As part of The Mdina Cathedral Contemporary Art Biennale in Malta, the Mediterranean Peace Donkey was a peacebuilding art exhibition of 21 life-sized fiberglass “Maltese” donkeys painted by premier Maltese, Egyptian and Western artists symbolizing the need for peace and compassion between the Middle East and West, throughout the Mediterranean Basin. The exhibiton used the symbol of the renowned and endangered Maltese donkey to focus global attention on four critical needs: religious harmony, Middle East-West relations, donkey welfare in zones of conflict, and humanitarian assistance for migrants/refugees (see "Learn More" below). The form for the life-size fiberglass donkeys was sculpted by the premier Egyptian artist Dr. Reda Abdel Rahman.  For the Mediterranean Peace Donkey initiative, the primary sponsor was The Donkey Sanctuary, the global leader in the field of donkey welfare. The Donkey Sanctuary prepared a report, titled Caught in the Middle, about the plight of donkeys in conflict zones of the Middle East.  CARAVAN's other partner for the Mediterranean Peace Donkey project was United Religions Initiative (URI).

 

During the course of the two-month exhibition, CARAVAN also held two concerts at the historic St Paul’s Cathedral in Mdina that featured works and musicians that uniquely blend and explore the richness of Middle Eastern and Western musical traditions: ‘On A Caravan’ and ‘Notes of Faith’