What You Can Do
Join Us and Widen the Lens for Peace
Advance the work of Israelis and Palestinians who refuse to succumb to apathy, militancy or despair.
- Organize a screening and discussion of Encounter Point in a community or educational venue, or host a house party. Invite community groups or leaders that don’t normally work together. Click here to find out how, and download a free Encounter Point Community Screening Guide.
- Share the Encounter Point DVD with friends. You may purchase the DVD from Typecast or Amazon.
- Encourage educators to incorporate the stories of peacebuilders into their classrooms. Let them know about the free Encounter Point Classroom Screening Guide and Just Vision’s online profiles of peacebuilders.
- Scrutinize the field-- read, learn and become engaged on the issues-- write or blog about Encounter Point, Just Vision, and the organizations or people you learn about through our work.
- Write to the Press. Download, personalize and print our sample letter (Microsoft Word Format) to send to your local media makers (journalists, editors, television producers). Let them know they are under-reporting the stories of Palestinians and Israelis working to halt the violence, oppression and hate in the Middle East. We want broadcasters and editors to know that coverage about peace work will sell. Thank journalists and editors who do provide coverage of civic peace builders.
- Encourage a religious leader to incorporate quotes or stories of Israeli and Palestinian peacebuilders into their sermons (suggest Encounter Point or Just Vision’s peacebuilder profiles as a reference).
- Write to politicians to request they take a more active, even-handed approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with attention to civic engagement in the peace process.
- Join or form a group committed to meeting regularly for discussion and action.
- Invite a Palestinian or Israeli peacebuilder to speak to your community or school. Just Vision may be able to assist with contacting peacebuilders featured on our website. Write to info@justvision.org.
- Reach out to celebrities and cultural icons to tell them about this work and ask for a public endorsement.
- Intervene when you are challenged by individuals who stereotype the field, or who take a "pro" or "anti" stance to either Israelis or Palestinians. As Robi Damelin says in Encounter Point, "there is no pro-Israeli or pro-Palestinian, there is pro-solution."
- Adopt-A-Peacemaker. Research grassroots Israeli and Palestinian peace and nonviolence organizations (see the list of organizations below). Pick an organization to support, and organize a fundraising campaign, or contact them to ask how you can assist. Call a journalist to ask for coverage of their work. Find out if they have a local “Friends of” chapter, or start one.
- Take a trip to meet with Palestinians and Israelis on the ground working to resolve the conflict and then return to your community and talk about your experiences.
- Join Our Email List. Sign up to receive email updates about Just Vision’s efforts to advance Israeli and Palestinian civilian peace work in the Middle East. We send between 1-3 emails/month and do not share your contact information with anyone. Please share our updates with others to help spread the word.
- Volunteer or apply for an internship at Just Vision. Just Vision needs assistance from people with experience in curriculum development, teaching, translation (Arabic/Hebrew/English), development, research, web technology and more. Please send us your resume, writing sample and references via e-mail to: volunteer@justvision.org or fax it to: 866-809-3401. We accept volunteers or interns from college or graduate levels of education and beyond.
- Donate to Just Vision. Just Vision survives on the generosity of individuals. All tax-deductible contributions for peace are gratefully accepted. Donations can be made online or by check, payable to: Just Vision Inc., 123 Seventh Avenue, PMB #226, Brooklyn, NY 11215.
$50 pays for an Israeli or Palestinian educator or facilitator to travel to a screening or workshop to bring Just Vision's materials into classrooms and community centers.
$100 funds the the distribution of 5 DVDs to Palestinian and/or Israeli educators.
$250 supports the screening of Encounter Point in Arabic/Hebrew for Israeli and/or Palestinian youth educators.
$500 covers the camera crew for 1 day of production on our new film series.
$1,000 underwrites the completion of an interview with a local peacebuilder for the Online Network for Peace.
$5,000 funds the purchase of a camera and accompanying equipment for our upcoming multi media film series on strategic, multi-sector approaches to nonviolent movement building.
Please let us know if you would like to talk to us further about making a special contribution, or financing a short film segment for our upcoming series.
- Send us your additional suggestions for what to do! Write to widenthelens@justvision.org.
- Learn about dozens of Israeli and Palestinian peacebuilding and nonviolence organizations.
