Sia’h Shalom facilitates a wide range of “interfaith” and “cross-border” groups which engage:
- Israeli Jews with Israeli Arabs (Palestinian citizens of Israel)
- Israeli Jews with West Bank Palestinians
In addition, Sia’h Shalom facilitates “internal” groups which enable Palestinians to encounter one another. Fractures among and between groups of Palestinians very much contribute to the overarching violence and divisiveness in the region which, in turn, affects relations with Jewish Israelis. Thus, cultivating opportunities for Palestinians/Arab Israelis to meet and communicate with one another is an essential aspect of creating a more peaceful future. Combinations in groups include:
- Israeli Arabs/Palestinian citizens of Israel with West Bank Palestinians
- Palestinians from different areas inside the West Bank
- Israeli Arabs/Palestinian citizens of Israel from different areas inside Israel
In the past year, activating our network of Palestinian facilitators, Sia’h Shalom created and facilitated 14 Palestinian groups with approximately 200 participants.
What does an “internal” Palestinian group look like? This spring, we convened a group for Palestinian women from the West Bank and Palestinian women from East Jerusalem. The group focused on creating an environment in which Palestinian women from different communities and areas could share their experiences of daily life as well as their hopes for a more peaceful future. Creating a safe circle in which Palestinian women have the opportunity to speak and be heard is, in and of itself, a rare and transformative opportunity.
Subjects and themes explored in this Palestinian Women’s group included challenges at checkpoints, Palestinian identity, personal connection to the land, fears for their children (particularly sons), protecting family and more. Speaking openly about these subjects was a powerful tool for enabling women to begin to share with one another and to talk freely and openly about the differences and resentments between them. Many of the women felt like they were rediscovering their own sisters and cousins and building new relationships that the political situation of conflict does not easily allow. At the end of the final session, the feeling that connections had been made and friendships formed was very powerful and the group expressed a serious desire to find ways of continuing to meet in the future.