Ari Beser

Ari Beser Speaking Topics

• The Bomb and the Bloodline: Reconciling a Family Legacy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

  Ari Beser was born into a legacy few can imagine: his grandfather Jacob Beser was the only man to fly on both the Enola Gay and Bockscar—the planes that dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. While many might bury this connection, Ari has spent over a decade traveling between the United States and Japan confronting it. In this emotionally gripping talk, he shares the personal reckoning that transformed him from a descendant of wartime power into a peace advocate. Ari introduces audiences to the hibakusha—atomic bomb survivors—whose stories changed his life, including the incredible tale of Tsutomu Yamaguchi, the only person to survive both blasts. Ari didn’t just meet the survivors—he forged lasting friendships and collaborated with Yamaguchi's granddaughter, Kosuzu Harada, to co-write a book that tells both sides of the bomb through family memory. This keynote fuses generational trauma, survivor testimony, historical truth, and personal transformation to present a powerful question: what do we do with the legacies we inherit? The answer, for Ari, is to speak—to listen—and to never stop working for a world without nuclear weapons.

• Descendants of Opposing Sides: A New Diplomacy Through Human Connection

  Imagine if the grandchildren of wartime enemies came together—not to debate, but to understand. Ari Beser did just that. In this talk, he shares the stage with the legacies of history: the grandson of President Truman, the granddaughter of a Hiroshima survivor, the descendant of Churchill, and others—working not as symbols, but as real people trying to create new relationships from the wreckage of war. Ari recounts the challenges, the emotional intensity, and the profound impact of forging these connections. It’s a new form of diplomacy, one rooted in empathy and shared storytelling.

  Ideal for global leadership forums, youth summits, and international affairs institutions.

• How to Inherit a Wound and Turn It Into a Weapon for Peace

  We all inherit something. For Ari Beser, it was silence, guilt, and a family legacy tied to one of history’s deadliest moments. In this profoundly personal talk, Ari explores the concept of intergenerational trauma—not as an abstract idea, but as a lived reality. Drawing on his own transformation, Ari examines how we can take the pain we didn’t ask for and turn it into purpose. He shares stories from the hibakusha, lessons from Rwanda, and wisdom from peacebuilders around the world to offer a roadmap for how people—especially younger generations—can turn inherited pain into generational healing.

  This talk is ideal for audiences exploring mental health, resilience, global peace, and the intersection of personal narrative and social impact.

• The Power of Film to Heal Post-Conflict Societies

  What role does storytelling play after war? Ari Beser has used his camera to document some of the world’s most difficult truths—from nuclear aftermath in Japan to reconciliation efforts in Rwanda. In this visually stunning and emotionally resonant talk, Ari takes audiences behind the scenes of his documentary work to explore how film can be more than art—it can be medicine. He showcases how marginalized voices can take control of their own narratives and how the act of documenting becomes part of the healing process. Perfect for film schools, human rights conferences, and peacebuilding organizations, this talk challenges attendees to see media not as entertainment, but as a force for justice and repair.

• Rebranding Peace: How to Make Hope Go Viral

  Peace is often portrayed as passive, boring, or abstract. Ari Beser wants to change that. In this dynamic talk, he lays out how we can rethink peace activism as bold, visual, and contagious. Drawing on case studies from his career in journalism, photography, and filmmaking, Ari shows how peace can be made cinematic, clickable, and cool—without losing its soul. He discusses everything from color palettes to messaging strategy, from grassroots storytelling to global media campaigns. Attendees will walk away with practical tools to tell better stories, launch more compelling campaigns, and activate audiences who might otherwise tune out.