RESOURCES
Building Bridges’ mission is to equip young people with the communication and leadership skills necessary to address the root cause of hate, discrimination, and violent conflict. We create a safe space for young people to meet face to face with those they have been taught to fear. Together, they develop personal connections based on empathy and respect and the confidence to transform divisive attitudes in their communities. Our longest-running program, featured in “My So-Called Enemy,” brings young Israeli, American, and Palestinian women together to build relationships with each other, and to gain communication and leadership skills that will enable them to bring about more just, inclusive societies.
Alliance for Middle East Peace
The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP) is a coalition of 80 organizations (NGOs) that promote people-to-people coexistence between Arabs and Jews, Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East. Through ALLMEP, the NGOs work together to raise awareness about the extent and importance of their work, as well as cultivate new and expanded resources to support Middle East coexistence. ALLMEP furthers its mission by opening dialogue to policymakers, organizing public events, engaging in media outreach efforts, increasing public and private resources, and developing networking and capacity building tools to improve NGO effectiveness.
Auburn Media
Auburn Media provides media expertise to religious leaders and religious expertise to the media. Recognizing that so many turn to mainstream media and the Internet for information, education and inspiration, Auburn Media equips religious leaders to communicate effectively through media channels and helps mediamakers and journalists connect with and cover the voices and stories they most need to hear.
Creativity for Peace
Founded in 2003, Creativity for Peace nurtures understanding and leadership in Palestinian and Israeli adolescent girls and women so that they take on significant roles in their families, communities and countries that advance peaceful coexistence. We have a summer camp in New Mexico, train young leaders, do home country gatherings and offer academic scholarships.
Encounter
Encounter is an educational organization dedicated to providing Jewish diaspora leaders from across the religious and political spectrum with exposure to Palestinian life. Encounter has brought over 750 Jewish leaders from diverse religious and political backgrounds on one and two-day journeys to Bethlehem, Hebron, and East Jerusalem. We invite participants to ask questions and grapple with fresh perspectives, in order to create human connections across lines of enmity, and expand personal and political understanding.
Face to Face | Faith to Faith
Founded in 2001, Face to Face | Faith to Faith is an international, interfaith, intensive leadership training ground for teenagers who wish to take the next step on the path toward a lifelong commitment to bridging religious divides in our global multifaith society. Teenagers from Israel, Northern Ireland, South Africa, and the United States are selected for a year-long program that works to enhance participants’ knowledge and understanding of their own faith traditions; nurture an advanced understanding of other religions, cultures and people; inform participants about the call of religious teachings to engage in public and world issues; and increase participants’ ability to collaborate across lines of religion, culture, class and ethnicity to make a better world.
Girls, Inc.
Girls, Inc. is a national non-profit youth organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. With roots dating to 1864, Girls Inc. has provided vital educational programs to millions of American girls, particularly those in high-risk, underserved areas. Today, innovative programs help girls confront subtle societal messages about their value and potential, and prepare them to lead successful, independent, and fulfilling lives.
Hand in Hand: Center for Jewish-Arab Education in Israel
Our mission is to create an inclusive shared society in Israel through a network of integrated bilingual schools and community activities. Hand in Hand currently operates in 5 locations – with more than 1000 Jewish and Arab students in its schools and more than 3,000 parents and other adults participating in its community activities. Over the next ten years, we aim to create 10 more schools, involving more than 20,000 Jewish and Arab Israeli citizens. Hand in Hand believes that the day-to-day living experience of all who participate in its schools and community activities can inspire broad support for civic equality in Israel.
Interfaith Youth Core
Founded by Eboo Patel, IYC promotes religious pluralism and builds interfaith movements on college and university campuses. Students train to be interfaith leaders who build relationships across identities, tell powerful stories to bridge divides and mobilize their campuses through interfaith projects. Staff and faculty network with other higher education professionals, share best practices and partner with their students to transform their campuses
Just Vision
Just Vision launched in 2003 after consulting nearly 500 Israeli and Palestinian leaders in nonviolence and peacebuilding to learn about their work, their successes, failures and lessons learned. Just Vision emerged in response to the lack of media coverage of Palestinian and Israeli civilians working to end the conflict. At Just Vision, we work to ensure that these Palestinian and Israeli civic leaders are not only taken seriously as partners in the quest for peace, but are also more visible, valued and influential in their efforts. Through Just Vision’s award-winning films, “Encounter Point “and “Budrus,” the stories of Palestinians and Israelis engaged in nonviolence and peacebuilding have reached millions worldwide.
Kids4Peace
Kids4Peace is a global movement of interfaith leaders from Israel, Palestine and the USA. We believe that together, peace is possible. Beginning at age twelve, Jewish, Christian and Muslim youth meet for after-school activities, weekend events, and summer camps locally and abroad. Through a six-year program of learning and dialogue, they form lasting friendships across the lines of conflict and join a community of peacemakers from around the world. Founded on the conviction that peace will come through interfaith understanding and tolerance, Kids4Peace is nonpolitical, nonsectarian, and nonpartisan.
New Israel Fund
The New Israel Fund (NIF) is the leading organization committed to democratic change within Israel. Since 1979, 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.
New Ground: A Muslim Jewish Partnership for Change
Founded in 2006 and based in Los Angeles, NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change empowers Jewish and Muslim change-makers with the skills, resources, and relationships needed to improve Muslim-Jewish relations and strengthen cooperation on issues of shared concern. Through a professional fellowship, high school leadership council and innovative public programming, NewGround impacts a broad political and religious spectrum of Muslims, Jews and institutions so that they can transform their communities through lasting partnership.
OneVoice
OneVoice is an international grassroots movement that amplifies the voice of mainstream Israelis and Palestinians, empowering them to propel their elected representatives toward a two-state solution. The movement works to forge consensus for conflict resolution and build a human infrastructure capable of mobilizing the people toward a negotiated, comprehensive and permanent agreement between Israel and Palestine that ends the occupation, ensures security and peace for both sides, and solves all final-status issues in accordance with international law and previous bilateral agreements.
Search for Common Ground
Founded in 1982, Search for Common Ground works to transform the way the world deals with conflict – away from adversarial approaches and towards collaborative problem solving. We work with local partners to find culturally appropriate means to strengthen societies’ capacity to deal with conflicts constructively: to understand the differences and act on the commonalities.
Seeds of Peace
Founded in 1993 by journalist John Wallach, Seeds of Peace is dedicated to empowering young leaders from regions of conflict with the leadership skills required to advance reconciliation and coexistence. Seeds of Peace’s internationally-recognized program begins at its summer Camp in Maine and continues through year-round regional initiatives. These include ongoing dialogue meetings, conferences, workshops, educational and professional opportunities, and an adult educators program. This sustained engagement allows participants to develop lasting empathy, respect, and confidence, and equips them with the communication and negotiation skills necessary to advance peace
United States Institute of Peace
The United States Institute of Peace is an independent, nonpartisan, national institution established and funded by Congress. Its goals are to help:
* Prevent and resolve violent international conflicts
* Promote post-conflict stability and development
* Increase conflict management capacity, tools, and intellectual capital worldwide
The Institute does this by empowering others with knowledge, skills, and resources, as well as by directly engaging in peacebuilding efforts around the globe.