The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra has published a formal set of principles outlining its ethical and artistic framework, reaffirming its long-standing commitment to dialogue, nonviolence, and mutual recognition amid the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine.
Released on the orchestra’s official website, the document articulates a shared position shaped by the collective experience of its musicians, many of whom have been directly affected by the conflict. The statement acknowledges the profound human cost of the violence, including loss, displacement, fear, and enforced silence, and situates the orchestra’s work within this context of grief and trauma.
A reaffirmation of founding values
Founded in 1999 by conductor Daniel Barenboim and scholar Edward Said, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra was conceived as a space in which musicians—particularly Israelis and Palestinians—could engage with one another through music, without erasing difference or avoiding disagreement. From its inception, the project has defined itself not as a political solution, but as a platform for encounter, listening, and shared responsibility.
In the newly published foreword, the orchestra reiterates that commitment, stressing the need to resist the erasure of individual and collective histories. Rather than seeking simplified narratives, the text argues for acknowledging complexity and allowing conflicting perspectives to coexist, with listening framed as an ethical act rather than a concession.
Eight guiding principles
The document sets out eight principles that function as an ethical compass rather than a prescriptive programme. These include recognition, equality, and justice; a rejection of violence in favour of reconciliation; cooperation as a model inherent to musical practice; and the centrality of dialogue, empathy, and respect. Cultural diversity and inclusivity are presented as sources of strength, while responsibility, education, and transparency are emphasised as core obligations of the orchestra’s members.
The final principle, described as meliorism, reflects a belief that sustained human effort can contribute to a better world, and that wellbeing is a shared pursuit rather than an individual one—an idea closely aligned with the original vision of the orchestra’s founders.
Music as a shared space
Based in Seville and supported for more than two decades by Andalusian institutions, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra brings together musicians from across the Middle East, Europe, and beyond. Alongside its international concert activity, the project has expanded to include educational initiatives such as the Barenboim–Said Akademie in Berlin.
While the newly published principles do not claim to offer political solutions, they reaffirm the orchestra’s role as a space where disagreement can exist without violence, and where artistic collaboration continues to serve as a means of sustained human encounter in times of deep division.
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