Peacebuilding Organisations.

Al-Quds Association for Democracy and Dialogue was established in 2004 to promote democracy, dialogue and civic participation in the development of local communities. Nonviolence, a culture of peace, democracy and dialogue are at the core of their programmes and activities.

Al Tareeq  - The Palestinian Institution for Development and Democracy – organises different interventions, such as training, open discussions, research and studies. They work with mainly young people, but also involve all parts of society. The majority of Al Tareeq staff are volunteers who are committed to building a pluralistic Palestinian society.

The idea of a joint Israeli-Palestinian radio station is unique and innovative, bringing together the Jewish-Arab Center for Peace at Givat Haviva and the Palestinian organization Biladi – The Jerusalem Times to expose a new audience to messages of peace.

The All Nations Cafe was founded by a mixed group of an Israeli Jew, a Palestinian Muslim, an American Christian and another person who was born to a Jewish mother and a Christian father and had recently converted to Islam. They founded cafe as a meeting place for Palestinians, Israelis and internationals. It is situation on the road from Jerusalem to Bethlahem, between an Israeli army check-point and the Palestinian authority. It’s slogan is “Transforming Check-points into Meeting Points”.

AREEN was founded in mid-2005 by a group of young people, students, academics and people interested in social and cultural studies. It works to strengthen the role and participation of young people in Palestinian civil society, to help build an independent Palestinian state, and achieve social justice for all groups in society.

Art For Peace is a group of Palestinian and international artists who aim to spread the concepts of justice, peace, freedom and human dignity. It also works for peace for Palestinian and Middle Eastern children through art activities, music, art exhibitions, cultural exchange programmes and helping children in conflict areas.

Bat Shalom is an grassroots organization of Jewish and Palestinian Israeli women working together for a genuine peace grounded in a just resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, respect for human rights, and an equal voice for Jewish and Arab women within Israeli society.

The BPT Program was set up in 2004 to bring together representatives of different peace movements in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories in order to exchange visions and experiences with each other.

Budo for Peace (BFP) brings together young people from conflict areas to learn and practice traditional Japanese budo (martial arts) in order to learn its values and apply them in breaking down fear and building trust between people.

CARE specialises in promoting the educational capacities of Palestinian citizens, professionals and organizations. CARE believes in tolerance and pluralism and works to open discussion and debate on critical issues.

CET is an NGO dedicated to the advancement of the education in Israel, in the Jewish world and around the globe.

The Combatants for Peace movement was started jointly by Palestinians and Israelis who have taken an active part in the cycle of violence; Israelis as soldiers in the Israeli army (IDF) and Palestinians as part of the violent struggle for Palestinian freedom. After brandishing weapons for so many years, and having seen one another as enemies, The Combatants for Peace have decided to put down their guns and to fight for peace.

ECF was founded by Dr. Yair Hirschfeld (the initiator of the Oslo Peace Process), and former Minister of Justice Dr. Yossi Beilin at the end of 1990 to build, maintain and support Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab cooperation in the political, economic, and civil society spheres in support of creating a sustainable Permanent Status based on a two-state solution.

Emek Shaveh promotes archeology as a valuable tool for empowering local communities and creating bridges between people from different cultures, thereby increasing the stability and peace in the region.

The Federation of Trade Unions is an independent democratic labour union Federation. It was established in 1965 and has an estimated 290,000 members.

FOEME is a unique organization that brings together Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli environmentalists. Their primary objective is the promotion of cooperative efforts to protect our shared environmental heritage. In so doing, they seek to advance both sustainable regional development and the creation of necessary conditions for lasting peace in the region.

The Geneva Initiative (GI) is a joint Israeli-Palestinian initiative that suggests a detailed model for a peace agreement to end the conflict – proving that peace is possible, demonstrating that partners for peace do exist and that there is a solution to every problem.

GISHA is an Israeli not-for-profit organization, founded in 2005, whose goal is to protect the freedom of movement of Palestinians, especially Gaza residents.

