Act Beyond Borders
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The Civil Society Act Beyond Borders Project is co-funded by the European Commission, European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR)and was carried out in collaboration with The Palestinian Dialogue Center, PDC, from West Bank and The Association for Progressive Education in Honor of Meir Yaari (YAARI) from Israel.
Background
The modern day violent conflict between Israeli and Palestinian factions has lasted for more than half a century. This conflict exists at the political as well as the civic level because there have been repeated human rights violations within the two communities which have created a culture of mistrust, hatred and demonization. The political instability that exists within and between the two communities further polarizes Israeli and Palestinian civil society. Even though the conflict is engrained in the psyche of the people, the hope from many CSOs is for peaceful co-existence and increased respect for human rights. While recent political developments have been attempting resolution, especially since the most recent outbreak of violence, there is need for strong support for CSO collaboration to advocate for positive change at the society level regarding issues ranging from human rights, cooperation, and integration to democratic representation that will shape national developmental policies and a willingness to accept the other. The time is now for the civil society actors to be supported in their efforts to be strengthened in their capacity building exercises and continued dialogue. Experts in and on the region have begun to turn to civil society as a new direction to solve the age old problem. Civil society is a possible answer to the question of how society and state can interact and reinforce each other in a manner that creates and sustains a democratic system. CSOs can play a crucial role in raising awareness about democratisation, civic participation and human rights, including rights of citizens, and in mobilising citizens to stand up for these rights and to raise support for issues of concern to their respective political leaders if supported in these endeavours. Palestinian and Israeli civil society can utilise the experience of European civil society organisations and implement its model that has had a positive effect on governments across Europe to improve the capacity of civil society in various European countries and use these in Israel and Palestine to increase the strength of democracy and human rights.
Activities
- A1: Project Steering Committee;
A Project Steering committee was created and has been monitoring as well as offering feedback and ongoing communication with the partners and the lead applicant. An advisory board of esteemed members all of whom are experts in conflict resolution topics was created as well.
Advisory Board Members:
President, Dr Alecos Christakis, Founder, Institute for 21st Century Agoras.
Dr. Harry Anastasiou - Professor of International Peace and Conflict Studies in the Conflict Resolution Graduate Program and International Studies Program at Portland State University.
Dr. Hrach Gregorian - President of the Institute of World Affairs.
Mr. Marios Michaelides, Acting Head of Cyprus Intercultural Training Initiative.
- A2: Interactive online portal;
A website has been created with all relevant information about the project and the partner organisations as well as newsletters, informative material, publications, links, and various news articles. Also available on the website are all deliverables produced throughout the project (reports of the structured dialogue workshops, workshop reports).
Also created was a closed facebook group where participants can freely communicate with each other to exchange ideas, information, actions as well as keep in touch with each other on a personal level.
- A3: Structured dialogue workshops;
Bringing the leaders together
A six day workshop was held in Cyprus at the Sandy Beach Hotel in Larnaca, Cyprus from 25 July - 31 July 2010. Ten Palestinians and eleven Israelis attended. The participants were a unique combination of civil society actors, local business people and youth. In total, there were 21 participants and 2 partners that took part in the process. On the first day a project orientation workshop took place so the participants could learn and understand what is required from them throughout the project. Following was the SDD co-lab: the process of SDD involves 3 co-laboratories or Co-Labs, including The Tree of Vision co-lab; The Wall of Obstacles co-lab, and The Action Agenda co-lab to penetrate the wall and approximate the Tree of Vision. In each Co-Lab, stakeholders respond to a triggering question: during the first session of the co-laboratory, the participants focused on the triggering question: What are descriptors of a mutually beneficial co-existence of Israelis and Palestinians? During the “Wall of Obstacles” co-lab, participants identify obstacles that are preventing us from reaching the vision tree. The triggering question was “What are obstacles to what “ought to be” to create an ideal, mutually beneficial model of coexistence of Israelis and Palestinians?”
Launching the project
On July 29 2010 at the CCMC (Cyprus Community Media Center) at Ledra Palace, Nicosia, Future Worlds Center (FWC) organized for the participants a "Cyprus Peace Makers Act Beyond Borders" conference. Several key individuals were invited from peace building projects in Cyprus to give a small welcoming speech, all of whom attended and gave small speeches about their experiences in Peace Building projects between the Turkish-Cypriot communities and the Greek-Cypriot communities.
The aim of this small gathering was for the participants to be able to experience firsthand conflict resolution cases from these two communities and thus relate some of these issues to their own problem.
The keynote speakers were: Mr Marios Michaelides member of the Advisory Board,Mr. Mustafa Damdelen, a prominent businessman who leads the Turkish Cypriot business community’s efforts to promote resolution of the Cyprus conflict and to normalize relations between Turkey and Greece. As a director of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce, he works to educate the people of his community about the benefits of European Union accession and supports conflict resolution training and other activities that seek to advance integration of Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Since 2006, Mr Damdelen has been the vice president of the Cyprus European Union Association, which aims to achieve a united Cyprus within the EU. Following was Ms. Canan Öztoprak who was the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Cabinet Minister appointed in April 2005 by the Government of Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer. Her portfolios are National Education and Culture. She has been an active peace activist member of the Cyprus Conflict Resolution Trainers Group.
Mr. Lellos Demetriades then spoke to the Palestinian-Israeli group. Mr. Demetriades served as Mayor of Nicosia for 30 consecutive years from 1971 – 2001. During his long term in office as a mayor he initiated a harmonious joint venture with Mr. Mustafa Akinci on the Turkish Cypriot area of Nicosia in setting up a general Town Planning (Master Plan) of Nicosia and a public city Sewage System, which was a very difficult exercise in the divided city, the beneficial results of which have been noted by the U.N. Secretary General and appreciated by the people of Nicosia. Certain International Organisations (Europa Nostra, Habitat and very recently (22 September 2007) the Aga Khan) granted awards and medals to Lellos Demetriades and Mr. Mustafa Akinci, for their contribution in the cause of their common endeavour in particularly difficult times. Mr. Mustafa Akinci, the final speaker, was elected Mayor of Nicosia (north) by the Turkish Cypriot residents of the Northern half of Nicosia. Mr. Akıncı, was re-elected twice and served for 14 years, during which he established a fruitful dialogue and cooperation with his counterpart Mr.Lellos Demetriades. The projects –within the framework of the Nicosia Master Plan-which were initiated jointly with Mr. Demetriades, they received wide recognition and were also awarded by various prestigious international organizations.
- A4: Creation of multi-stakeholder Action Groups;
- A5: Five trans-national Action Plan support workshops;
- A6: 10-day Training of Local Trainers;
- A7: Series of Basic Civil Society Strengthening Workshops;
- A8: Series of non-formal civil society action workshops;
- A9: Series of Advanced Civil Society Strengthening Workshops;
- A10: Ten Panel Discussions/ Public Roundtables; A11: Final Human Rights Conference in Cypr
