JOIN THOUSANDS OF CITIZEN NEGOTIATORS NOW
– www.silentnolonger.org –
TO ESTABLISH A POPULAR MANDATE FOR CONFLICT RESOLUTION
March 2004: thousands of Palestinians, Israelis and global supporters are becoming part of the solution.
*** Secretary of State Powell Applauds OneVoice
*** Israeli Citizen Negotiators Sign On at Universities, Workplace
*** Palestinian OneVoice Efforts Progress Despite Charged Atmosphere
*** Action Items: Vote
*** Action Item: Join OneVoice Business Delegation in Mideast May 11th
***SECRETARY OF STATE POWELL APPLAUDS ONEVOICE
US Secretary of State Colin Powell officially endorsed the OneVoice initiative of the PeaceWorks Foundation. In a letter to the organization, Powell stated OneVoice is “important in helping to sustain an atmosphere of hope in which Israelis and Palestinians can discuss mutually acceptable resolutions to the difficult issues that confront them.”
In an unusually strong endorsement of the process of engaging people on the ground as citizen negotiators, the Secretary of State added: “This is critical because, in the end, it is the Israeli and Palestinian people who will shape the consensus necessary to achieve a two-state solution.”
Powell finishes by “applauding” OneVoice’s efforts and its partnership with the Muhammad Ali Center, and “encourages” us “to continue to work towards peace in the region.”
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*** ISRAELI CITIZEN NEGOTIATORS SIGN ON AT UNIVERSITIES, WORKPLACE
OneVoice’s Israeli team has resorted to resourceful strategies to reach out to thousands of citizen negotiators. Stationary Voting Booths are set up from shopping centers in Haifa to Bar-Ilan University. Scores of volunteers and field workers also spread out across the country and canvass door to door, through member organizations, through parlor meetings at their homes, and groups. One volunteer signed up twenty members at a barbershop, when they were waiting for their haircut.
People appreciate the process of being asked to affirm or reject proposals to help craft a mandate from the people, rather than being told to just sign off to a fixed plan. But many are not patient and don’t want to deal with details and serious questions or are skeptical that they can make a difference.
Tens of thousands have visited the website, but less than 10% actually vote (a high percentage for internet statistics, but lower than hoped). Energetic email campaigns to friends and colleagues succeed in increasing awareness and overcoming reticence.
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*** PALESTINIAN ONEVOICE EFFORTS PROGRESS DESPITE CHARGE ATMOSPHERE
In a month marked by Hamas Sheikh Ahmad Yasin’s assassination, Palestinian society was enveloped in an atmosphere of agitation, fear and anger. With the general strike and total closure of Palestinian towns and villages, the OneVoice Palestinian office was closed for three days but re-opened to meet a charged and skeptical population. While many Palestinians refused to participate in OneVoice’s citizen negotiations (“after the assassination of Yasin, I completely refuse any resolution”; “We are fed up, we don’t trust any initiative”), others felt it was all the more important to prevent “falling into a trap” and to vindicate Palestinian moderation. Many Palestinians, like many Israelis, feel that only through an alliance between the peoples on the ground, will a resolution emerge.
Recruitment of Palestinian citizen negotiators faced setbacks. Out of fifteen field workers trained in Bethlehem, only eight chose to continue after Yasin’s assassination. In Ramallah and Birzeit, 10 of 15 workers stayed on board. But in Hebron, all nine field workers decided to quit. Yet the process ultimately withstood challenges: field workers often succeeded in overcoming skepticism by explaining that, unlike other efforts in the past, people could opt to “agree to” or “reject” each proposal.
In spite of extremely tight budgets that required OneVoice to focus on a smaller number of cities and villages initially, thousands of citizen negotiators signed up. Outreach included briefings to the Public Committee in Al-Am’ary Refugee Camp, the Ramallah Municipality, the coordinator of women activities in refugee camps, the General Union of Palestinian Students, scientists, business leaders, and women organizations.
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*** ACTION ITEMS: VOTE
If you haven’t joined the movement and voted yourself, do so NOW at www.silentnolonger.org.
Get 10 other people to visit the website and vote. Be part of the solution.
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*** ACTION ITEM: JOIN ONEVOICE BUSINESS DELEGATION IN MIDEAST MAY 11th
A delegation of foremost Christian, Jewish and Muslim business leaders will visit the Middle East to endorse the OneVoice movement and visit efforts on the ground. The trip will include meetings with dignitaries, spiritual authorities, and business leaders; delegates will visit Israeli and Palestinian grassroots efforts and participate in a town hall meeting. Delegates may also continue on to the World Economic Forum’s Summit in the Dead Sea, in the Hashemite Kingdom. For more information, contact Darya Shaikh at +1 212 897 3985 x233.
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