The overriding goals of Givat Haviva are to educate for peace, democracy, coexistence and social solidarity; to resist racism and all forms of discrimination; and to foster greater understanding between different groups in Israeli society and among nations.

Hewar is dedicated to the creating dialogue as a prelude to peace, as well as improving the livelihood of rural populations in order to give them a stronger role in society.

The Hope Flowers School in Bethlehem teaches peace, democracy and community development. Founded in 1984, the school was created to meet a need for a safe and supportive environment in which children could grow and develop into citizens of a new Palestine. The school also works on trauma-reduction.

Humans Without Borders is devoted to helping West Bank Palestinian families obtain medical assistance in Israeli hospitals, through its 120 active members.

The Interfaith Encounter Association promotes peace in the Middle East through interfaith dialogue and cross-cultural study. They believe that, rather than being a cause of the problem, religion can and should be a source of the solution for conflicts that exist in the region and beyond.

The IPCC’s mission is to support the social, cultural, and economic processes essential to a peaceful, democratice and prosperous future for the Palestinian people.

IPCRI, founded in Jerusalem in 1988, is the only joint Palestinian-Israeli public policy think-tank in the world. It is devoted to developing practical solutions for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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.

An Israeli movement which aims to renew the peace negotiations between Israel and Syria, in order to bring about an enduring peace agreement between the two nations.

JCW is a Palestinian women’s centre located in East Jerusalem. JCW and Bat Shalom carry out joint Palestinian-Israeli programs through a coordinating body known as the Jerusalem Link. Jerusalem Link marks the first time that Palestinian and Israeli organizations have worked so closely for the advancement of women’s and human rights in the region, as well as towards resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Founded in 1978, JIIS provides a constant flow of relevant, accurate, and in-depth data, policy papers, and professional analyses for use by decision-makers, researchers, and the general public. Its studies serve as a valuable resource for a variety of governmental bodies, public institutions, and civil organizations.

Jerusalem Peacemakers is a network of grassroots activists and religious leaders working together for Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation.

Just Vision supplies local and international audiences with information about under-documented Palestinian and Israeli joint civilian efforts to resolve the conflict nonviolently. Using media and educational tools, they raise awareness in order to encourage civic participation in grassroots peacebuilding.

The Center for the Protection of Democracy in Israel was established by a group of academics, lawyers and civic activists in order to protect and advance democratic values in Israel in the aftermath of the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

Kufia is a non-profit Palestinian peace organization that works to promote cultural understanding and reconciliation between people.

Located in Bethlehem, Legal Activists for Human Rights is a women’s organization promoting human rights.

The Lev Ha’Ir Community Administration in Jerusalem designs and coordinates community rehabilitation programmes. The Lev Ha’ir project has been used as a model for community action in other inner city areas in the world.

Machsom Watch was founded in January 2001 to monitor the behaviour of soldiers and police at checkpoints, ensure that the human and civil rights of Palestinians in the Occupied Territories are protected, and to record and report the results of thier observations to the widest possible audience.

A social network for peace in the Middle East. The organization is advancing Middle East peace through the mepeace.org platform for peacemakers. Palestinians, Israelis and interested others use the site to meet, communicate and build peace.

The mission of JDC in Israel is to represent North America’s Jewish Federations in helping Israeli society enhance its own capacity to meet the needs of its weakest and least fortunate members.

Middleway finds novel ways to put an end to the circle of violence, hatred and fear. Middleway began its activities in April 2002 with an 8 day silent peace walk from Jaffa to Jerusalem, in which hundreds of people participated. Since then many peace walks have taken place all over Israel and also in the Palestinian Territories, and a wealth of activities have stemmed from the initial authentic wish to find a different solution.

Mifgash is an educational organization that focuses on building mediation skills. The organization is active in various peace activities such as dialogue meetings and education for peace.

NISPED is an educational and training institute that initiates and conducts projects in the areas of socio-economic development and peace.

A village, jointly established by Jewish and Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel, that is engaged in educational work for peace, equality and understanding between Israelis and Palestinians. The village is situated equidistantly between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv-Jaffa.

