The Middle East has been a region remembered for wars in our recent history, with images of violence brought to television screens. While watching such news, what remained most vividly in our minds were the dramatic images of children… Many children played with real weapons instead of toys. The Istanbul Toy Museum hosted the paintings made by Israeli children expressing their longing for peace between April 23 and May 13, 2007.

The Peace Through Humor exhibition, organized by Maureen Kushner, who teaches innovation and creativity, as an invitee of the Israeli Ministry of Education, was brought to Turkey through the Israeli Consulate.

This exhibition, which was exhibited in 67 cities in the United States and 37 cities in Canada over 8 years and visited by 20 million people, aimed primarily to remove barriers between societies and create an environment of mutual trust by using humor in paintings. Because only in this way will the pain and fears experienced by children come to an end…