Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI) WORKING TOWARDS A JUST RESOLUTION OF THE ISRAELI-‐PALESTINIAN CONFLICT
What is IPCRI? IPCRI is a nonprofit think tank that combines research with peace building field projects in Israel and Palestine. Our mission is to engage both policymakers and the public at large in ending the occupation and promoting a just and sustainable end to the conflict on the basis of a two-‐state solution. IPCRI does this by initiating innovative projects and strategies that provide research, innovation, and action aimed at resolving the conflict, building sustainable peace, and promoting Palestinian-‐ Israeli cooperation. In doing so, IPCRI aims to challenge the occupation and create a basis for a shared existence in the region.
What distinguishes IPCRI? • The only joint Israeli-‐Palestinian think tank • Twenty-‐five years of concrete achievements in steering Middle East peace building • A human resource base of hundreds of experts, scholars and leaders
Why IPCRI? • IPCRI has made and continues to make a difference. In good times and in bad, during peace negotiations and during the Intifadas, IPCRI has worked relentlessly to build peace by bringing together over 10,000 Israelis and Palestinians, forming numerous initiatives, managing projects, producing dozens of position and research papers, and creating an atmosphere conducive to cooperation. • IPCRI was launched in 1988 and has conducted thousands of Israeli-‐ Palestinian meetings and has more experience in the field of Israeli-‐Palestinian peace-‐building than any other similar institution.
SAMPLE OF CURRENT IPCRI PROJECTS
THINK TANK
STRATEGIC THINKING AND ANALYSIS TEAM Supported by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung
Every month, Palestinian and Israeli academic, political, and economic leaders come together for Think Tank sessions to discuss strategies for the advancement of a just and sustainable solution to the Israeli-‐Palestinian conflict. From the discussions, IPCRI publishes position papers to provide recommendations.
PEACE BUILDING
YOUNG LEADERS -‐ PARTNERS FOR CHANGE Supported by USAID
300 Jewish and Arab/Palestinian youth in mixed cities in Israel work together to improve their joint space. Through reflection and community engagement, this program promotes mutual recognition, joint social action and a sense of shared citizenship.
PUBLIC OPINION
BREAKING DOWN WALLS TOURS Funded by contributions of participants
Our tours to Palestinian cities in Area A, with Palestinian tour guides, allows Israeli participants to challenge their perceptions of the average Palestinian and the daily life in the West Bank. Through political discussions, visits to cultural sites and community landmarks, the tours directly break down political and geographic barriers perpetuating the conflict.
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
WOMEN AS PEACEMAKERS Funded by Zivik
Women are frequently excluded from negotiation efforts. IPCRI provides Palestinian and Israeli young professional women with training in political and negotiation skills and subsequently include them in Think Tank efforts.
JOINT ENVIRONMENT
PARTNERING FOR PROSPERITY
By bringing Israeli and Palestinian agricultural experts together with West Bank farmer cooperatives, this project increases the capacity of Palestinian farmers to export their crops internationally, thus improving the situation of their communities.
Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI) WORKING TOWARDS A JUST RESOLUTION TO THE ISRAELI-‐PALESTINIAN CONFLICT
PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE
JOINT LEADERSHIP
CAPACITY BUILDING
RIMAN BARAKATPalestinian Co-‐Director
riman@ipcri.org Riman is a Fulbright scholar specialized in the IPCRI plans to train and develop the next generation of business Middle East. She is committed to the prosperity and leaders in East Jerusalem, with the goal of greater prosperity and aspirations of the Palestinian people, and believes development of the East Jerusalem business community as a whole. that joint work combined with a human rights approach is essential for delivering a just peace for WOMEN IN BUSINESS By helping Israeli, Palestinian and Arab/Israeli women start Israelis and Palestinians. businesses, this program contributes to economic peace building. DAN GOLDENBLATTIsraeli Co-‐Director The new businesses will increase the women’s inclusion in the dan@ipcri.org economic sector, thus becoming active members of their Dan is a lawyer, former parliamentary aide, MBA, community, which they can then channel into supporting peace. and former CEO of a clean-‐technology company. His
EAST JERUSALEM BUSINESS EMPOWERMENT
THINK TANK
STRATEGIC INFORMATION
IPCRI plans to provide Israeli and Palestinian leaders and decision makers with information about Israeli and Palestinian politics, society and public opinion in both Hebrew and Arabic.
personal mission at IPCRI is to challenge conventional ideas and to stimulate innovation that can bring about a resolution to the conflict.
IPCRI THROUGH TIME
CONFEDERATION SOLUTION This project will lay out a confederative framework for Israel and Palestine, which will provide an alternative solution to the conflict and a basis for a new peace process. A research team will identify how a confederation can channel conflict issues into areas of cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians (resources, borders, economy, etc.)
PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR PEACE
PALESTINE, NICE TO MEET YOU
This project aims to reach mainstream Israelis through a social campaign that will introduce them to the positive effects the resolution of the conflict can have on their lives in a non-‐political way. This will contribute to increased popular support for peace.
PEACE EDUCATION
VIRTUAL MUSEUM OF THE CONFLICT
The concept for a bi-‐narrative online interactive museum about the conflict in four languages (Arabic, Hebrew, Russian and English) has been developed by IPCRI and leading academics. This virtual museum will enable people to learn about the historical events and personal histories, as viewed by both sides.
JOINT ENVIRONMENT
ILLEGAL DUMPING
By monitoring the amount of waste illegally shipped from Israeli building and construction sites in the West Bank, we will assess how to best address the problem of Israeli businesses illegally dumping waste in the West Bank.
1980s First ever Palestinian-‐Israeli working groups
1990s Palestinian-‐Israeli working group on security credited by Yitzhak Rabin for opening the Oslo track Development of the ‘two capitals in Jerusalem’ idea that is held until today Engagement of hundreds Israeli and Palestinian environmentalists in a 3 year ‘our shared environment’ program Law & Development program enlisted by the World Bank and IMF
2000s 10-‐year peace education program that developed curricula and trained hundreds of teachers Training of Palestinian farmers as certified exporters to the EU Widely used research on Palestinian and Israeli text books International conference on regional water issues involving 200 experts
2010s Back channel negotiations between the Israeli government and Hamas that ended with the release of Gilad Shalit and Palestinian prisoners Involvement of over 350 Jewish and Arab/Palestinian youths in designing joint community projects within Israel.
PO Box 11091, Jerusalem 91110 – +972 2 676 9460 – ipcri@ipcri.org – www.ipcri.org – www.facebook.com/IPCRI