Project: Middle East

Pekiin

In May 2008, the first dialogue session in Pekiin took place. It applies the same successful methods that have been utilized in both Hadar and Yaad Miaar. Pekiin is an area dominated by both Israeli Jews and Druze. Since 2000 tensions have been building and exploded into riots and violent conflict. The direct cause of the violence was an overly zealous police reaction to the burning down of a cellular antenna by Druze youth. However the roots of the conflict stem from misconceptions of the Druze status as Arab or non-Arab and their treatment as second class citizens.

ICfC has initiated an action oriented dialogue process, which will enable participants from both sides to learn understand and share the other side's frustration, fears, angers, needs and hopes, and create joint projects to change their reality. The first dialogue session focused on clearly expressing the tensions, fears and stereotypes that existed, as well as sharing personal narratives to tell the real stories from the differing groups. By the end of the session, participants began to understand the complexities of the region and asymmetry of the identities that exist there.

Future dialogue sessions have been scheduled,  with an aim at furthering understanding and initiating joint projects to attain a tangible sense of community between the varying groups in Pekiin.

Yaad-Miaar Dialogue: Round II

In 2007, the second round of Yaad-Miaar dialogues took place, this time with a new group of participants. The followed the needs, hopes, fears, concerns format as was practiced successfully in the first round of dialogues as well as in the Hadar dialogues. Participants included Jews and Arabs, whose group was made up of Miaaris and outsiders. While progress towards understanding has been made within the group, many are still guarded and unwilling to share their personal stories. Much work continues with respect to opening them up and building trust between the communities.

However the group is very action oriented and have set out a series of actions to implement: clean and build a fence around the old Miaar cemetery, initiate and lead a public campaign to found a new Arab community on a portion of the old Miaar lands, and build a community park on another section of the lands.

Yaad-Miaar Dialogue: Round III

A third dialogue session has been planned and scheduled. This round will bring together the participants from both the first and second rounds to share their experiences with each other. The participants will also involve their whole families in the process this time. Additionally, tours of the old Miaar lands will be held for Yaad families living in the new section who are unfamiliar with the land and its history.