"…the reaction of civil societies on both sides of the conflict comes at a time when there is a stalemate at the negotiation level, lack of strong political leadership, and public apathy towards a political horizon. Our action intends to build trust and cooperation at the grassroots level as a first step in the building of a broader peace movement that will include the social, economic, cultural and political sectors of both societies, towards reconciliation…" (from the Joint Declaration endorsed at the summit in Tuscany)
Co-chaired by the Peres Center and Palestinian NGO Panorama Center, the Palestinian-Israeli Peace NGO Forum (PIPNF) held a Civil Society Peace Summit in Tuscany, hosted by the Region of Tuscany, from 11th-13th June, 2007.
The summit was attended by representatives from some 100 Palestinian and Israeli organizations, as well as approximately 60 European delegates – representatives from local and international NGOs, European foreign ministries and aid agencies.
The Civil Society Peace Summit's Closing Session, held at the Palazzio Vecchio in Italy
The summit sought to increase and strengthen the cooperation between Israeli, Palestinian and European peace efforts, while also advocating for a renewal of the peace process at the governmental level.
In this vein, the delegates heard from distinguished international speakers Italian Prime Minister Mr. Romano Prodi, Vice President of the European Parliament Ms. Luisa Morgantini, Vice Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Ugo Intini, and more. The delegates also heard from leading Palestinian and Israeli figures, including Secretary of the PLO Executive Committee Mr. Yasser Abed Rabo, Palestinian politician Mr. Jibril Rajoub, former Palestinian ministers Mr. Kadoura Fares and Mr. Sufian Abu Zaida, Former Chairman of the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) Mr. Avraham Burg, and more.
The delegates were divided into working groups according to their professional fields, with Palestinians, Israelis and Europeans jointly brainstorming and discussing topics such as (1) Democracy, Civil & Human Rights, (2) Political Advocacy & Activism (3) Education, Culture and Youth (4) Capacity-Building, Health, Sustainable Development, Humanitarian Aid, and (5) Media & Public Outreach.
Palestinian politician Mr. Jibril Rajoub at the Summit giving his closing address on the current situation and opportunities for the future
The working group meetings were highly successful, resulting in numerous plans and ideas for the future. Each group wrote up a list of objectives, including: promoting the Arab Peace Initiative and encouraging the involvement of European Peace NGOs in the Middle East peace process (Political Advocacy & Activism Working Group); obtaining mainstream media coverage for activities of Peace NGOs and creating a core media network of Palestinian, Israeli, and European journalists (Media & Public Outreach Working Group); establishing a joint Palestinian-Israeli women's group that would monitor women's rights violations (Democracy, Civil & Human Rights Working Group); undertaking Peace Education training courses for teachers and educators (Education, Culture & Youth Working Group); and much more.
A highlight of the workshop was the endorsement by all delegates of a joint declaration announcing the establishment of a Palestinian-Israeli-European Alliance to promote the peace process and peacebuilding activities.
Unfortunately, the meeting was overshadowed by the tragic events in the Gaza Strip, adding another dimension to the complex reality of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Gratitude is owed to the Region of Tuscany, and in particular, to the Regional Minister for Peace, International Cooperation, Forgiveness and Reconciliation Prof. Massimo Toschi, for his contribution and commitment to Israeli-Palestinian peace, and more specifically, to the PIPNF.
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