More Pal. Help/Support Groups

Like mushrooms after...whatever.

Additions (also here)

Arab-Jewish and Israeli-Palestinian Collaborative Projects
Headings: 1. Organizational empowerment, 2. Collaborative cultural exchange and dialogue (informal education), 3. K-12 Education, 4. Music, 5. Universities, 6.
Funding: ME, USA, EU

1. Organizational empowerment
1a. http://www.coexnet.org.il
The Coexistence Network in Israel
A network of organizations dealing with Jewish-Arab coexistence in Israel, has been established by the Citizens Accord Forum and The Abraham Fund Initiatives.
While a great deal of coexistence work is done at the local level throughout Israel, there has been little day-to-day, organized interaction between coexistence professionals and organizations. For this reason, in 2002 The Abraham Fund Initiatives together with the Forum, co-initiated and sponsored the Coexistence Organizations Networkן¿½a multi-year effort that unites and supports coexistence professionals and organizations across Israel.

1b. http://shatil.org.il
SHATIL, The New Israel Fund's Empowerment and Training Center for Social Change Organizations in Israel, was established in 1982 to strengthen civil society efforts and promote democracy, tolerance, and social justice in Israel. Each year, Shatil provides close to 1,400 nonprofit organizations with consulting, training, coalition-building assistance and other services. In addition, Shatil reaches out to disadvantaged populations - like new immigrants, Arab Israelis and residents of development towns - to help them realize their rights and play an active role in determining the policies that affect their lives. Our main issue areas are: Social and economic justice, Civil and human rights, Jewish-Palestinian equality and coexistence, Status of women, Environmental justice, Religious freedom

2. Collaborative cultural exchange and dialogue (informal education) 2a. http://www.adam-insan.org.il/ Babal'ilensan - Sha'ar La'adam ן¿½ Gate to Humanity ?Was founded in 2002 in the forest between the bedouin village of Kaabiye and Kibbutz Harduf in the Galilee of Israel, as an international community center for cultural, social and ecological activities between Arabs and Jews.?The establishing of the center stem from many years of congenial relations between ethnically diverse neighbors who have peacefully addressed the problems between old and new settlements. Everyone involved realizes that only a joint effort will resolve these problems, leading to the foundation of a new and different reality based on a common vision. This vision reflects our ability to live together and our commitment to sharing resources, knowledge and culture.?In the last four years the center initiates activities in different areas: agricultural, theatre group, language teaching, women's group, a women handcraft workshop.

2b. http://www.hamidrasha.org.il/site/ru/General.aspx?l=2&id=59
Encouraging Understanding: Arab-Jewish Beit Midrash Given its years of experience of creating dialogue between different groups of people, Hamidrasha has developed a program which applies its Beit Midrash model to the creation of a cultural and spiritual dialogue between Israeli citizens of Arab (Muslim and Christian) and Jewish backgrounds. In 2005-06, 14 intellectuals, writers and facilitators participated in the group. Graduates of previous group have initiated a number of additional groups in their home communities throughout Northern Israel.

2c. http://www.seedsofpeace.org
Founded in 1993, Seeds of Peace is dedicated to empowering young leaders from regions of conflict with the leadership skills required to advance reconciliation and coexistence. Over the last decade, Seeds of Peace has intensified its impact, dramatically increasing the number of participants, represented nations and programs.From 46 Israeli, Palestinian and Egyptian teenagers in 1993, the organization still focuses on the Middle East but has expanded its programming to include young leaders from South Asia, Cyprus and the Balkans. Its leadership network now encompasses over 3,500 young people from several conflict regions. Seeds of Peace has focused primarily on bringing Arab and Israeli teenagers together before fear, mistrust and prejudice blind them from seeing the human face of their enemy. Seeds of Peace goes beyond international agreements and treaties. It reverses the legacy of hatred by nurturing lasting friendships that become the basis for mutual understanding and respect. By training these young leaders in conflict resolution skills, Seeds of Peace helps them become the seeds from which an enduring peace will grow. Each year more than 300 outstanding Egyptian, Israeli, Jordanian, Palestinian, and other Middle Eastern teenagers are chosen from more than 2,000 applicants to participate in the program. Selected by their respective governments without regard to economic or social background, and based solely on academic performance and leadership ability, these young people are destined to become tomorrow's leaders.