The following organizations work in the field of peacebuilding and nonviolence within Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, or both. We encourage you to do further research; there are many ways to support Israelis and Palestinians working for positive change. Please be aware that new organizations frequently emerge, while others disband. Please send us information if you know about an organization that does not appear on this list. Write to widenthelens@justvision.org. You may read Just Vision's interviews with dozens of individuals working in many of the organizations listed below.
Adam Institute
Peace, democracy, civic education and conflict resolution for Jewish and Palestinian citizens of
All For Peace Radio
The first jointly run Palestinian-Israeli radio station. It produces news, feature and music programs in Arabic, Hebrew and English.
Alternative Information Center
A joint Palestinian-Israeli political advocacy organization and source for information on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Anarchists Against the Wall
An Israeli organization that supports Palestinians' nonviolent struggle against the Separation Barrier.
Arab-Hebrew Theatre
A theatre company based in
Arava Institute for Environmental Studies
An environmental education and research center at Kibbutz Ketura in
Arik Institute for Reconciliation, Tolerance and Peace
Works for reconciliation and tolerance, and headed by the founder and former director of the Parents Circle-Bereaved Families Forum.
Artists Without Walls
A group of Israeli and Palestinian artists and musicians organizing joint exhibitions aimed at promoting understanding.
Association for Civil Rights in Israel
Works to protect human rights and civil rights in Israel and the territories under Israel's control.
Bat Shalom
An Israeli feminist organization working for peace and social justice.
Behind the Wall
A Palestinian organization working mostly with youth to assess the consequences of the Separation Barrier for Palestinian communities.
Salim and Arabiya Shawamreh's home in Anata in the
Bethlehem Peace Center
Promotes peace, democracy, diversity and religious tolerance through activities and programs for locals and tourists. The center also displays Palestinian art and culture.
Bimkom
A group of urban planners and architects working toward "strengthening the connection between human rights and spatial planning." Their work is focused within
Bitter Lemons
A website that presents Israeli and Palestinian viewpoints, primarily on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and peace process. It is co-produced and edited by a Palestinian and an Israeli.
Black Laundry
An Israeli group of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, and others working for social justice and against the occupation.
Bridges Israeli-Palestinian Public Health Magazine
A jointly managed and edited Israeli-Palestinian magazine devoted to public health and peace issues.
B'Tselem, the Israeli Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
An Israeli organization working to protect human rights and change Israeli policy in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Building Bridges for Peace
A summer camp in the
Bustan, Sustainable Community Action for Land and People
Promotes environmental justice and sustainability with a focus primarily on land and human rights issues in
Center for Jewish-Arab Economic Development
Promotes economic cooperation and empowerment on the premise that "Jewish-Arab economic cooperation in
Children of Abraham,
An Israeli group that focuses on the effects of occupation on the city of
Citizens' Accord Forum Between Jews and Arabs in Israel
An Israeli organization working to "bridge the gaps between
Coalition of Women for Peace
An umbrella organization over nine Israeli women's organizations working for peace, equal rights for all Israeli citizens, an end to the occupation and the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Combatants for Peace
A group of Israeli and Palestinian former combatants working together to stop all forms of violence, end the occupation and establish a Palestinian state.
Crossing Borders
A Palestinian-Israeli-Jordanian youth magazine published in English.
Economic Cooperation Foundation
An Israeli organization aimed at supporting Israeli-Palestinian cooperation in the political, economic, and civil society spheres.
EcoPeace/Friends of the Earth Middle East
An environmental organization with offices in Amman, Bethlehem and Tel Aviv that brings together Jordanian, Palestinian, and Israeli environmentalists to "protect our shared environmental heritage" and create the "necessary conditions for lasting peace in our region.”
Face to Face/Faith to Faith
A US-based program of religious study, leadership and peace-building program for Christian, Muslim, and Jewish teenagers from different conflict regions, including Israel and Palestine.
Faculty for Israeli-Palestinian Peace
A network of Palestinian, Israeli, and international faculty, with an affiliated international student network, working to end the occupation and create a just peace.
Folklore of the Other
An art and education program that promotes tolerance between
Gaza Community Mental Health Program
Provides mental health services, including therapy, training and research, to women, children, and victims of human rights violations. The program aims to promote community-wide mental health on the basis of "justice, humanity, and respect for human rights."
