Summary, Values, and Commitments

Summary:

• In close alliance with Peaceworks Network Foundation and OneVoice Movement, we aim to shift the campus narrative from a negative battleground to a platform for constructive dialogue. By introducing visiting Israeli and Palestinian peace-builders, we offer an alternative to the destructive binary currently dominating Middle East activism on campus, fostering an environment where peace promotion and understanding take precedence over divisive rhetoric.

• Simultaneously, we recognize the pivotal role that future leaders play in shaping Middle East diplomacy. To nurture generational leadership, we will engage with students interested in International Relations, Conflict Resolution, and American Politics, offering them a vision of peace and coexistence.

• By identifying and supporting promising students studying on select American campuses, we aim to counteract the negative influences they encounter and cultivate a new generation of peace advocates.

• We will bring pairs of peace-builders from the Middle East to elite American campuses and organize a Leadership Mission to the Middle East for Campus Liaisons, focusing on Israeli and Palestinian civil societies and successful NGO practices. Through these initiatives, we seek to foster a culture of understanding and cooperation among future leaders and civil society actors on both sides of the conflict.

Values and Commitments:

• We Condemn Violence and Terror.

We firmly condemn any statements or actions that endorse violence, extremism, or terror. We will not work with or fund any organization or individual that allows for extremist violence. Peaceworks urges all stakeholders, who are committed to realizing the full potential of Palestinians and Israelis, to renounce terror and to actively educate their communities about the perils of endorsing violence in any guise.

• We Reject the Status Quo that Allows the Conflict between Palestinians and Israelis to Continue and Deepen.

The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians must end. Continued violence between Palestinians and Israelis as well as the occupation, expanding settlements, corruption, political stalemates, entrenched mistrust must be rejected as an unacceptable status quo. Instead, civic capacity building and the amplification of moderate voices should be encouraged and supported.

• We Believe in Coexistence and the Indisputable Right of National Self-Determination.

Peaceworks recognizes the strong connection both the Jewish People and the Palestinian People have to the land between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea and recognizes both peoples’ national aspirations. We also believe Israelis and Palestinians must live side by side and respect each other’s rights, safety and cultures.

• We Believe Everyone Must be Assured of Security for Themselves and Their Families.

Israelis and Palestinians should live in an environment free from conflict. We believe Israelis and Palestinians should live with the absence of the threat of violence, degradation, and trauma.

• We Believe that All People Must Have the Same Inalienable Human Rights.

Israelis and Palestinians should have equal access to basic rights such as freedom of movement, as well as access to clean water, education, and healthcare. We also believe that everyone should have access to a justice system that allows them to have recourse for violations of their human rights.