OneVoice Movement

OneVoice gathers EU support in Brussels and Ramallah

Andreas Reinicke, European Union Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process, along with the EU delegation, met with OneVoice Palestine in Ramallah May 7.

In a week where the United States started a new push for Mid-East peace, OneVoice sought to ensure another big player - the European Union – stepped up to play its role. 

On May 7, while OneVoice Europe (OVE) staff were in Brussels gathering support from politicians, OneVoice Palestine (OVP) youth leaders in Ramallah were paid a visit by Dr. Andreas Reinicke, the EU’s Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process.

Dr. Reinicke –  appointed by the EU to push for a two-state solution – chose OVP as the first civil society representatives he has met in the West Bank. In an hour-and-half-long discussion, Reinicke and OVP youth leaders seized the opportunity to quiz one another on the status of the two-state solution.

Reinicke wanted the view from the grassroots: what do Palestinian youth think of US Secretary of State John Kerry’s new peace plan? 

“The economic path to peace is good, but it must be followed by a very serious effort on the political level,” said Mohammed Asideh, OVP's field coordinator and senior youth leader. 

While Reinicke said he agreed, Samer Makhlouf, OVP’s executive director, wanted to underscore this point.

“Palestinians need a guarantee that Kerry is talking about real peace - and an end to the occupation - not just economic peace,” he said.

Dr. Reinicke was also keen to know what Palestinians want from the EU.  The youth leaders in the room had a long shopping list for Reinicke – more consensus across EU states that the occupation should end now; more pressure on the US to be a truly neutral mediator; a more visible role in negotiations by the EU itself; and for the EU to set the parameters of the peace process, based on the Arab Peace Initiative and international law.

As the meeting ended, Dr. Reinicke thanked OVP for its time and efforts in Palestine.

''It was a pleasure meeting all of you today," he told OVP. "I have written down some notes and I assure you your inputs were very valuable."

Meanwhile in Brussels, OVE was meeting MEPs from across the political spectrum – Greens, Socialists, and Conservatives – to garner support for OneVoice’s work in Israel and Palestine. Dr. Hans-Gert Pöttering MEP, former president of the European Parliament and a supporter of the movement since he hosted OneVoice youth leaders at a session of the Parliament, reiterated his support for OneVoice to keep pushing the political leaders toward ending the conflict.

John Lyndon, OVE’s Executive Director, and Anthony Silkoff, OVE’s Advocacy Coordinator, were told by Pöttering they could count on his support to increase momentum toward a two-state solution now, before it becomes too late.

OneVoice Europe Executive Director John Lyndon (left) and Advocacy and Outreach Coordinator Anthony Silkoff (right) with Dr. Hans-Gert Pöttering MEP, former president of the European Parliament, in Brussels.

Swings, Roundabouts, and the Occupation: OVP protests land confiscations in Jericho

Zubaydat's citizens joined OVP to peacefully protest land confiscation near their village.

The children of Zubaydat want a playground. A slide, a pair of swings, maybe a climbing frame; not a big ask for 500 children, perhaps. But while they just want to play, the kids of this West Bank village also find themselves living under military occupation. 

Zubaydat is at the nexus of a territorial conflict that – quite literally – insists on coming between the kids and their playground. Now, OneVoice Palestine (OVP), a movement of Palestinian youth, have decided that it’s time to play their role in ending the occupation and giving the village’s children their freedom to play, literally.

“The kids used to play in a small area just west of the village,” said Wasim Masri, communications officer at OVP. “But the Israeli authorities declared the area a closed military zone and told the villagers to keep their kids away from the playground.” 

In 2009, the villagers requested permission from the Israeli authorities to build a new playground, but this request was denied, according to Masri.

The occupation is about more than just playgrounds and it impacts more people than children alone. The Oslo Accords classified 99 percent of the village as area C, Masri explained.

The ‘C’ classification grants Israel full civil and security control over the area which, for residents of Zubaydat, means frequent raids by soldiers, repressive building restrictions, as well as constant water shortages, because the occupation prevents villagers renovating or digging new wells. Furthermore, the demands of Israeli settlers – keen to expand their territory – lead to continued confiscations of Palestinian land, including Zubaydat’s old playground.

As part of a program of activism to prevent further confiscations and save the viability of a Palestinian state, OVP activists in Jericho marched to Zubaydat to protest settlement expansion. Land around the village continues to be seized for the nearby Israeli settlement of Argaman.

The activists, joined by locals, civil society organizations, community leaders, and Jericho’s governorate office, marched to the separation wall south of Jericho, carrying trees and Palestinian flags to plant in an area threatened by confiscation.