2d. http://www.compassionatelistening.org/
The Compassionate Listening Project teaches powerful skills for peacemaking in our families, communities, on the job, and in social change work locally and globally. Our curriculum for Compassionate Listening grew out of our many years of reconciliation work on the ground in Israel and Palestine. We adapted our trainings and began to teach in the U.S. in 1999. We now offer trainings and workshops worldwide for everyday peace-building, as well as an Advanced Training and Facilitator Certification program. CLP delegations visit Palestine and Israel annually. (US based)

3. K-12 Education
3a. http://www.handinhandk12.org/
In 1997, Hand in Hand Center for Jewish-Arab Education is Israel was founded to build peace between Jews and Arabs in Israel through development of bilingual and multi-cultural schools. Elementary schools were founded in Jerusalem and in the Galilee region of Israel; in 2004 a third school was opened in Wadi Ara. In September 2007, the fourth Hand in Hand school through the parents's group Hagar opened in Beersheva. Under the unique Hand in Hand Education model, each school is co-directed by Arab and Jewish co-Principals; and each classroom is co-taught by Jewish and Arab teachers. Students at each grade level are balanced between Arab and Jewish children. Students at all grade levels are taught in both Hebrew and Arabic, learning to treasure their own culture and language while understanding the difference of others around them. Eldad Garfunkel, whose son is now in the 7th grade at Hand in Hand's Galilee School, vividly remembers late-night planning meetings in the kitchens of Londo and Abdallah in the Arab town of Sakhnin, and Yaffa and Stuart in the Jewish rural community of Shorashim. "We held so many meetings, and parent workshops that would prepare us for what might happen on that first day of school," he recalls, "but the children blended so naturally that we realized that we were the problem, not them."

3b. Ein Bustan, Arab-Jewish Waldorf nursery school in Hilf http://www.ein-bustan.org

4. Music
4a. http://www.youth-music.org.il/orchestra-eng.htm
The Arab-Jewish Youth Orchestra
Today the orchestra consists of 20 young musicians, aged 15 to 25, 10 Arabs and 10 Jews, all coming from various parts of Israel. Music Director is Wisam Gibran from Nazareth. The repertoire is based on a mixture of East and West, as is also the case with the instruments, ranging from the Oud and Oriental Violin up to the Cello and Clarinet. A new sound and a new music are thus created, beautiful flowers growing out of seeds of Peace and Harmony.

4b. http://www.jerusalemfoundation.org/english/print.php?id=178&from=article
Jewish-Arab Youth Orchestra (The Jerusalem Foundation) The Beit Alpert Music Center, located in the Ben Hinnom Valley, at the foot of Mt Zion in "no-man's land," as the area was dubbed in the days when Jerusalem was divided, is the ideal meeting place for Jewish and Arab youth to explore the medium of music together. Because the area is not identified with one side or the other, both Arabs and Jews feel comfortable and "at home." The pupils are from the northern, eastern and southern neighborhoods of Beit Hanina, A Tur, Abu Tor, Zur Bacher, Isawiya and Beit Safafa. Music lessons are subsidized by the Jerusalem Foundation through the generous support of the Alpert Family.
Contact info (Hebrew):
http://www.jerusalem.muni.il/jer_sys/picture/atarim/site_form_atar.asp?site_id=4960&pic_cat=1&icon_cat=5&york_cat=8

5. Universities
5a. http://jac.haifa.ac.il/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
The Jewish Arab Center (JAC), established in 1972, is an interdisciplinary research institute within the University of Haifa, internationally renowned for its work in promoting Jewish-Arab cooperation. We work towards establishing cooperation between Jews and Arabs as equal partners in all our activities.
With this in mind, we have encouraged initiatives in three major spheres of
activities: Research, Student Activities, and Social Responsibility.