The Olive Tree Movement sees every child’s right to grow and develop in loving and supportive environments free of threats as unassailable and works with Palestinian children and families to acheive this.

Online magazine which features articles on peace, social justice, Jewish-Arab civic equality, environmental education and clean politics.

OneVoice aims to amplify the voice of the overwhelming but silent majority of moderates who wish for peace and prosperity, empowering them to demand accountability from elected representatives. OneVoice has more that 2,000 trained youth leaders and over 650,000 people have pledged their support to the organisation, including roughly equivalent numbers of Israelis and Palestinians.

Ossim Shalom calls for using the basic tool of social work – dialogue – as a means to help resolve the conflict between Arabs and Jews. Ossim Shalom was established in 1990.

The Our Heritage Association adheres to the principle of equal rights for all Israeli citizens and to equality of opportunities for all ethnic and cultural groups of Israeli society.

The Palestine-Israel Journal is the only independent, non-profit quarterly publication co-published and produced by Israelis and Palestinians. It is a joint venture for promoting dialogue and the quest for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Pafa focuses on the relationship between food and agriculture and the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The centre brings together organisations and community groups concerned with the development of civil society in Palestine and with the promotion of peace in the region.

The forum aims to engage Palestinian young people through the implementation of programmes and activities to serve their causes and rights.

The mission of PPC is to build a broad peace coalition based on a vision of a realistic political solution through the enhancement and promotion of public debate and participation.

PDF exists to promote a peaceful resolution to the conflict and to encourage the development of open, transparent, and accountable institutions.

The Palestinian Youth Union for Cooperation of Peace targets young Palestinians and promotes their involvement in the development of society by spreading the basic principles of democracy, peace, tolerance and cooperation

Since its inception in 1991, Panorama has been focused on promoting democracy, community development, training and capacity building, and the promotion of youth leadership and activities. Panorama help coordinate the Palestinian member organisations in the Peace NGO Forum.

Consisting of hundreds of bereaved families, half Palestinian and half Israeli, the Parents Circle-Families Forum has played a crucial role in the peace process since 1995, by spearheading a reconciliation process between Israelis and Palestinians.

PFF aims to form an influential grassroots youth movement that represents the social and political aspirations of young people in the Palestinian occupied territories.

Peace Now is the largest non-parliamentary movement in Israel, the country’s oldest peace movement and has a broad public base of support. The movement was founded in 1978 during the Israeli-Egyptian peace talks. The basic principles of the movement from the outset were the right of Israel to live within secure borders and the right of their neighbours to do the same, including the right of Palestinians to self-determination.

PRIME was established by Palestinian and Israeli researchers with the help of the Peace Research Institute in Frankfurt. PRIME’s purpose is to pursue mutual coexistence and peacebuilding through joint research and outreach activities.

Rabbis for Human Rights is the only organisation in Israel today concerned specifically with giving voice to the Jewish tradition of human rights. The organisation teaches a different understanding of the Jewish tradition.

SHATIL is the New Israel Fund’s empowerment and training centre, established in 1982. It works to promote democracy, tolerance, and social justice in Israel. Recognizing the need for building a strong civil society in Israel, SHATIL is Israel’s leading capacity building centre for social-change organizations. It provides over 1,000 non-profit organizations with consulting and training in organizational development, advocacy, media and PR, coalition building, resource development and volunteer management each year.

Formed in 2002, Shira’ is dedicated to improving the lives of workers and their families in the Bethlehem area.

Shorouq was officially established in 2002 in response to the exacerbation of women’s already-weak status in Palestinian society by the Second Intifada. Shorouq is committed to peace and its activities are open to all regardless of their religious or political beliefs.

The Sulha Peace Project is a grassroots organisation comprising of Jews, Arabs, Israelis, Palestinians, who embody a new language of peace and seek to develop a culture of co-existence inspired by the Middle Eastern indigenous process of mediation, Sulha.

