OneVoice Movement

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OneVoice is a non profit organization and citizen activism movement working in Israel and the Palestinian territories to achieve a two-state solution through non-violent means. An initiative of The PeaceWorks Foundation, the organization is headquartered in New York City, with field offices in Tel Aviv, Ramallah, and Gaza City, and international offices in London and Ottawa^[1].

Contents 1 Background 2 Actions 2.1 October 2007: Mass Mobilization of Moderates 2.2 OneVoice at the World Economic Forum 2.3 Citizens' Negotiations Platforms 2.4 Town Hall Campaigns 2.5 Joint Palestinian-Israeli Publicized Events 2.6 Anti-Incitement in Gaza 2.7 June 2007 Update 3 Programs 3.1 Leadership Development Workshops 3.2 Mobilization Training Seminars 3.3 Regional College Tours 3.4 International Education Program 4 References 5 See also 6 External links

[edit] Background

Since the official inception in 2002, OneVoice has undertaken a grassroots approach to engage Palestinians and Israelis toward greater civic involvement. Rooted within its methodology to combat violent extremism and the fatalistic philosophy which fuels it, OneVoice is driven and shaped by the citizens who comprise it. Conceived during a time of hopelessness and frustration following the collapse of the Oslo Accords, the OneVoice movement has striven to empower the moderate majority of Israelis and Palestinians to take a more active, assertive role toward resolving the conflict. As of 20th November 2007, over 620,000 people have joined the OneVoice Movement and the effort to end the conflict once and for all.

The OneVoice approach involves appealing primarily to enlightened self-interest of the Israeli and Palestinian people at a grassroots level.

OneVoice believes that one of the most powerful ways to empower moderate constituencies is for them to see and demonstrate that they have an engaged partner on the other side. Thus, OneVoice works with a number of programs (described below) along four tracks:

• I. OneVoice Israel: Consensus building & Discourse against Extremism & Incitement
• II. OneVoice Palestine: Democratization as a nonviolent alternative for conflict resolution
• III. OneVoice Regional: Cooperative Programming for Palestinians & Israelis
• IV. OneVoice International: Promoting Mutual Understanding & Global Acceptance

The Israeli and Palestinian tracks address the issues facing each society. The Regional track focuses on cooperative development and education through joint Palestinian and Israeli programming. The International program is geared towards promoting mutual understanding amongst all global citizens. These tracks are essential in strengthening the role civil society regionally and throughout the world, as a critical component in crafting a viable and comprehensive resolution for both peoples.

[edit] Actions

[edit] October 2007: Mass Mobilization of Moderates

In 2007, OneVoice announced plans to have two major community summits, which would have occurred in Tel Aviv and Jericho on October 18. These were planned to mobilize the largest number of Palestinians and Israelis in the history of the region to take active steps toward ending the conflict. These events were all canceled or postponed indefinitely due to "security concerns." ^[2]

Organizer Daniel Lubetzky said, "...the movement was informed that it would be impossible to hold the Jericho event due to the security conditions at this time...The other events were also cancelled in solidarity with the cancellation of the Jericho event. The initiative’s main component is reciprocity and the international aspect which constitutes a milestone in the movement’s principles.

"Under the circumstances created, it was impossible to hold an event in Tel Aviv alone, and therefore we would rather postpone the events at this stage and continue to work for the achievement of our goal – recruiting 1,000,000 supporters for the alliance of the moderates, and strengthen the voice of the moderate majority against the violent extremists and for an end to the conflict." ^[3]

The plans for the events were that ordinary citizens were to speak out in large numbers against violent extremism and command their leaders to “Sit, negotiate and implement a Two-State solution.” Central events had been planned for Tel Aviv, Jericho, Ramallah, and Jerusalem. Musical performances, speeches and video statements would have been given by dignitaries, luminaries, musicians and celebrities, and were planned to bring Israelis and Palestinians out to the streets where they will be linked via satellite to their counterparts across the region.

Echo events around the world were to have taken place to show Israelis and Palestinians that the international community supports a Two-State solution and considers the resolution of the conflict a top priority in world affairs. This platform was to allow people on both sides to see that in fact there is a partner in the resolution process. The event was to have been broadcast across the world. ^[4]

Some local political organizations criticized this effort. One Palestinian group said it was an attempt to declare a resolution to the conflict, without fully addressing Palestinian concerns and demands. ^[5]

[edit] OneVoice at the World Economic Forum

OneVoice was recently featured at the 2007 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.^[6][7] For the first time in the history of the World Economic Forum, ordinary citizens were given platform to speak directly to world leaders.

