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Last night we from OneVoice's office here in New York had the pleasure of being hosted by Craig Newmark and Arianna Huffington at Think Tank 3 for a Blogger Meet Up -- it was a great night of good people, good food, and good conversation.
Here is a photo of Craig, Think Tank 3's Shiroz Marakechi, Arianna, and OneVoice Founder Daniel Lubetzky -- this photo (and more!) courtesy of our new friends at Jewschool.
Plans for the People's Summits on October 18, 2007 are moving along. We have confirmed some fantastic artists to perform at our event in Jericho at the Jericho Football Stadium - the largest venueof its kind in the West Bank.
Here are some of the performers who will be there:
Ilham al-Madfai, an Iraqi musician living in Amman, is among the most preeminent and beloved Arab artists
Bryan Adams, world-renowned multi-platinum Canadian artist & performer has signed on to perform at both stages of One Million Voices - in Jericho and at Tel Aviv's HaYarkon Park
Reem Telhami will serve as the Jericho Summit's host
Additionally, there will be performances by DAM Rap Group, Al Asayel Group, Jameel Al Asayeh and Khalid Abu Niqoula.
OneVoice Founder, Daniel Lubetzky, was a guest-blogger for the Huffington Post today, writing about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the prospects for peace, the moderate majority, and OneVoice's plans for October 18th.
Read the posting here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-lubetzky/an-israelipalestinian-ag_b_65179.html
OVER HALF A MILLION PALESTINIAN AND ISRAELI SIGNATORIES DEMAND UNINTERRUPTED NEGOTIATIONS, TWO-STATE SOLUTION
DEADLINE SET BY THE PEOPLE: TWO STATE AGREEMENT BY OCTOBER 18, 2008
Jericho/Tel Aviv, September 19, 2007 —Today, the OneVoice Movement, a youth-led mainstream nationalist movement with parallel operations in Israel and the Palestinian Authority, announced that it had exceeded its original goal of recruiting half a million Palestinian and Israeli citizens as signatories of a mandate demanding a two-state solution. The OneVoice Mandate calls on Palestinian President Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Olmert to start immediate, uninterrupted negotiations until a comprehensive two-state solution is reached.
As of the latest audit on September 17, 2007, 536,443 Israeli and Palestinian signatories (262,008 Israelis and 274,435 Palestinians) have joined the movement. Having exceeded its goal of recruiting half a million Palestinians and Israelis in roughly equal numbers four months earlier than planned, OneVoice aims to get to One Million citizen signatories by the end of 2007.
The groundswell of Israeli and Palestinian citizens committing themselves to the movement will gather on an unprecedented scale on October 18th, 2007, when OneVoice will host the One Million Voices to End the Conflict people’s summits. The summits will be held simultaneously in Jericho and Tel Aviv, and linked via satellite to international “echo” events in London, Washington D.C. and Ottawa. Hundreds of thousands are expected to participate, showing their solidarity in support of a two-state solution and demanding accountability to the will of the people.
The Mandate sets a deadline for the Heads of State to achieve an agreement no later than October 18, 2008, one year from the date of the peoples’ summit.
“While risky, setting a deadline is vital to send a message that business as usual is no longer acceptable to the people. Every minute delayed in ending the conflict is a minute gained by forces of militant absolutism committed to erase the possibility of a two-state solution,” said Daniel Lubetzky, Founder of the OneVoice Movement.
“If the Israeli and Palestinian Heads of State demonstrate progress over the coming months, they will be able to eventually reverse the debacle in Gaza, by pointing to a positive alternative that will undermine extremism,” added Lubetzky. “But if they don’t, the opposite will happen and fundamentalist extremist ideologies will spread to the West Bank, and eventually Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the world.”
“The voice of the people is the critical element in reaching a viable solution for the region that has been missing in the resolution process thus far,” said Dr. Fathi Darwish, General Director of OneVoice Palestine. “If the Palestinian people want to end the occupation, and if the Israeli people want to ensure security and normalization with the Arab world, then each individual must play a real role to bring that about.”