Gisha
An Israeli legal organization working to protect Palestinians' freedom of movement.
Givat Haviva
An institute in
Gush Shalom
An Israeli peace movement calling for the creation of a Palestinian state.
Hamoked, Center for the Defense of the Individual
An Israeli organization that assists Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories whose rights are violated by Israeli policies.
Hand in Hand
An organization that founded and runs multi-cultural schools in
Hands of Peace
A US-based program that promotes "long term peaceful coexistence among Jewish-Israelis, Arab-Israelis, and West Bank Palestinians by bringing young people from the
Hashd
The Palestinian office of the People's Campaign for Peace and Democracy, an organization that promotes a set of principles for Israeli-Palestinian peace based on a two-state solution.
Hewar Center For Peace and Development
Based in Qalqilya, the center provides training in conflict resolution and capacity building for Palestinian NGOs working in the field of nonviolence. It also arranges dialogues between Israeli and Palestinian adults and students in a variety of settings, including summers camps and conferences.
Holy Land Trust
A Palestinian organization based in
Hope Flowers School
A school in El Khader near
House of Hope International Peace Center
Founded by a Palestinian citizen of
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions
A group "originally established to oppose and resist Israeli demolition of Palestinian houses in the
Interfaith Encounter Association
Promotes peace through interfaith dialogue and cross-cultural study, based on the belief 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."
International Peace and Cooperation Center
A Palestinian organization working to "develop proactive initiatives which support the social, cultural, political, and economic processes essential to a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous future for the Palestinian people."
International Women's Peace Service
An international women's organization working in the
Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel
An umbrella organization over many inter-religious organizations working with Israelis and Palestinians to "harness the teachings and values of the three monotheistic religions and transform religion into a source of reconciliation and coexistence."
Ir Amim
An Israeli legal organization working for Palestinians' rights principally in and around
Israeli-Palestinian Science Organization
Promotes dialogue and interaction between Israeli and Palestinian scholars and scientists.
Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Development
A joint Palestinian-Israeli public policy think-tank "devoted to developing practical solutions for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict" based on a "two states for two peoples" solution.
Jerusalem Center for Women
A Palestinian organization for the advancement of women, peace and human rights.
Organizes activities and dialogue groups for residents of East and West
Jerusalem International YMCA
A cultural and recreational community center that promotes interfaith and inter-group understanding. The building houses and Arab-Jewish kindergarten, and a theater, library, restaurant, hotel, fitness center and conference center.
A joint venture of the Palestinian Jerusalem Center for Women and the Israeli organization Bat Shalom, its goals are securing peace and a Palestinian state, and promoting women's participation in the peace process.
Jerusalem Peacemakers
A network of Palestinian and Israeli interfaith peace-builders.
Just Vision
Encourages broader participation in grassroots peace building by creating and disseminating media and educational resources about Palestinian and Israeli joint peace and nonviolent efforts.
Kufia, the Palestinian Organization for Culture and Development
A non-profit organization that promotes cultural understanding and reconciliation between peoples, with an emphasis on youth and children. Kufia focuses on the psychological health of the Palestinian people and combats fanaticism in society.
Language Connections
An online program whereby Israeli and Palestinian students make virtual connections through web-based communication in English.
Library on Wheels for Nonviolence and Peace
Visits villages in the
Machsom Watch
A group of Israeli women who regularly observe Israeli military checkpoints to monitor human rights abuses.
Memory for Peace
A group of Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel organized by a Palestinian Orthodox priest to visit Auschwitz together in order to promote empathy and human understanding.
Middle East Children's Association
An Israeli-Palestinian organization working to empower and support teachers to help their students deal with issues related to the conflict.
Middleway
Conducts dialogue and silent, meditative walks in Israeli and Palestinian areas with Israeli and Palestinian participants. The activities "combine spirituality with peace activism."
Mifkad
The Israeli office of the People's Campaign for Peace and Democracy, an organization that promotes a set of principles for Israeli-Palestinian peace based on a two-state solution.
Mosaica Communities
A group working to establish integrated communities of Jews and Arabs in
Nablus Youth Federation
Works for youth, women and children's empowerment, and facilitates connections between Palestinian and international youth, and Israeli-Palestinian dialogue.
Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development
Offers leadership training and support for small businesses and organizations in conflict resolution, education and democracy.
