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Jake Hayman International Coordinator, OneVoice Movement [1] |
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THERE ALWAYS USED TO BE a feeling that money given toward Palestinian aid went to Arafat, and money that went to Arafat went to his wife in France, and from there it was, well, keeping Paris’s high streets in business and Mrs A’s foie gras croissants well-buttered.
Recently things have got worse. Last year BBC’s Panorama suggested [2] that money channelled through one charity, Interpal [3] [IG profile [3]], is funding terror rather than terrine. And last week it appeared that Natwest and even the Charity Commission [4] were thinking the same way. What is a donor to do? Give carefully. In reality, there are a variety of NGOs - from respected international bodies to local-run projects - that one can support. Care International [5] [IG profile [5]] is supporting an increasing number of projects in Palestine and the Red Crescent [6] maintains for many the same integrity as its Christian equivalent. "You can sponsor Israelis and Palestinians to do pretty much anything together from tennis to tiddlywinks"For those of you who are tired of the extent to which people in the region seem to really, honestly, truly hate each other, there are a plethora of groups to make you - and them - feel better about humanity. You can sponsor Israelis and Palestinians to do pretty much anything together from tennis to tiddlywinks, and even vocational learning; MEET [7] (Middle East Education through Technology) is leading the pack on that one. Also check out the New Israel Fund [8]for its great work, though that’s just within Israel. Now, as much as last summer’s headlines suggest that investing money in ‘conflict resolution’ attempts is ever-so-slightly futile, let’s not give up on the bold idealism that propelled Martin Luther King in America, Gandhi in India, and all those Ukranians who dressed in orange. "Making peace with the ‘other side’ by no means has to involve liking them "There is a host of groups out there at the moment, though lifespans tend to be limited. The Geneva Accord group [9], the People’s Voice Initiative and Peace Now [10] are among the best-known, while I work for a newer group with similar goals but a different methodology. This is the OneVoice Movement [11], the fastest-growing conflict resolution group run by Palestinians and Israelis, with offices in Ramallah, Tel Aviv and Gaza. OneVoice suits populations by emphasizing that making peace with the ‘other side’ by no means has to involve liking them - just realising that their futures are intertwined, like it or not. Through grassroots mobilization of citizens, youth leadership training and individual civic negotiations, some 300,000 Israelis and Palestinians seem to think that this group might just make a difference. > More expert opinions [11] > Watchdog articles [11] |