Through a series of groundbreaking negotiations held among Palestinian, Israeli and international experts and advisors, OneVoice revealed that a hidden consensus amongst the people exists on the basis of a two-state solution. 76% of both Israelis and Palestinians are in favor of a two-state solution, and would be willing to compromise to live in strong, independent, stable states at peace with their neighbors. Building off of these Citizens Negotiations is the OneVoice Mandate, which calls upon the region’s elected representatives to:
Founded after the Oslo process collapsed in the aftermath of the Camp David II negotiations, and frustrated with years of stalemated negotiations, violent conflict, and continued terror and occupation, OneVoice works to mobilize the moderate majority, which has been heretofore silent against the forces of violent extremism.
“If the people of Israel and Palestine want to end the conflict, they must create a support system for the peace process,” said Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, who announced he is joining the OneVoice Movement’s Honorary Board. “The events on October 18th represent a potential tipping point for OneVoice’s longstanding commitment to seize back the agenda from violent extremism by mobilizing the vast numbers of moderate citizens on both sides.”
Rabbi David Rosen, Chairman of the International Jewish Committee, also a member of the Honorary Board, added, “This is not a conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. It's not a conflict between Muslims and Jews. The real conflict is between the moderates on both sides against violent extremism that seeks to wreak havoc and hopelessness.”
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About the OneVoice Movement:
The OneVoice Movement is a mainstream nationalist grassroots movement with over half a million signatories in roughly equal numbers both in Israel and in Palestine, and 3,000 highly-trained youth leaders. It aims to amplify the voice of the overwhelming but heretofore silent majority of moderates who wish for peace and prosperity, empowering them to demand accountability from elected representatives and work toward a two-state solution. OneVoice counts on its Board over 60 foremost dignitaries and business leaders across a wide spectrum of politics and beliefs, joining as OneVoice against violent extremism and for conflict resolution. Learn more by visiting www.OneMillionVoices.org.
OneVoice Blogger Meet-Up in New York City
with CRAIG NEWMARK & ARIANNA HUFFINGTON
Monday, September 24
7PM to 9PM
For more information, contact Leah Jones (Leah.Jones AT Edelman DOT com) - or request an invitation on Facebook.
This event follows last month's meet-up in Tel Aviv with OneVoice Founder Daniel Lubetzky.
Two Youth Leaders, one Israeli and one Palestinian, will join forces to bring their side of the story to campuses and communities across the globe. Their message is the message of the majority, their ally is the other, their enemy is extremism: they are OneVoice. They want to share their voices with you. OneVoice will be visiting campuses and communities from Amman to California this year, and they are coming to the DC area to galvanize support for the historic summit One Million Voices to End the Conflict.
Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, hatred, polarization, and ignorance: community and campus groups need to be mobilized and engaged in progressive, positive action like the Echo of One Million Voices to marginalize extremism, not each other. From September 4th to 11th 2007, Shadha Musallam and Yaniv Rivlin will be lending their hands to stop the flow of hate and ignorance generated in their names and provide a model of compromise and joint action for groups on campuses and communities. Do not let this unique proclamation of solidarity with the courageous moderates of the Middle East go unheard—help give these voices the volume they deserve!
Town hall meetings will take place across the DC Metropolitan Area:
Contact Miriam@onevoicemovement.org for information on other events.
Shadha and Yaniv are part of the OneVoice Movement, a non-partisan international organization led by a grassroots core of Israeli and Palestinian activists. With an unprecedented coalition of Israeli, Palestinian and international leaders supporting it, the OneVoice Movement has already had massive impact during the Palestinian Presidential elections and the Disengagement from Gaza and is in a unique position to mobilize tens of thousands of committed volunteers to help support and demand conflict resolution. Earlier this year, OneVoice activists in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Ramallah addressed Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the World Economic Forum.
OneVoice is grateful for its continued partnership with Americans for Informed Democracy who provide networking and printing support for OneVoice events at campuses in the United States.
