Gala will raise funds for Olive Tree Initiative trip to Middle East

UCI’s Olive Tree Initiative is hosting its annual bon voyage celebration Sunday, Aug. 26, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Center Club in Costa Mesa. The event is a fundraiser for the group’s trip to the Middle East in September. The gala will feature a performance by magician David Kwong, an expert in sleight of hand and word puzzles who consults on film and television projects. Tickets cost $150 per person or $1,500 per table and may be purchased by contacting Rosemarie Swatez at 949-824-2511 or rswatez@uci.edu. The Olive Tree Initiative is a nonprofit, nonpartisan and nongovernmental student, faculty and community effort to promote dialogue and understanding about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Since its founding in 2007, OTI has sponsored annual trips to the Middle East to give students an opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge of the conflict via discussions with Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian academics, politicians, religious authorities, community leaders and activists. Upon their return, students share their insights and experiences through campus dialogue sessions, community forums, an annual education week and a UC-wide student leadership summit.