Joint Ventures for Peace brings together Palestinian and Israeli women entrepreneurs and artists to work as equal partners and create a unique discourse on peace. This project, which seeks to break down some of the barriers between Israelis and Palestinians, and to create peace on the ground, was established in the spring of this year by the Shorouq Society for Women (www.shorouqsociety.org) and The Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development – NISPED (www.nisped.org.il). Our project has been made possible by the generous support of the Canadian government.
This innovative project takes a holistic approach to peace and social-economic development by coupling the development of inter-group dialogue, knowledge and group cohesiveness with the development and support of creative small and medium business development and initiatives.
Nearly 40 women, who come from diverse backgrounds, participate in this project. The Palestinian women, Muslims and Christians, have expertise in embroidery, ceramics, straw weaving, art, beauty and hairdressing, Christmas gifts, social work, and soap making. The Jewish-Israeli women have expertise in ceramics, clothes design, art, writing, silver and goldsmith jewelry, graphic art, straw weaving, writing, and creation of products from recycled paper.
In our monthly meetings, we focus on deepening the ties and understandings between the women, as well as supporting them in business development sessions. The product centered sessions deal with such topics as pricing, product creation, and the creation of sustainable business partnerships. In addition, we have had many one-on-one meetings in both Israel and Palestine, in which pairs and small groups of the Israeli and Palestinian women have met in Israel and in Palestine to work together to create their special quality joint products targeted for local and international markets. Some of these jointly created products include: an embroidered bag for a yoga mat; olive oil soap in ceramic dishes; baskets weaved from straw from the date tree; journals and bookmarks made from recycled paper and decorated with embroidery; glass bead necklaces and more.
As we end our first phase of the project, Shorouq and NISPED are launching the next phase which will build from lessons learned in order to add an additional cohort of Palestinian and Israeli women entrepreneurs, and to expand the training and other support provided to all of the women in the service of the co-design, co-marketing and co-development of projects. We will also build on the existing dialogue amongst the women in order to disseminate visions of peace developed within the project's bounds.
Our next steps include:
- Promoting access to microfinance
NISPED and Shorouq are establishing ties with micro-financing sources operating in Palestine and Israel to help the women entrepreneurs access the capital necessary to expand their businesses.
- Website
Developing a website to provide the women with a platform to display and market their products and to share the women’s experiences and visions of peace. The website will also provide opportunities for knowledge sharing and the inclusion of others who are not actively engaged in this initiative, but are part of communities of interest in Israel and Palestine.
- Expansion of Marketing Channels
Contacts are being sought to promote the marketing of the products with fair trade associations and retail buyers, as well as with various civil society actors working to promote both economic development in Palestine and peaceful relations between Israel and Palestine.
- Cooking Peace Joint Art Exhibit
Guided by an Israeli and a Palestinian artist, each woman participant will create a sculpture designed around a cooking pot. These pots will be organized into a group exhibit entitled: Cooking Peace: the Dishes of our Lives. The group also plans to publish a color catalogue including: maps of the regions in which the women live; the women’s stories; and their visions of peaceful relations. The exhibit will be launched in Israel and Palestine and will be available for display internationally in order to spread the women’s visions of peace.
Centered in Beersheva, Israel and Beit Jalah, Palestine, Our Joint Ventures for Peace: Women Creating Peace project hopes to touch the lives of scores of Israeli and Palestinian women, their families and communities. Moreover, the program's message of viable and sustainable Israeli-Palestinian cross border collaboration will be delivered to key stakeholders in Israel and Palestine, the Middle East and globally.
Dr. Julia Chaitin is NISPED Ventures for Peace Project Director, Israel
Julia Chaitin holds a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. In addition to her work as program director from NISPED for Joint Ventures for Peace, she is also a Senior Lecturer in the Social Work department at the Sapir College. In her academic work, Dr. Chaitin researchers the psychosocial impacts of the Holocaust and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on victims and people in the region. She has published extensively on these topics. Dr. Chaitin is involved in a number of grassroots initiatives that focus on a non-violent resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
About NISPED:
NISPED, which was established in 1998, promotes peace and development. Its focus is on civil society: the voluntary, people-centered, non-governmental groups and organizations concerned with conflict-resolution and the advancement of sustainable human development. NISPED works with societies moving from conflict to conflict resolution; from dictatorship to democracy; from poverty and dependence to selfhood; from societies that discriminate against minorities to societies that extend full human, social, economic and civil rights to all; and with societies that work toward sustainable human development. Our work takes place between Jews and Arabs within Israel, between Israel and Palestinian, and interntionally.
Shorouq Society for Women
The Shorouq Charitable Society for Women (Shorouq) is a Palestinian non-profit organization, officially established in 2002. Shorouq is committed to peace and its activities are open to all regardless of their religious or political beliefs. Shorouq firmly believes that women’s empowerment is the key to building a just and equitable society. Working primarily with mothers in building their human, social and political capabilities, Shorouq seeks to ensure a better future for the coming generations.
Our Goals:
•To improve the status of women and allow them to play an active role in society;
•To empower women to initiate positive change both at home and in society in general.
Our Objectives
•To train women in democracy, civic education and political participation;
•To integrate women into the economy by providing them with training and support;
•To provide working mothers with affordable and quality childcare (nursery and kindergarten).
For more information about getting involved in Ventures for Peace,or should you want to be in touch with any of the artisans
in order to purchase their products, please contact:
Dr. Julia Chaitin, NISPED Ventures for Peace Project Director
at nisped@nisped.org.il or +972-8-640-5432.
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Contact us for organizing all kinds of events, tailor-made training programs in Goa for NGOs, Corporates. Please contact: Samadhan Foundation, Goa
Mr. Kishore B Chhatar
Joint Ventures for Peace: Women Creating Peace