Two State Coalition

Two State Coalition

The Palestinian Peace Coalition and H.L. Education for Peace, jointly known as the Geneva Initiative, launched the Two State Solution Coalition in April 2018, with generous support from the European Commission within the framework of the EU Peacebuilding Initiative. The coalition brings together more than twenty influential Palestinian and Israeli civil society organizations that support and promote the two-state solution.

The coalition advances conditions for a negotiated settlement of the conflict by consolidating the efforts of peace-oriented civil-society organizations (CSOs) towards maintaining the viability of the two-state solution. To this effect, we aim to strengthen the voice, capacity, advocacy and policy-shaping efforts of Israeli and Palestinian peace-oriented CSOs at a cross-border level. Coalition goals include capacity building, information sharing, and coordinating efforts to enhance the role of Palestinian and Israeli CSOs in advocating for peaceful resolution of the conflict, both at local and international levels.
The coalition is based on a simple principle: We are stronger together.

Two State Coalition Members

Palestinian Members:

  1. The Palestinian Peace Coalition (PPC)
    The Palestinian Peace Coalition (PPC) is a Palestinian political and non-partisan organization that was officially registered on Dec 23, 2003. The PPC’s vision is “the end of the Israeli occupation, and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution vision.” As part of our work, we contribute to creating socio-political changes by activating, as well as fostering, the presence of women and youth in public life, through promoting the political participation of our target groups. PPC also contributes significantly to restoring the social fabric through creating an active platform of dialogue between different litigant parties in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The PPC firmly believes in, and works on, the values of dialogue, non-violence, accepting “the other” and democracy in Palestinian society. The PPC works with the public at large, with specific programs targeting policymakers, civil society, local community leaders, women activists, public opinion shapers, media experts and young leaders, including student movement activists.
  2. The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR)
    PCPSR is an independent nonprofit institution and think tank of policy analysis and academic research. PSR was founded with the goal of advancing scholarship and knowledge on immediate issues of concern to Palestinians in three areas: domestic politics and government, strategic analysis and foreign policy, and public opinion polls and survey research. PSR research units conduct and organize four types of activities: research and policy analysis, empirical surveys and public opinion polls, task forces and study groups, and meetings and conferences. The units focus on current public policy issues with a special reliance on empirical research as a tool to advance scholarship and understanding. PSR is dedicated to promoting objective and nonpartisan research and analysis and to encouraging a better understanding of the Palestinian domestic and international environment in an atmosphere of free debate and exchange of ideas. PSR is registered as a nonprofit institution in the Palestinian Ministry of Justice.
  3. EcoPeace
    EcoPeace Middle East (ME) is a unique environmental organization that brings together Palestinians, Jordanians and Israelis. Its mission is to advance sustainable regional development and the necessary conditions for peace through promoting cooperative efforts to protect shared environmental challenges, especially the need for water. EcoPeace ME has offices in Amman, Ramallah, and Tel-Aviv, operating in Palestine with a legal registration in the Palestinian Authority. Despite the occupation and consecutive wars and the diminished hopes for lasting peace, EcoPeace has persisted for almost 25 years, developing a number of highly successful projects on top of which are: Water Cannon Wait, Rehabilitation of the Jordan River Valley, Water Energy Nexus, Good Water Neighbors, The Global Program on Water Security, and Small Scale Infrastructure.
  4. Zimam
    Zimam – “reins” or “taking the initiative” in Arabic – is a pioneering grassroots youth movement that challenges the status quo. Taking a domestic approach to conflict resolution, we work with the leaders of tomorrow to build a more democratic, actively engaged and pluralistic society. We believe that the key to social and economic prosperity on the one hand and ending the occupation on the other is one and the same: accountable leadership and a responsible society. Inspired and driven by values of democracy, pluralism, non-violence and responsibility, we are building the foundations for a peaceful future; a future where we live in a sovereign and prosperous Palestinian state free from occupation. Zimam works across nine governorates in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. Our programs empower young people and transform public thinking, fostering respect for others, building peace and instilling democratic attitudes.
  5. Roles for Social Change Association
    Roles for Social Change Association is a nongovernmental Palestinian organization, which was established by a group of students from different universities in the Hebron district. ADWAR believes that achieving social justice requires an approach that reduces the gaps between men and women in social, economic and political processes in Palestine. As part of our work with youth and women, we are raising the political awareness of the target group, encouraging them to participate in civil and democratic life and involving them in advocacy and lobbying efforts to ensure fair laws for women. The Association focuses on social, political and economic capacity building for the target group, where each path includes education on specific strategies and approaches that allows Palestinian women to play a significant role in political, social and economic processes.
  6. The Palestinian House for Professional Solutions (HPS):
    The Palestinian House for Professional Solutions (HPS) is a non-governmental Palestinian institution that began its activities in 2002. The Center’s leading initiative is to assist people from the Middle East – and particularly in Palestine, Jordan and Israel – to look for better alternatives to find solutions for the current conflict. It also relies heavily on its active network of peace activists in different countries in the Middle East and worldwide so as to mobilize masses to work hand in hand to resolve their conflicts. The HPS vision is to have a culture of peace through education by breaking down barriers, overcoming obstacles, and opening doors, minds, and possibilities.
  7. Al-Ard Center
    Al-Ard center is a think tank that was established in 2014. The center is focused on identifying the most pressing and relevant political, social, and economic issues, as well as answering the questions raised by these pressing issues. The center is committed to the principles of professional and objective scientific research, and aims at the formulation of responsible and realistic policy that changes the reality in a way that serves the interests of the Palestinian people. Precisely for that reason, the center is not focused on going back in history except insofar as it relates to the present and the future. The center works to assist in elevating critical, democratic political thought aimed at serving society and decision-makers in relevant fields.
  8. Damour Center for Community Development
    Damour Center is a non-profit Palestinian organization that was established in 2010. Damour’s main goal is to actively contribute to the peace process that aims to end occupation and establish a democratic Palestinian state on the 1967 borderline alongside Israel with East Jerusalem as its capital. Damour also works on creating and developing mechanisms of dialogue, communication, bridging views and increasing understanding between the two parties based on common interests, thereby contributing to accelerating and increasing the chances for the peace process. Our activities build the capacity of young Palestinian leaders, equipping them with skills, attitudes and values necessary for the comprehensive development process. We believe that entrenching values of democracy, equality, justice, respect for human rights, pluralism and respecting “the other” will create a strong society capable of strengthening the future state.
  9. Peace & Democracy Forum (PDF)
    PDF is a Palestinian non-governmental organization based in East Jerusalem that aims to promote the concept of peace and to mobilize public support for negotiations in order to achieve a peaceful settlement to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. PDF works on raising the awareness of the Palestinian public regarding their economic and social environment, and on enhancing individual and group involvement in order to develop elements of sustainability within the society. PDF activities enhance democratic behavior, practices and measures within Palestinian institutions and within the society through promoting openness, transparency and accountability. The PDF board includes experts in education, media and politics, as well as local leaders and figures, while the PDF network includes hundreds of influential midcareer and young individuals.
  10. Inmaa Center
    Inmaa Center was established in 2010 as a Palestinian center for development that aims to raise the awareness of Palestinian youth on political and social issues related to their future in the country. Inmaa’s projects spread awareness about and respect for human rights, and advocate for citizenship through a well-established strategy that aims to strengthen the culture of peace, dialogue and cooperation between the local communities in Palestine. The main idea of the center is to contribute to and participate in building a democratic Palestinian society where young people lead an active role in the development of their own society.
  11. Jerusalem Center for Women (JCW): Jerusalem Center for Women (JCW) was founded in 1994 as the first women’s center established in Jerusalem after the signing of the Oslo Agreement in 1993. The main goal of JCW is to promote and strengthen the two-state solution by bridging the gap between the two societies and by building a bridge of trust that facilitates people to people projects, particularly focusing on joint women’s projects. JCW envisions an empowered Palestinian society, where women stand strong and united alongside men, and are able to develop their potentials and contribute to a free and egalitarian Palestinian society. JCW aims to empower marginalized women in Jerusalem and create a community of Palestinian women who are resilient change makers by providing them with the needed resources to develop their own potential and that of their families and communities as well. The center provides advanced knowledge on the peace process and the two-state solution, in addition to advanced training on conflict management and negotiation. They aim to equip women with innovative approaches to peace-making, such as non-violence communication skills, change management, and inclusive dialogue techniques to secure effective participation of women at all levels of conflict resolution, and to achieve gender-responsive outcomes.”
  12. Our Rights: Our Rights is an initiative that was established in 2018 parallel to the Jerusalem municipality 2018 elections. It is registered in Israel and abides by Israeli law. The main aim of establishing this initiative was to raise awareness among Palestinians in East Jerusalem about their rights especially those related to representation. As East Jerusalem residents usually either don’t know that they have a right to vote, or they consciously decide not to participate -as from their point of view- this will legitimize the occupation of East Jerusalem while there is no political agreement yet. That manifests itself in a lack of voice for almost 300,000 residents of taxpayers in the city; they suffer from marginalization, lack of services, poverty, and other related social and economic challenges. Therefore, the organization proposes that by empowering the residents in East Jerusalem they will be able to identify local leadership from within the community, and then they will be able not only to present the needs of the residents but also identify opportunities to improve the residents’ lives mainly through participating in local elections. ‘Our Rights’ follows a holistic approach of combining advocacy, economic empowerment, and political awareness.  It employs innovative approaches of exposing the young generation to different opportunities, and re-creating councils.
  13. Al-Mustakbal Foundation for Strategic and Policy Studies (AMF): Al-Mustakbal Foundation for Strategic and Policy Studies actively addresses pressing economic, legal and regulatory issues facing Palestinian society on the road to statehood. AMF was founded by a group of leading business and other professionals who view Palestine’s peace and prosperity as being inextricably linked to that of the international community’s. For Palestine to take its rightful place in the global community of states, Palestinians must strive to build a prosperous and viable state that is based upon the firm pillars of a respect for the rule of law and a market-based economy. As a think-tank, AMF is engaged in setting strategic policy directions through research, analysis, and advocacy activities, which focus on economic, legal and regulatory policy change. Al-Mustakbal views these as elements of Palestinian civil society’s contribution to concrete and positive state-building.
  14. Sustainable Change for Development (SCD): Sustainable Change for Development is a non-profit, NGO (non-governmental organization) founded in 2019 by a group of Palestinian social activists who are committed to paving the road for democratization, development, and peace for the State of Palestine. SCD engages in a series of interventions that can lead to the establishment of a mutual understanding to work together and to find a sustainable path to a productive and healthy environment for building an effective state. The aim of SCD is to promote and strengthen democratic values, support state building initiatives, participate in environmental interventions, build various capacities of Palestinian society, empower youth and women, promote a culture of peace, and act as a catalyst for non-violent communication within Palestinian society and among its stakeholders. Furthermore, SCD seeks to build Palestinian grassroots movements and help them achieve their social and political goals. SCD strives to combat and reduce levels of violence in Palestinian camps through these programs. 
  15.  Combatants for Peace (CfP): Combatants for Peace is a grassroots movement of Palestinians and Israelis, working together to end the occupation. The movement was founded in 2006 by former fighters: Israeli combat soldiers and Palestinians prisoners, but today it is open to everyone. CfP is an egalitarian community, based on trust and mutual respect, which demonstrated and practices a viable model for Israeli-Palestinian peace. CfP has grown to become the largest joint Palestinian-Israeli NGO in the region. This is because CfP meets a unique and critical need: we are the only joint group whose primary focus is taking concrete action to transform the current political system. Dialogue is important – but in today’s political reality, it is not enough. Action is essential in order to create real and lasting change. We have three primary tracts for challenging the status quo, each designed to motivate and mobilize the public towards deeper engagement. We empower and build and egalitarian activist community, we offer tangible support to Palestinian communities, and we implement activist campaigns, using nonviolent civil resistance, aimed at agitating a corrupt system to reflect upon its own aggression and oppression. 

Israeli Members:

  1. H. L. Education for Peace (HLEP)
    Education for Peace is an Israeli nonprofit, non-governmental organization that has been working since 2003 to advance the cause of peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The founders of HLEP negotiated the Geneva Accord, a detailed model peace accord based on the two-state solution. Every year, we run dozens of workshops, briefings, conferences and seminars for decision makers and those who advise them, opinion formers and other ‘influencers’ from diverse audiences. Through these activities we inform the Israeli public about the conflict and ways to solve it, expose them to the Palestinian perspective and narratives, increase support for ending the conflict and promote trust, tolerance and understanding.
  2. Peace Now
    Peace Now is the largest and longest-standing Israeli movement advocating for peace through public pressure. Under the mission of arriving at peace agreements between Israel and its neighbors, Peace Now currently works to ensure Israelis embrace the only viable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: two states, meaning the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
  3. Darkenu
    Darkenu is a non-governmental organization established in 2015 after the merging of V-15 and One Voice. The NGO considers itself to be the movement for the moderate majority in Israeli society. The movement believes in separation between Israelis and Palestinians through the creation of two states, as well as promoting social justice and fighting against racism.
  4. Ir Amim
    Ir Amim was founded in 2000 and became active as a non-profit organization in 2004. The mission of the organization is to render Jerusalem a more equitable and sustainable city for the Israelis and Palestinians who share it, and to help secure a negotiated resolution on the city.
  5. Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies
    Mitvim is an independent think tank that envisions a fresh start for Israel among the nations. It aims to reshape Israel’s relations in the Middle East, Europe and the Mediterranean, by promoting new paradigms for Israel’s foreign policies, enhancing Israel’s regional belonging, and advancing Israeli-Arab peace. Mitvim was established in May 2011.
  6. Mehazkim
    Mehazkim is a progressive grassroots movement established in 2016 as an online community which aims to influence Israeli discourse regarding democratic liberal issues. Most of their activities are focused on building a mass online community and enforcing the importance of peace and democracy. As of today, the organization has 15,000 active members who reach hundreds of thousands of Israelis with their messages each week.
  7. Molad: The Center for the Renewal of Israeli Democracy
    Molad is an independent, non-partisan Israeli think tank that works to reinvigorate Israeli society by injecting new ideas into all spheres of public discourse. Our vision combines progressive values with a realistic approach to the political and geopolitical challenges of Israeli reality. We inform public debate with responsible content that meets the highest possible standards of research and analysis – the dearth of which has played a crucial role in Israel’s ongoing state of crisis.
  8. Have You Seen the Horizon Lately
    Have you seen the Horizon Lately is a new movement that uses out-of-the-box thinking and creative ideas in order to increase support for peace on the basis of the two-state solution. Behind this initiative stand young Israelis, among them some of the social protest leaders, having vast experience in public activity, and arriving from diverse professional worlds: from the media, creative and marketing, through culture and art and until diplomacy and academia. They possess achievements both as individuals and as a team, among others they were granted local and international awards and they led civic processes and projects that received great public support and recruitment.
  9. J Street (Observer Member)
    J Street organizes and mobilizes pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans who want Israel to be secure, democratic and the national home of the Jewish people. Working in American politics and the Jewish community, the organization advocates for policies that advance shared US and Israeli interests as well as Jewish and democratic values, leading to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
  10. Economic Cooperation Foundation:

    ECF is an Israeli policy planning think-tank dedicated to achieving the two-state solution; to promote peace, security and prosperity for Israel and its Arab neighbors and to promote Middle East regional stability. ECF operates on three levels of policy planning: 1) working for a comprehensive Israeli-Arab peace 2) preventing escalation of violence and creating conditions for sustainable stability 3) working in support of Palestinian state-building.

  11. aChord Center: aChord Center is a non-profit organization that specializes in the social psychology of intergroup relations. The center’s unique added value is in developing innovative, evidence based, practical knowledge and tools to improve intergroup relations, by utilizing cutting-edge social psychological theory and data. The Center was established in 2015 by Professor Eran Halperin, a full professor of psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and was built out of concern for the disconnect between research based knowledge on intergroup relations and the actual work being done in the field.
  12. Zulat: Zulat acts as a bridge between politics and civil society to ensure far-reaching impact, taking an activist approach to change, generating legislation, and advocating for it. Its goal is to promote a Bill of Rights and codified constitution for Israel by advancing a series of Basic Laws on human and social rights. Zulat seeks to create a groundswell of support for civil rights and liberties through a complete overhaul of the public and media discourse around these issues. Among other goals, Zulat aims to support progress towards a genuine, peaceful solution to the conflict and against annexation by redefining the public discourse around the occupation and rights of the Palestinians.

This event/ publication was provided with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Geneva Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

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