5b. http://www.tau.ac.il/education/coexistence/ The Walter Lebach Institute for Jewish-Arab Coexistence through Education was established to contribute to the improvement of Jewish ן¿½Arab relations. It pursues three academic missions: 1.
Examination of the culture of coexistence that will enable Arabs and Jews to live in peace side by side, while taking into consideration that there are different approaches and understandings regarding this culture. 2. Development and promotion of various educational methods to encourage the development of a culture of Jewish-Arab coexistence. 3. Investigation of the inhibiting and facilitating factors in achieving a culture of Jewish-Arab coexistence.
The concept of coexistence refers to a system of positive relations between peoples that encompasses fairness, equality, trust, mutual respect, acceptance and sensitivity to each sideן¿½s needs. Building such a culture of coexistence involves a long process of altering conceptions, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. This constitutes an inseparable part of any peace process, in which Jews and Arabs are to learn to live side by side in peace. Learning of this type involves not only political processes, but also societal education mediated through educational, cultural social, and political institutions and channels of communication. The activity of the Walter Lebach Institute concerns two levels of Jewish -Arab relations: the regional and the state levels.


5c. http://www.arava.org/new/index.php/arava/about_arava
The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies is the premier environmental teaching and research program in the Middle East, preparing future Arab and Jewish leaders to cooperatively solve the region's environmental challenges.
Located in the heart of Israel's Arava desert, the Arava Institute is a unique oasis of environmental education, research, and international cooperation.
Students at the Arava Institute explore a range of environmental issues from a regional, interdisciplinary perspective while learning peace-building and leadership skills. The studies are international in scope, with a student body comprised of Jordanians, Palestinians, Israelis, North Americans as well as other nationalities. The Arava Institute gives Jewish, Arab and other students a unique opportunity to study and live together for an extended period of time; building networks and understanding that will enable future cooperative work and activism in the Middle East and beyond. Here, the idea that nature knows no political borders is more than a belief. It is a fact, a curriculum, and a way of life.

6. Funding for Arab-Jewish, Israel-Palestine cooperation (Not easy to find.
There should be an easily accessible website with this information. There must be more.) Middle East 6a. http://www.abrahamfund.org/ The Abraham Fund > The Abraham Fund Initiatives, based in Jerusalem and New York is a not for profit, non-partisan organization. A pioneer in the field of Jewish-Arab relations, the organization was founded in 1989 by Alan B. Slifka and the late Dr. Eugene Weiner and named for the common ancestor of both Jews and Arabs.
The Abraham Fund Initiatives works to advance coexistence, equality and cooperation among Israelן¿½s Jewish and Arab citizens by creating and operating large-scale initiatives, cultivating strategic grassroots projects and conducting public education and advocacy that promote its vision of shared citizenship and opportunity for all of Israelן¿½s citizens.

6b. http://www.nif.org/
The New Israel Fund (NIF) is the leading organization committed to democratic change within Israel. For twenty-eight years, NIF has fought for social justice and equality for all Israelis. We believe that Israel can live up to its founders' vision of a state that ensures complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants, without regard to religion, race or gender. Widely credited with building Israel's progressive civil society from scratch, we have provided more than $200 million to more than 800 cutting-edge organizations since our inception. What's more, through our action arm, SHATIL, we mentor, train and lead Israeli civil society in an ongoing struggle to empower the underprivileged.

