We won’t be pawns in Kushner’s plan
We are livid! In case you missed it, the Trump administration’s economic plan for peace uses photos of our bereaved members in its online publication. Those photos were part of our project in partnership with USAID for 10 years. The project promoted dialogue and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. Then USAID funds were cut. The program could no longer … Continue reading We won’t be pawns in Kushner’s plan
This Bill will give you hope
American Friends of the Parents Circle is pleased to endorse the bipartisan introduction of The Partnership Fund for Peace Act of 2019. If enacted, it will improve economic cooperation with Palestinians and people-to-people dialogue. It will help build reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. Parents Circle members Robi Damelin (left; bereaved Israeli mother) and Mazen Faraj (right; bereaved Palestinian son) speaking before US Congress earlier this year The Bill … Continue reading This Bill will give you hope
A visit to the unrecognized villages in the Negev
By Yuval, a graduate of the Narrative Group for Medical ProfessionalsIn April, a group of Israelis and Palestinians, members of the Parents Circle – Families Forum and graduates of the Narrative Project, toured three unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Negev. The tour was led by Yaela Raanan, a member of the Council of Unrecognized Villages, who … Continue reading A visit to the unrecognized villages in the Negev
Israelis and Palestinians break bread
American Friends of the Parents Circle, in partnership with the James Beard Foundation, hosted Breaking Bread: A Benefit Dinner in support of the Parents Circle – Families Forum. From left: Chef Michael Solomonov, Mazen Faraj, Robi Damelin, Chef Reem Kassis This special event, held at the landmark James Beard House in New York, featured a delicious 4-course Israeli … Continue reading Israelis and Palestinians break bread
We took a big hit last week. What’s at stake…
Members of the Parents Circle – Families Forum at a public event in Tel Aviv, September 2014. Credit: Tomer Appelbaum Exactly one week ago was the official termination for the Parents Circle’s grant from USAID. We were one of 13 organizations to lose funding for “people-to-people” interactions between Israelis and Palestinians which amounted to more than $8 … Continue reading We took a big hit last week. What’s at stake…
What are you committed to in 2019?
As 2018 comes to a close, we want to share with you a few of the action items that we are committed to achieving next year for peace and reconciliation: 1) We will not allow US government cuts to cross-border Israeli-Palestinian peacebuilding activities stop our programs. “I am committed to upholding the necessary financial and … Continue reading What are you committed to in 2019?
8 Highlights for 2018
2018 presented many challenges to our work, but we still have much to celebrate and to be thankful for. Here are 8 victories you helped us accomplish for peace and reconciliation this past year: 352 Dialogue Meetings for 7,400 Israelis, Palestinians, and internationals in Israel and Palestine Facilitator training for Israeli and Palestinian female members, with … Continue reading 8 Highlights for 2018
URGENT: USAID funding cuts threaten our programs
An urgent message from Shiri Ourian, Executive Director, American Friends of the Parents Circle – Families Forum I am devastated by the news that the Trump Administration has cut USAID funding for any cross-border Israeli-Palestinian peacebuilding activities. While the saddening news of this punitive measure was announced previously, I was hopeful that our programs would be able to … Continue reading URGENT: USAID funding cuts threaten our programs
Enough! Halas!
Amidst the violence of the past few days, and the violence that is sure to follow in the days to come, on Friday the Parents Circle gathered its bereaved members, several hundred of its program’s alumni, partner organizations and the general public in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv to scream – Enough! We screamed enough … Continue reading Enough! Halas!
