The Issue
At the heart of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and one of the issues that has stalled peace talks between the parties, is the status and future of the approximately 7 million Palestinian refugees. Today, the future leaders of tomorrow are growing up in an environment that is not beneficial to hope or peace. They live in despicable conditions in crowded refugee camps. Schools are often closed because of political violence and limited resources. The younger generation we seek to engage has never seen "Palestine," and though they are not the ones that fled, they have inherited their refugee identity by birth.
However, there is hope. The younger generation of refugees has a stake in peace, and many do not want to be kept on the sidelines. Instead, they want to shape the future by developing the skills necessary for long lasting peace to exist.
Our Approach
Our organization’s approach is grounded in the idea of “positive deviance,” meaning the solutions to the problems we endeavor to solve are best found in the communities themselves. We work closely with village elders, local leaders, non-profit organizations in the region and former refugee youth who are now working professionals to design, implement, and evaluate our programs. In addition, we draw our expertise and ideas from a variety of sources from the United States.
We have consulted former U.S. Secretaries of State, U.S. Ambassadors, academics specializing in refugee youth and psychology, and business executives. Our work truly requires a team effort that traverses social, cultural, and linguistic barriers.