Townspeople and youth leaders from different cities in the West Bank set the village of Zubaydat, north of Jericho, as a the starting point for the activity. According to OVP youth leaders, their initiative comes in response to the Israeli policies, which prevent farmers from reaching their lands in areas where agriculture is the main source of income, such as Zubaydat.

OVP Executive Director Samer Makhlouf expressed the need for these types of actions.

“Palestinians will continue carrying out non-violent resistance against the occupation and settlement expansion in the West Bank in order to deliver a message to the world that we are the owners of this land,” said Makhlouf. “Settlements are the biggest obstacle facing the two-state solution and the peace process.”

The youth leaders and townspeople, cheering and showing support for one another, proceeded to plant many trees near the separation wall.

“Our goal is to support the citizens of Zubaydat,” said OVP’s youth leader and the village’s own Hamza Zubaydat.

Indeed, the OVP youth leaders have promised their campaign won’t stop until a viable and independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital is created. Only when the occupation is ended will the villagers of Zubaydat gain the freedom to farm on all their land, dig the wells they need for water, and rebuild their children’s playground.

OVP’s activists and townspeople of Zubaydat marching to the land south of the separation wall in Jericho.

Zubaydat's location in Area C.

OneVoice Hosts Building Bridges for Peace

Dr. Patrick Magee and Jo Berry of Building Bridges for Peace met students at OneVoice Israel event at the University of Haifa. They travelled to Ramallah the next day to meet with OneVoice Palestine activists. 

On March 13, Dr. Patrick Magee, a former IRA member, and the daughter of one of Magee’s victims, Jo Berry, spoke about the role of forgiveness and conflict resolution at an event co-sponsored by OneVoice Israel and Haifa University.

The event enabled Pat and Jo, founders of Building Bridges for Peace, to share their unique story and relay back to the students the importance that understanding and dialogue played in their reconciliation. Indeed, a key theme throughout the talk was empathy, for it is only through understanding of where someone else comes from that we are able to learn of the circumstances which shaped the views and opinions of others. 

This point was emphasized by Jo when she said, given a change of circumstances, she could have easily grown up to be a member of the IRA. She stressed that actions are determined by circumstances, not by any innate characteristics within us. It was only through knowing Pat, and the struggles and injustices he faced growing up in the Northern Ireland conflict, that she could understand how and why he turned to violence, and in turn why her father lost his life. 

Pat and Jo have traveled to many countries to share their story, but this was their first visit to Israel and Palestine.

“Everybody wants peace, every conversation we’ve had here has been about that,” Pat observed. “There’s a solution already there, it’s just creating the conditions for people to come around the table and thrash it out. There’s so much fear. Fear drives people to apathy and drives people to extremes.”

Some students present in Haifa found the idea of Pat's and Jo’s reconciliation incomprehensible, even wrong, though many others wanted to better understand. As such, some frank exchanges between the students and the speakers took place.

Pat was also keen to emphasize that one must not lose hope.

“There’s a list of seemingly endless problems, no solutions in sight, and then this miracle happens,” Pat said after a question about seemingly intractable conflicts.

The students asked Pat and Jo a variety of questions, ranging from how their families received the partnership, to how their experiences and what they have learned could be applied to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In response, the message was clear, in that it emphasized the need to be open, patient, and to empathize – to imagine one’s self in the place of the other.

Jo also had some practical advice to end on: “I recommend you get involved with OneVoice, they do fantastic work.”

***

Pat and Jo with OVP activists in Ramallah.

The next day, OneVoice Palestine youth leaders met with Pat and Jo in Ramallah.

Pat and Jo had a chance to discuss the conflict, occupation, and suffering, as well as see the impact of the settlements and separation wall. They shared their stories with youth leaders in an event OVP’s activists described as “inspiring” and “a powerful example of reconciliation.”

Within the duration of this visit, Jo spoke of her commitment to peaceful resolution, mediation of conflict, and about Building Bridges for Peace. She was inspired by the youth leaders’ work in the West Bank and Gaza and their commitment to non-violent activism. Pat spoke about his journey, his 14 years in prison, and Jo’s efforts for achieving reconciliation with him.

OVP youth leaders shared observations about the need for justice, an end to the occupation, and solving all final status issues in line with international resolutions as pre-requisites to real reconciliation with Israel in a meaningful sense.

The youth leaders listened intently to Pat’s story, and then explained how there is another internal reconciliation that Palestinians are concerned about: the schism between the West Bank and Gaza, and how important healing this divide will be in order to achieve a sustainable peace agreement with the Israelis that will end the occupation, build the Palestinian state, and bring peace to the region.

Over the course of two hours, Pat and Jo shared with the youth leaders the concept of creating a legitimate partnership in times of conflict. They also answered questions by the youth on peace building and the obstacles generated by mistrust and frustration on both sides of the conflict.

“I can only imagine their journey for reconciliation,” said OVP activist and Project Manager Malaka Samara. “In times of conflict, it is important to hear the other side and give an opportunity to create a legitimate partner to end the conflict for the benefits of both sides.”

OneVoice Palestine continues outreach to Gazans

OVP Gaza Director Ezzeldeen Masri leads an introductory session for university students in Gaza City on March 12, 2013.

In a Gaza City conference room covered with OneVoice messaging, 30 university students from around the Gaza Strip gathered around the table to hear why they—as citizens— must play an active role in securing a Palestinian state.

OneVoice Palestine-Gaza Director Ezzeldeen Masri introduced OneVoice to the students and briefed them on the historical reasons why the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) made the landmark decision to accept and pursue the two-state solution, how it could secure their rights and independence, and what they could do as Palestinian youth and the inheritors of this legacy, to help bring it about.

Ezzeldeen recounted the decades of bloodshed that people had already suffered through, and emphasized a critical point, that violence between the two sides will not achieve what Palestinians truly want: an independent state living in peace and security.  

“After the 1982 war, the PLO decided to focus more on the political and diplomatic front in order to end the occupation and establish the independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders,” Ezz explained.

An audience member raised a question about armed resistance to the Israeli military occupation, and Ezz focused on the need for Palestinians to focus their energies on nonviolent resistance.

“At OneVoice Palestine, we honor the martyrs who have suffered or died in the cause of Palestinian justice and statehood. Now, in our struggle toward liberation and independence, we support the vision of our President, Mahmoud Abbas, in ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the two-state solution and through popular nonviolent resistance and other diplomatic and legal measures,” Ezz responded.

OneVoice Palestine was glad to be able to facilitate a genuine debate on what steps the Palestinians needed to take to begin building a future free of occupation. Recent history provided an important touchstone to many of the young people in attendance.

Yasser Arafat's vision of the Peace of the Brave, and the historic Arab Peace Initiative of 2002, provided the framing for a lively debate, as the young Gazans present discussed what could be done to break the impasse.

“For me”, said Ezz, “one of the most important things we’re doing here in Gaza is giving these young people the tools and grounding necessary to take ownership over their fate and play an active role in ending this occupation and building the two-state solution. Nobody else here is doing this sort of work-- nobody.”

Some of OVP’s longest serving Gazan activists - Mahmoud Daoud, Hasan Skaik, and Islam Shalah - spoke about their experience and the skills they gained from participating in the youth leadership training program (YLP), encouraging participants to join and become OVP volunteers. The activists also introduced the town hall meeting program (THM) and the various initiatives that OVP conducted in the past, as well as brainstorming about future activities.

“The OVP leadership training program helped us develop the skills needed to become politically active and capable of contributing to the march toward liberation and independence,” Mahmood explained to the group. 

Mr. Salem Hindi, director of the Palestinian Peace Coalition, and Mr. Ibrahim Kishta, councillor in the Palestinian Diplomatic Corps and an OVP supporter, both addressed the session’s attendees. They spoke about the need to adopt nonviolent popular resistance in order to put pressure on Israeli society and for the international community to demand an end for the occupation and the establishment of the Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders.

"We must have a clear objective: liberation, independence, and popular nonviolent resistance combined with diplomacy are the best methods to reach our goal," said Mr. Kishta.

Mr. Hindi concurred. “Nonviolent resistance proved its effectiveness in the West Bank towns of Bodress, Nalien, and Nabi Salah,” and therefore should be used elsewhere in Palestine.

“At this stage in our struggle toward liberation and independence, we need to adopt the popular nonviolent resistance model," activist Islam Shalah told the group.

By the end of the intro session, 23 of the 30 attendees signed up for the youth training program with OVP-Gaza, helping Ezz and his team further increase their impact and non-violent agenda in this most challenging of environments.

The introductory session was done in cooperation with the Adam Center for Dialogue of Civilizations in Gaza City.

Mahmood Daoud, OVP activist (right) explains the youth leadership training program to the group. 

OVP Gaza youth leader Islam Shalah told the group that nonviolent resistance must be the model in Palestine.

Participants, including Mr. Kishta (far left) and Mr. Hindi (center, speaking), discuss the role of nonviolent resistance in bringing about a Palestinian state.

