PROMOTING PEACE THROUGH DIALOGUE:
MIDDLE EAST SESSION 2009

JERUSALEM
2-13 AUGUST

International Training Seminar & Public Forum on Conflict Resolution, Negotiation and Mediation with a focus on the Palestine/Israel Conflict and the Role of International Third Parties

To begin filling out the application for 2010, click here

Global Majority conducted a third annual international training seminar, international public forum, and related activities promoting the use of nonviolent conflict resolution (NVCR) with particular focus on Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The training seminar was held at Tantur Ecumenical Institute* in Jerusalem from the 2nd through the 13th of August 2009, and included a planned study tour of Israel and the West Bank. An international public forum was held during the end of the program on the 12th of August. This event added to the foundation that had been created by Global Majority’s first and second “Promoting Peace through Dialogue” seminars and international public forums that took place at the United Nations University – International Leadership Institute in Amman, Jordan in 2007 and 2008.

As a training program through Monterey College of Law, four units of transferrable undergraduate/graduate credit were provided to students.   The training's purpose was to introduce students to the discipline of conflict resolution, to teach negotiation and mediation skills, to expose participants to current political and policy issues in the Middle East, and to take an active role in building peace internationally.  

Topics Covered in the Seminar:
•    Introduction to Negotiation and Mediation
•    History of Negotiations in the Palestine/Israel Conflict
•    Israeli and Palestinian Perspectives in the Conflict
•    The Role of the U.S. and International Third Parties in the Conflict
•    Comparative Case Studies
•    Film Screenings and Meetings with NGOs
•    Extensive Simulation Exercises
•    Middle East Approaches to Reconciliation, and more

Symposium: Role of Religion and Culture in Conflict and Peace  (see calendar below)

Confirmed Participants Included:
•    Undergraduate and master's students from the Bosnia-Herzegovina, Israel, Jordan, Macedonia, Palestine, the U.S. and more
•    Professors and members of civil society from Egypt, Israel, Japan, N. Ireland, Palestine and the U.S.

Co-Sponsors and Endorsers of the "Promoting Peace through Dialogue Jerusalem 2009"
Monterey College of Law , Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) , International Conflict Research Institute (INCORE) , Israel-Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI) , Friends of the Middle East , People’s Peace Fund (PPF), King Abdullah II Fund for Development , MEPEACE.org , Just Vision , The Center for Democracy and Community Development

Additional Information
The full cost of the training seminar was $2900, including program fees/tuition, study tour and full room and board. The fee did not include airfare, transportation to and from airport, visa cost (where applicable), and personal expenses.

For information on past PPtDME curricula, refer to Dialogue.globalmajority.org.

Program Calendar

A Message About Safety from Tantur:

We at the Tantur Ecumenical Institute regularly and understandably receive inquiries about the current political situation and how it affects our programs. Here we would like to address some of these concerns.

Tantur has never canceled a program because of the local political situation. Currently (late 2009), we are going forward with our Continuing Education and Scholars’ program, although we know that some adjustments in scheduling may have to be made along the way. We count on all our participants being flexible and able to adjust to the inevitable changes of schedule which happen in the Middle East—even in the best of times. And the people who come to Tantur are such persons. As my predecessor Tom Stransky used to say, the only thing predictable in the Middle East is the unpredictable!

“But,” you might say, “what about all that violence that we see on television?” Yes, the violence is here and, in all honesty, some of it has been not far from Tantur. But we feel that Tantur is a safe place and the violence is usually quite localized, both in time and place. And we are praying for peace, or at least calm in all of the Holy Land, in the near future.

In truth, we—and other Jerusalem institutes—have had cancellations from our programs. One pattern we have noted is that the participant him/herself has wanted and intended to come to the Holy Land and then sought advice from others. Obviously the others are persons who are not coming and so they have counseled the participant not to come, projecting their own legitimate concerns. All we would ask is that, if you are hoping to come to Tantur, you include us in the circle of persons with whom you are consulting and take your own pulse about coming, with the judicious input of others. Of course, if you are going to be very anxious about coming now, then follow your own feelings. We would rather you feel comfortable with your decision than come and not enjoy yourself. At the same time, we speak from our experience and from those who have come to Tantur over the last eleven months…and this is a actually a very enriching time to come to the Holy Land.

Others who have not canceled ask, “But what should I say to my friends who tell me not to come?” I would say a few things. First, if we sincerely felt that your safety would be in jeopardy, we would not be going forward with our programs. We all live here and we feel that it is safe. Second, we depend on the instincts and knowledge of our very faithful staff for a sense of how things are in Bethlehem and Jerusalem on a daily basis. With some prudence, most sites are accessible. And third, concerning violence, statistically, you have a greater chance of being a victim of violence in New York or Chicago than here. (More information can be found on Tantur’s website: www.tantur.org)

*This program is a secular course with no religious affiliation or instruction.
**Information about full and partial scholarships, as well as a reduced cost without accommodations are available upon request. Email: seminar@globalmajority.net