that we appreciate different interpretations.”—Doris Sommer

Poetry, Memory, and Moral Responsibility

The most poignant moment of the evening came from poet and peace activist Ada Aharoni, founder of the International Forum for the Literature and Culture of Peace and recipient of the President Shimon Peres Prize.

Aharoni recited her poem Peace Is a Woman, where peace is personified as a woman and a mother carrying the weight of loss across generations and geographies, from Hiroshima and Rwanda to Israel, Palestine, Bosnia, Sudan, and beyond.

Ada Aharoni at the Right to Listen event at Tel Aviv University. (Photo credit: Guy Iluz)

Through the poem’s imagery and cadence, peace emerges as something fragile, burdened, and deeply human, shaped by memory and responsibility.

Looking Ahead

For women pursuing the International MA in Conflict Resolution and Mediation at Tel Aviv University, the scholarship helps turn intention into access. It supports students who want to study conflict resolution in Israel while developing the skills needed to work across cultures, narratives, and divided societies.

The Right to Listen launch set the tone for this approach, showing how learning can extend beyond the classroom and into lived experience. Together, the scholarship and the program offer a pathway for students ready to lead with empathy, rigor, and practical impact.

Is This Program Right for You?

This program may be a good fit if you:

• Want to study conflict resolution in Israel in an international, English-taught MA

• Are interested in mediation, dialogue, and peacebuilding, not only theory

• See yourself working in nonprofits, policy, education, or conflict-affected settings

• Are motivated by leadership grounded in listening, empathy, and practical impact

This one-year MA is designed for students who want to master practical mediation and conflict resolution skills while studying in the Middle East, where theory and real-world challenges intersect daily.

Applications for 2026/27 are now open! Learn more about the Conflict Resolution and Mediation MA and current application options.