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Dear friends and supporters,
IPCRI wants to thank you for your continued support. Without you, the success we have experienced in March 2014 would not have been possible. Your commitment to IPCRI and our vision encourages us to do our best and exceed our expected goals.
Our activities this month brought together many average Israelis and Palestinians to meet. In our "Breaking Down Walls" tours to Palestinian cities, we successfully attract Israelis to challenge their perspectives on Palestinians and cities in the West Bank. Many of the participants say the tours changed their preconceived ideas. We give our participants the opportunity to experience the history, culture, and politics of their neighbor's cities, which they have been really curious about for years. We also hosted a local famer's market that brought together Israeli and Palestinians to discuss women economic empowerment and sell locally grown produce. This month IPCRI also contributed to Track II Diplomacy through our "Afternoons with IPCRI," which engaged many people in an interactive discussion with Palestinian and Israeli politicians.
As we write this newsletter, Palestinian-Israeli negotiations are facing a stumbling block concerning the fourth prisoner release; there is a belief that if prisoners are not released, negotiations will halt. This could potentially lead to a crisis and an end to the highly anticipated cooperation, especially as the deadline for the nine-months of negotiations brokered by the U.S. is on April 29th. There is urgent need now for new, fresh, and innovative thoughts. For our part, we are pleased to report that our "Two States in One Space" project is progressing well; all team leaders have been appointed, research questions approved and work commenced. IPCRI believes that this is a viable alternative peace plan to the current progressing Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Now for one request: we are in need of Hebrew speaking volunteers to help us in a fund-raising drive. So if you or someone you know supports peace and has some time to give us, please contact us at: ipcri@ipcri.org.
Thank you for your continued support.
Dan, Riman and the IPCRI Team
P.S. Have you liked us on Facebook already? There we share news and analysis about the conflict and our events on a daily basis. Like us now and Check out our new website
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"Afternoons with IPCRI:" Dr. Nabil Shaath and Mr. Dan Meridor
On March 3rd, our "Afternoons with IPCRI" on "Final Status Agreement: Possibilities & Challenges" discussed the history of negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, especially since Oslo to an audience of over 150 people. Both speakers agreed that a peace agreement would lead to great developmental and economic growth for Israel and Palestine. Dr. Nabil Shaath expressed that currently, Palestinians are more eager to reach a two-state solution, and that is seems the Israelis at the negotiating table want that as well. Mr. Meridor agreed that the majority of the Israeli public supports two states. The panelists also agreed that concrete goals and strong leadership is needed to create a viable agreement between the parties. Other topics discussed included security in the Jordan Valley, Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, and the role of Jordan in negotiations.
Read the summary of the speakers' remarks
Watch the speakers on YouTube
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Farmer's Market in Bethlehem
On Saturday March 8th, IPCRI continued the educational outreach phase of our aquaponics project "Growing Together" by holding a workshop on Alternative Food Production Systems at the Bethlehem Study Centre. The event also hosted the first Farmers Market in this area, which successfully brought together 60 Palestinians, Israelis and internationals and provided female agricultural workers from the Artas Valley with the opportunity to sell their produce. The event encouraged economic independence among female Palestinians and helped develop a support network among the local agricultural community of the Bethlehem region. A similar workshop is expected to take place during the month of April in Tel Sheva, the second site of this Aquaponics project.
For more information on this project, read our project description
IPCRI's Photos from the event |
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Stay updated on our events and projects
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Panel on "Palestinian Women's Narratives of Strength and Defiance in a Conflict Zone"
This panel, held on March 27th as a follow-up activity of IPCRI's women's project. This panel promoted the women's vision for peace and to bring women's voices to the center stage. Three of the Palestinian members presented their diverse personal accounts of living within the conflict, from being refugees who returned to Palestine, through the experiences of the Intifadas, and to struggles against the occupation. Ten Israeli women listened to the narratives and participated in an enriching discussion afterwards. All women felt that such events should take place more and more, as they enable Israelis to better understand the reality that Palestinians deal with on a daily basis.
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Project Update: Two States in One Space
We have moved from the preparatory stage to the research phase. As of now, four working groups have started to work on their respective areas of focus. Each working group presented research questions addressing its area of focus and provided a general outline of how it aims to answer their topic. Each group also sketched out the research method it plans to apply (interviews, comparative analysis) as well as the materials, data, reports, that it will study during the research. The groups have also provided an outline concerning other people they plan to cooperate with while conducting their research (e.g. experts in specific fields such as international law). The working groups are expected to present drafts of their research in October.
For more information on this project, please visit our website |
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Upcoming Breaking Down Walls tours of Palestine
Ramallah: April 16th
Jericho: April 19th* (with Dr. Geshon Baskin)
Ramallah: April 26th
IPCRI invites Israelis, Palestinians and internationals for guided political and cultural tours to Palestinian cities in the West Bank. The tours are guided by a Palestinian licensed tour guide, and will be held in English. For each of the upcoming tours, please visit the Facebook event pages for more details about the tours.
Tour of Bethlehem: April 12th
Register here Facebook
Tour of Ramallah: April 16th
Register here Facebook
Tour of Jericho: April 19th (for this tour Dr. Gershon Baskin will be co-guiding)
Register here Facebook
Tour of Ramallah: April 26th
Register here Facebook |
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