Born in Iran in 1969, Neda Sarmast moved to the United States at the age of 9 and has traveled back and forth between the two countries ever since. She holds both Iranian and American citizenship.

During the hostage crisis of 1979, when Americans were held captive by Iranian revolutionaries, and again in 9/11, Neda was placed in a difficult situation. She was treated with suspicion by Americans and, when she travelled in Iran, she encountered deep antagonism as a Westerner.

During the Iraq-Iran War, Neda’s best friend, a 16 year old girl, died of a heart attack when aircraft bombed her neighborhood in the middle of the night. Neda was an eye-witness to much of the fighting, forced to run for cover to escape fire-fights and bombardments.

Feeling that Iranians and Muslims have not been depicted honestly in the US media, Neda Sarmast recently left a prospering music career in New York to become a documentary filmmaker, embracing her passion to promote tolerance and understanding. Her first documentary film, “Nobody’s Enemy”, produced in conjuction with Chat the Planet, was shot in Iran and will be released later this year.

news

Israel
Written by Neda Sarmast (Iranian Team Member)

It’s my first morning in Israel. Woke up and looked outside the window and the first thing I noticed was the Israeli flag at the hotel across from me. It hit me… I’m in Israel. Who would have thought?

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After breakfast, Latif and I headed out on our own to buy some international telephone cards and we noticed people looking at us. Was it because we looked like out of foreigners? Or maybe because with our dark suits and dark sunglasses we looked like secret service. We stopped at a store to buy water and the guy asked us where we were from? Latif quickly replied, “I’m from Iraq and she (me) is from Iran.” He looked at us and smiled and said, “Oy Vey”. I’m sure it didn’t help that Latif was taking photos of the hotels as we walked by. Yeah… we stood out!

All was fine, except for the uneasy feeling I had about the press conference with former Prime Minister Shimon Peres later that day. Something didn’t feel right and I tried to not put too much attention on it. I called friends and family in Iran to put my mind at ease, but instead I was quickly warned: “If you sit on a stage and have photos taken with Shimon Peres, you will no longer be allowed back to Iran”. I explained that I am here for a peace mission and I am NOT here to represent a political stand – yet I knew that the government of Iran considered Israel their arch enemy, and my cause would not be appreciated. It hit me hard. I had come on a peace mission and politics got in the way!

read on here. [pdf]

The journey to Munich

The German Premiere of the Journey of an Olive Tree will be screened during the Film Fest München (June 26th til July 4th 2009). The film will have its German premiere on Saturday, the 27th of June, 4.30pm at CinemaxX.

The journey to Krakow

The documentary film of the Sahara expedition has been accepted for running in the competition of the Krakow Film Festival 2009.

Everyone involved in this production is looking forward to this world premiere, scheduled for 3rd of June, 9pm. And, in fact, most of those involved will actually do their share in partying at the festival.

The journey of an olive tree

The documentary film of the Sahara expedition is now ready for distribution and has been handed in at some of the most prestigious documentary film festivals.

The production has been partly financed by the BKM, Kulturelle Filmförderung des Bundes (Germany), and in co-production with Das Werk (Berlin) and Marc Rothemund. See the trailer and the press book.

Extended framework for the activities with outward bound

The co-operation with the world’s largest organisation for experiental education continues to evolve. Both partners are committed to upscale and replicate BTI-guided peace activities as part of the programming in a jointly established Outward Bound Center for Peace. This will include to use existing facilities of Outward Bound in conflict regions such as Rwanda and Sri Lanka as a means to establish the core message of Breaking the Ice.

Breaking the Ice school for the middle east

Breaking the Ice and its operational partner “Outward Bound” is opening the first school in Israel, which will focus on youth unity activities bringing Jews and Arabs on a joint program. The school’s curriculum is designed to educate the younger generation on the spirit of trust and mutual respect. Breaking the Ice sets the goal of enlarging the school to include participants from other countries in the Middle East. Operations begin in early 2007.

Breaking the Ice holds charity fundraiser with christies

On March 29th, 2006 Breaking the Ice held its first fundraiser, a charity art auction in Berlin. Christiane Gräfin zu Rantzau, Deputy Chairman of Christies Germany and Director of Christies International Advisory Board, hosted the auction with great success. We thank the following sponsors for making the evening possible: Christies; CHART; Brandenburger Hof; KPM; Rossbander Berlin; Absolut Orient; PION AG; Schloss VAUX; Staatsweingut Weinsberg; Staatlich Fachingen; Chez Alex Events; Grundy-UFA and ProfiMiet.

Breaking the Ice – Charity Auction Catalogue

Extended support from his holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

Breaking the Ice is deeply thankful to receive the continuous support of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama’s moral support and warm wishes are a source of inspiration for the expedition team members and for our organization. We wholeheartedly thank His Holiness for his blessings and prayers.