Founded in 2002 by a group of grassroot Palestinian peace and development activists, the aim of Tawasul is to create and develop non-violent communication between all levels of society

The Arik Institute focuses on public activities aiming to foster reconciliation, tolerance and peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

The Centre for Democracy and Community Development promotes theories of participatory democracy in Palestinian society and around the Middle East, as well as working for the promotion of peace between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples.

CET is dedicated to the advancement of the education in Israel, in the Jewish world and around the globe.

CEF holds regular Global Village Square meetings on the border between Israel and Palestine during which individuals from both sides, as well as internationals, utilise deep listening techniques to discover the shared humanity between them.

The Accord Forum was established following the events of October 2000, and built around the idea that with the increasing polarisation of Jewish and Arab citizens in Israel, the need for “accord” and “normalisation” has become paramount.

The mission of the ICCI is to harness the teachings and values of the three Abrahamic faiths and transform religion’s role from a force of division and extremism into a source of reconciliation, coexistence, and understanding. To accomplish this, ICCI works with youth, women, and religious leaders to promote Jewish-Arab coexistence and peacebuilding projects.

The Jerusalem Intercultural Center was founded in 1999 with the intent of assisting the city’s residents, from diverse backgrounds, in becoming responsible active partners in shaping the city’s future and the development of their communities.

The goal of the HPS is to assist people from the Middle East and particularly in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Jordan and Israel to look for better alternatives and solutions for the current conflict. It relies heavily on its active network of peace activists in different countries in the Middle East, and across the world, to mobilise the masses to work hand in hand in resolving conflicts.

The Peres Center for Peace was founded in 1996 by Nobel Peace Laureate and former Prime Minister Shimon Peres, with the aim of furthering his vision of a Middle East region in which people work together to build peace through socio-economic cooperation and development, and people-to-people interaction. The Peres Center help coordinate the Israeli member organisations in the Peace NGO Forum.

The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute is a leading intellectual center for the interdisciplinary study and discussion of issues related to philosophy, society, culture and education. The Institute gives expression to the wide range of opinions in Israel, and takes particular pride in its role as an incubator and creative home for many of the most important civil society efforts to enhance and deepen Israeli democracy.

TRUST Emun is an Israeli organization working to build understanding and mutual trust through education, dialogue, and activities that promote non-violence, reconciliation, and healing. Activities include parlor meetings between Israelis and Palestinians, a TRUST WIN (Women’s Interfaith Network) with activities for Muslim, Christian, and Jewish women, and collaboration with Palestinian organizations.

Ulpan Akiva is a pioneer in Hebrew Immersion and peace education. Their students include individuals, couples, families, immigrants and Arabs from the Palestinian Authority and the Arab countries, and received and Honorable Mention in 1998 for the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education.

CCRR is a Palestinian NGO committed to an alternative approach to conflict transformation. They cherish the values of peace, reconciliation, forgiveness, respect and hope. It is CCRR’s mission to contribute to a prospering, non-violent Palestine by empowering marginalszed groups to participate in the decision-making process that affects their lives.

Windows fo Peace consists of Israelis and Palestinians from both sides of the Green Line working together to promote friendship, understanding and reconciliation between both peoples through educational programs, media and art.

Wi’am helps to resolve disputes within the Palestinian community by complementing the traditional Arab form of mediation, called Sulha, with Western models of conflict resolution.

Established in March 2005, Yesh Din is a group of volunteers who have organized to oppose the continuing violation of Palestinian human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

YIFC is cultivating a generation of young leaders to take an active role in shaping Israel’s future and, specifically, its relations with its Palestinian and European neighbors. YIFC’s primary goal is to empower young professionals (aged up to 35), from a wide range of social backgrounds and political beliefs, to generate movement towards the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to foster Israeli-European relations.

Desert Time organizes joint peace and prayer gatherings held at Zman Midbar – a school teaching peace studies to teachers and youth. The peace studies activities teach the values of peace to Bedouin and Jordanian teachers, with a focus on ecology and preserving the planet.