Neve Shalom/Wahat Al Salam
A mixed village in
New Profile
A movement to de-emphasize the military in Israeli society and prioritize a civilian as opposed to military profile of Israeli citizens.
A program in which Israeli and Palestinian cardiology students study medicine together.
Olive Tree Movement
Provides humanitarian aid for Palestinians, including transportation and translation for Palestinians needing treatment in Israeli hospitals.
One Voice
A grassroots movement to involve Israelis and Palestinians as active participants in a peace process.
Open House in Ramle
A center primarily dedicated to coexistence between the Jewish and Palestinian residents of Ramle in
Oz V'Shalom-Netivot Shalom
A religious Jewish, Zionist peace movement advocating the establishment of a Palestinian state and equal rights for Palestinian citizens of
Palestine-Israel Journal
A quarterly publication produced by Israelis and Palestinians and focusing on issues related to the conflict and its resolution.
Develops peace education material in Arabic, and engages in mediation and conflict resolution between Palestinians and Israelis.
Palestinian Center for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation
Promotes nonviolence in Palestinian society through training programs for individuals and organizations in conflict transformation, mediation, communication, peace and democracy building, and human rights. Its also brings together Israelis and Palestinians to discuss issues of violence in the region.
Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between People
Promotes civic engagement through community service, action for peace, justice, and reconciliation, and advocacy for Palestinian rights.
Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group
Documents human rights violations committed against Palestinians in the
Panorama
A Palestinian organization based in
Parents Circle-Bereaved Families Forum
A joint organization of Israeli and Palestinian bereaved families working together for reconciliation and an end to violence.
Peace and Democracy Forum
Works within Palestinian society to promote peace, democracy and nonviolence in the political, social, and economic realms, and to encourage support for a negotiated end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Peace Child Israel
Promotes coexistence for Israeli and Palestinian youth through theater and the arts.
Peace Now
Israeli peace movement, whose activities include organizing public demonstrations, petitions and events, and distributing educational materials. Visit Americans for Peace Now for more information.
Peace Research Institute in the Middle East
Palestinian and Israeli educators and academics promoting peace-building through research and education, and developing educational resources for teaching Israeli and Palestinian narratives.
People's Voice
Mifkad and Hashd A joint Israeli-Palestinian grassroots peace initiative in which people on both sides of the conflict sign on to a statement of principles based on a two-state solution.
Peres Center for Peace
An umbrella organization that provides support for a variety of Israeli-Palestinian peace initiatives. Visit the Peace NGO's website for these initiatives.
Physicians for Human Rights Israel
Works for human rights particularly relating to health issues in
Public Committee Against Torture in Israel
Monitors and raises awareness about the use of torture in interrogations in
Rabbis for Human Rights
An Israeli rabbinic organization "giving voice to the Jewish tradition of human rights" and working for human rights of all Israeli citizens and for Palestinians in the
Reut-Sedaka
A Palestinian and Jewish youth movement within
Seeds of Peace
A US-based program for teenagers from several conflict regions throughout the world, with follow up programs for Israeli and Palestinian participants in their home areas.
Sulha Peace Project
A gathering of Israelis and Palestinians to promote reconciliation, named for the traditional Palestinian dispute resolution ceremony of sulha.
Ta'ayush
A "grassroots movement of Arabs and Jews" in Israel working for equality for all Israeli citizens and with Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories to resist the occupation.
The Way
An umbrella organization over many Palestinian nonviolence initiatives.
Wi'am, Palestinian Conflict Resolution Center
Works within Palestinian society to resolve conflicts and disputes nonviolently using sulha, a traditional reconciliation practice, combined with western forms of conflict resolution.
Windows
Brings Palestinians and Israelis together with special groups for women and youth. Windows' youth publish a bilingual magazine in Hebrew and Arabic. Windows also engages in humanitarian aid work.
Women in Black
A network of women protesting
Yesh Din
An Israeli organization that opposes the violation of Palestinian human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Yesh Gvul
An Israeli peace group supporting soldiers who refuse to participate in the Occupation.
Young Israeli Forum for Cooperation
An empowerment program aimed at supporting young Israeli leaders who seek to "take an active role in shaping
Zochrot
An Israeli group raising awareness about the Palestinian Nakba, or catastrophe, of 1948.
