Title: Interfaith Encounters - Citizens Building Community

Partners:

Municipalities, schools, community centers and other institutions throughout the country.

Project description:

We form and maintain, across the country, on-going interfaith encounter groups, or centers, that bring together neighboring communities. Each center is led by an interfaith coordinating team with one person for each community in the area and develop into a "mini-community" that exemplifies the desired relations of mutual respect and friendship while respecting and even reinforcing the unique identity of each community. These groups then act as models for the surrounding community of how multiple faiths can live side by side in peace, as well as growing islands of actual coexistence communities. The backbone of the groups' process is the monthly session of joint study.

Title: Israeli-Palestinian Dialogue

Partners:

Abu Assukar Center for Peace and Dialogue, Dialogue for Development and Peace, Hope Flowers School, Nablus Youth Federation, National Movement for Change, Palestinian Peace Club, Palestinian Peace Society, Peace and Equality Supporters' Movement

Project description:
We hold regular interfaith meetings and conferences in cooperation with Palestinian organizations, with the objective to build peace between the two nations on a people-to- people level. Because we take an inter-religious, non-political, approach we are able to engage in the process people from all parts of the political spectrum in their respective societies. Even as the violence continues, these meetings are carried on cautiously, in carefully selected locations.

Title: The Middle East Abrahamic Forum

An annual conference of people of the Abrahamic traditions held in the Middle East to support cross-cultural understanding and mutual respect as a powerful tool for peace building in the Middle East. A group of Muslims, Jews and Christians meets to discuss how they can work together in supporting acceptance and coexistence in and between their local communities and to plan and promote further regional programs. Currently these activities take place under the banner of the Middle East and North Africa Region of the United Religions Initiative with partner groups from Egypt, Iran, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Turkey.

Title: Women's Interfaith Encounter (WIE)

Muslim, Christian, Druze and Jewish women study together topics of relevance to women from the perspective of the different religions. Interfaith study is used as a vehicle not only for understanding, acceptance and respect for the other, but as a way to deepen awareness of one's own religion. The encounter is a source of strength and empowerment for women to recognize their shared values and struggles. Through monthly meetings and shared religious celebrations and conferences, WIE creates a sacred space of trust, harmony and support during difficult times.

Title: Youth Interfaith Encounter (WIE)

The YIE is a special place for young adults to have interfaith encounter with young adults of other faiths, to jointly discuss issues of mutual concern for young adults and to run the encounter with the special dynamics of young adults. Similar to the general groups and the WIE groups, the YIE groups also develop into "mini-communities" that induce the desired change in the larger society. The YIE also acts as a gateway for young adults to join the interfaith encounter process.

There are 3 sub-groups of the YIE: - Jerusalem YIE - Students Environmental Group - Tel Aviv

Title: YIE Retreats and Conferences

Some eighty participants, across the variety of religious contexts, gather on Thursday or Friday, early afternoon for two to three days of intensive and intimate encounter with each other. They spend most of the time in small groups, where each of them has an opportunity to express their views and hear the perspective of others - avoiding as much as possible divisive political debates. They also have the opportunity to witness the prayers of ' the other' and to celebrate their encounter in a social evening. Through this intensive and intimate interaction, they meet each other in a very deep sense, thus learning to understand and respect the 'otherness' of the other while remaining true to their own faith.

Title: Friends of IEA

Set up outside the Middle East, an important role of these groups is to help the IEA sustain its work to build the human side of peace in the Holy Land and the Middle East. In addition, the Friends of IEA groups may sponsor parallel interfaith encounter activities structured in the similar format as those in the Holy Land.