For the event, OneVoice gathered hundreds of Israelis and Palestinians together in Tel Aviv, Ramallah, and Jerusalem to film statements that would be video-cast in front of their leaders - President Mahmoud Abbas, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, and Vice Premier Shimon Peres - who were on stage in Davos, watching. ^[8]

[edit] Citizens' Negotiations Platforms

In 2003 OneVoice launched the OneVoice Principles for Reconciliation. To date, over 600.000 people (more than 320.000 Israelis and 295.000 Palestinians) have signed up to OneVoice Principles, affirming the mutual rights of both peoples.

In 2004 the Citizens’ Negotiations Platform was launched after extensive research by a panel of Israeli, Palestinian and international experts who broke the conflict down into its ten most contentious issues. Over 180,000 Israelis and Palestinians have since voted on these issues, and given their feedback on how each should be resolved. This process has educated people on the art of negotiation and created the beginning of a popular mandate for peace molded by people at a grassroots level. Results showed a high level of consensus, with 76% of both Israelis and Palestinians affirming a two state solution.

[edit] Town Hall Campaigns

OneVoice reaches out to the Israeli and Palestinian people through face-to-face ‘Town Hall’ meeting campaigns. Previous ‘Town Hall’ meeting campaigns have served as a powerful recruitment tool with an average of over 85% of those attending meetings signing up to OneVoice Principles.

[edit] Joint Palestinian-Israeli Publicized Events

In 2006 OneVoice held four joint Palestinian-Israeli events, attended by Palestinian and Israeli youth leaders. The first of these activities was held in Jerusalem in February of 2006. Young leaders discussed ways to achieve a workable two state solution, to end violence on both sides and to empower moderate youth. For many of the attendees it was the first time they had met a representative from the other ‘side’.

[edit] Anti-Incitement in Gaza

In October 2006 OneVoice opened its field office in the Gaza Strip. OneVoice believes in the importance of establishing a concrete presence in the Gaza Strip.

[edit] June 2007 Update

Circumstances in Gaza have temporarily stalled operations though the field offices remain open. Strategies and outreach tactics of OneVoice Gaza have shifted to cater to the needs and concerns of Gazans whose current priority is maintaining unity with their counterparts in the West Bank.

[edit] Programs

[edit] Leadership Development Workshops

OneVoice’s Leadership Development Workshops train young Israelis and Palestinians in the art of public speaking, conflict resolution and mobilizing support and becoming leaders within their own communities. Workshops typically take place with two or three days of intensive training, and culminate with trained Youth Leaders equipped to go out and recruit others who will empower their communities to use non-violent means to address the conflict. The most active and articulate members are able to represent the voice of Israeli and Palestinian moderates abroad as ambassadors on OneVoice’s International Education Program.

Recruiting and training young leaders is a crucial and ongoing part of OneVoice’s program work in both Israel and Palestine. Through regular workshops OneVoice aims to create cohesiveness between moderate grassroots Palestinians and Israelis and emphasis that moderates should work together.

[edit] Mobilization Training Seminars

After completing Leadership Development Workshops, youth leaders participate in Mobilization Training Seminars. This enables moderates to reach out to other moderates within their societies and communities and challenges those who espouse an extremist ideology. To do this, young leaders are trained in the logistics of organizing mass rallies, democratization drives and obtaining more signatories.

At the end of their training Youth Leaders are asked to set up an initial event within their communities to galvanize more support for and to publicize OneVoice. Alternatively, they may be asked to recruit more signatories who affirm OneVoice Principles. With the What Are You Willing To Do Campaign?, an existing and growing network of Youth Leaders serve the dual purpose of organizing community events and getting people to sign on to the OneVoice Principles.

[edit] Regional College Tours

Israeli and Palestinian Universities represent powerful institutions that can be forces for either progress or deterioration in Israeli-Palestinian relations. Key to OneVoice’s message and work is the need to ‘humanize’ the other side, to connect those who wish for peace and prosperity, and to isolate extremists as the outnumbered minority. In this vein, OneVoice has a program to bring Palestinian Young Leaders to Israeli campuses to speak to students, challenge dehumanizing perceptions and finding common ground.

[edit] International Education Program

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is having a polarizing effect on campuses and communities around the world. The conflict is all-too-often either the cause of, or an excuse for, bad relations between different ethnic or religious groups on campuses and in communities.

OneVoice’s credentials in both Israel and Palestine are what sets it apart from other organizations. By bringing these credentials to campuses and communities outside the Middle East, OneVoice is able to hold a respected audience from groups of all backgrounds and political persuasions. This allows OneVoice to get some students who would never normally sit in the same room together, let alone applaud the same ideals, to realize that they have more in common than they could have imagined.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

Israeli-Palestinian conflict

[edit] External links

• Website for One Voice Movement