6c. www.peres-center.org
The Peres Center for Peace
The Peres Center for Peace mission is to build an infrastructure of peace and reconciliation by and for the people of the Middle East that promotes socio-economic development, while advancing cooperation and mutual understanding. The Peres Center for Peace is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental organization founded in 1996 by Nobel Peace Laureate, former Prime Minister, and current President of Israel Mr. Shimon Peres, with the aim of furthering his vision in which people of the Middle East region work together to build peace through socio-economic cooperation and development, and people-to-people interaction. The first Director General of the Peres Center was Ambassador Uri Savir, who, together with Shimon Peres, established the organization and currently serves as President. Through extensive communication and interaction with Arab partners, the Peres Center has come to understand that sustainable peace and stability can only be developed in the Middle East region through the elevation of social and economic capacities. Accordingly, the peacebuilding activities of the Peres Center focus on common Arab and Israeli social, economic, developmental, cultural and educational interests, with an emphasis on nurturing Palestinian-Israeli relations. The Peres Center designs and facilitates tangible peacebuilding projects that address these interests, utilizing cross-border, regional and international partnerships to bring these initiatives to fruition. The Peres Center's peacebuilding activities are based on four main pillars: People-to-People Dialogue and Interaction, Capacity-Building through Cooperation, Nurturing a Culture of Peace in the Region's Youth, Humanitarian Responses.

6d. http://www.ipso-jerusalem.org/
Israeli-Palestinian Science Organization IPSO is a non-political, not-for-profit organization. IPSO's mission is to foster and sustain cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians and to promote dialogue and interaction among scholars and scientists in the two communities.
IPSO seeks out and supports high quality research in science and learning, involving cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian scientists and scholars.
IPSO is located in the city of Jerusalem. (International UNESCO funded) (Article in Science 2006 by John Bohannon on IPSO:
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/sci;312/5772/352a)

United States
6e. http://www.usaid.gov/locations/asia_near_east/merc06.htmlTHE MIDDLE EAST REGIONAL COOPERATION PROGRAM (MERC) The MERC Program funds collaborative research projects between Israel and its Arab neighbors. Established as a result of the Camp David Peace Accords to promote Arab-Israeli cooperation, MERC has expanded beyond its original participants, Egypt and Israel, to include institutions throughout the region. To date, the program has also funded Arab-Israeli projects with participation from Jordan, Morocco, West Bank/Gaza, Lebanon, and Tunisia. During 2005, MERC supported 36 new and ongoing Arab-Israeli projects, the highest number for any year in the program's history.

6f.http://www.iie.org//Content/NavigationMenu/Programs7/Goldberg_Prize/Goldberg_Prize.htm
Victor J. Goldberg IIE Prize for Peace in the Middle East The Institute of International Education (IIE) has created the Victor J.
Goldberg IIE Prize for Peace in the Middle East, to be awarded annually to recognize outstanding work being conducted jointly by two individuals, one Arab and one Israeli, working together to advance the cause of peace in the Middle East. The two individuals whose work is judged to be most successful in bringing people together and breaking down the barriers of hatred toward "the other" will share a $10,000 prize. The winners will be selected by a prestigious international selection committee.

6g. http://www.usip.org/arab_israeli/index.html
United States Institute for Peace ן¿½ Arab-Israeli Relations USIP is conducting both policy-relevant analysis and innovative programming in support of local initiatives to build support for peace. Since 2000, USIP has published one dozen books and reports on Arab-Israeli relations and the role of the United States, provided about 70 grants totaling over $2.5 million to scholars and NGOs addressing various aspects of the conflict, and supported the work of more than 20 resident scholars and fellows on this subject. The Institute seeks to present a balanced approach to its work relating to Arab-Israeli relations by supporting research, programs and grants that improve understanding, develop capacity and analyze the issues in ways that can be useful to all parties who are seeking peace.

EU
6h. http://www.euromedalex.org
The Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures The Foundation ?promotes a dynamic concept of dialogue between cultures through co-operation between civil society partners in education, culture, science and communication, strengthens intellectual co-operation and capacity-building in fields such as human rights, democratic citizenship, sustainable development, learning, knowledge and information society, gender and youth, contributes to shaping the Euro-Mediterranean space as an area of co-operation, exchange, mobility, mutual understanding and peace. ?The Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures is seeking proposals for activities and initiatives that support intercultural dialogue in the 37 Euro-Mediterranean countries. The Programme is co-funded by the European Union and the 37 members of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership.