Local leadership can make a national difference.
Just outside of Jerusalem in the middle of September, the Geneva Initiative gathered together a diverse group of municipal council members and deputy mayors from all over Israel for a two-day intensive seminar about the conflict and reconciliation. Our participants currently hold positions in Kfar Qasim, Metula, Holon, Haifa, Jerusalem and more. These leaders reach a wide-ranging constituency and the GI is committed to strengthening their active support for a two-state solution.
During the seminar, the new cohort spoke with Dr. Abdelraziq, former minister of prisoner affairs and current resident of Gaza; GI head Dr. Yossi Beilin; security experts Brig. Gen. (ret.) Israela Oron and Col. (Ret.) Shaul Arieli, and Dr. Ziad Darwish from the Palestinian Committee for Interaction with Israeli Society, among many others. Open discussions, meetings with Palestinians, and a message of hope for a better future form the backbone of these enrichment seminars. Participants leave with new knowledge about the conflict, a better understanding of the other side’s perspective, and determination to make a difference in their networks.