OneVoice Palestine’s “Women of Influence” project to nurture new leaders

Malaka Samara, center, meets with Sahar Qawasmeh, head of the Adwar Organization for Development, and senior OneVoice activist Ibrahim Mubarak to discuss her “Women of Influence” project.

On International Women’s Day – a day set aside by the United Nations to raise awareness and commemorate the advances women made in their societies – a new initiative takes hold in Palestinian communities looking to do the same.

Led by OneVoice Palestine’s Malaka Samara, the new Women of Influence (WOI) project aims to emphasize the importance of Palestinian women and their essential social, economic, and political role in community-building to end occupation and the conflict.

Clearly, one cannot build peace by leaving half of a society out, and women have been sidelined in peace building for too long. Only 2.5% of signatories to peace agreements since 1992 have been women. Since 2000, 16 peace processes had minimal involvement of women, and in five cases, no women were involved at all.

The WOI project seeks to train, empower, inspire, and energize Palestinian women to be active, to contribute to the improvement of their communities, and to ensure that women are involved in Palestinian state building, and the peace process, at all levels.

The UN has acknowledged the vital importance of women’s involvement. Women’s participation in conflict resolution and building peace is called for in Security Council Resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008), but its real impact is yet to be felt by women in conflict zones such as Palestine.  

“We are living under occupation, having daily challenges in our life at all levels,” said Malaka. “Women are mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters, so it is very important that they raise their voices and be part of the development of their communities and help end the occupation by delivering their messages to national and international decision makers.”

The WOI is the brainchild of Malaka’s prolonged efforts and interest in Palestinian women’s issues and her time spent volunteering with OneVoice Palestine as a youth leader. The project has several phases, the first of which concluded last month. Six introductory meetings in Bethlehem, Jenin, Qalqilya, Hebron, and Jericho – the WOI target cities – occurred with women leaders and heads of local organizations. These meetings sought to introduce the project and establish a network of partners for future women’s initiatives through the WOI project.

Upcoming phases, spread out over the year, include introducing the project to small groups and discussing the challenges of Palestinian women in positions of influence, with emphasis on women in political life. Women from each target city will receive six months of training before implementing the project. Prominent and influential female leaders from across Palestinian society will serve as guest speakers in public meetings, sharing their personal stories and advice on topics such as family, community, traditions, religion, and politics.

Malaka envisions that each candidate will have the desire to make a change in life, believing that women have a vital role in changing their communities, and can be critically important actors in ending occupation and building a Palestinian state that values the role of women.

Malaka also hopes to be able to channel the young leaders in the program toward opportunities in partner organizations and in the private sector.

“Ultimately, we want these women’s experiences to be transferable – from theoretical to practical,” Malaka explained. “This way, they can be part of the change in themselves and their communities.”

OneVoice Palestine launches youth leadership training program for 2013

Long-time OneVoice Palestine youth leader and current staff member, Mohammed Asideh, during an introductory training session in Nablus in January. 

OneVoice Palestine launched the 2013 Youth Leadership Program with an ambitious plan in mind: to reach 1,000 youth leaders by the end of this year.

Designed by OVP's youth leadership department, the program plans to engage new participants from 11 different cities in the West Bank through three newly created regional offices in Nablus, Jenin, and Bethlehem.

The program is designed to determine the readiness and willingness of the participants to move up in the program. Of the projected 1,000 new youth leaders, 500 will advance to receive basic leadership training, 100 will receive the advanced leadership training, and 40 will train as senior advanced leaders – the highest volunteer position – throughout 2013.

The program will provide basic leadership training through the first six months of 2013, focusing on topics such as communication skills, leadership skills, working within a team, and campaigning. There will also be an introductory session on the history of the conflict and the work of OneVoice since the Movement's inception. The youth leaders will benefit from these workshops, building their leadership skills and shaping their personalities to become active leading members in their own communities.

In January, OVP reached 191 new youth leaders – a one-month recruiting record. Citizens from all participating cities in the West Bank joined the introductory sessions and learned about OneVoice's message and the two-state solution. The sessions, conducted by OVP's senior youth leaders, also aimed to engage new recruits and create opportunities for OVP senior volunteers to lead introductory sessions.

"We are seeking to mobilize leading Palestinian youth through our progressive program," said Abdallah Hamarsheh, OVP's youth leadership program director. "The aim is to establish a nonviolent resistance base against the occupation and the Israeli settlement policies."

During the second half of 2013, OVP will move into advanced training with 100 volunteers from the basic training phase, tackling one topic each month until the end of the year. Topics will include public speaking, media, negotiation skills, and the conflict as seen through the Palestinian narrative.

January already proved to be a fantastic start to what appears to be a successful year for the youth leadership department in OVP. The team is very excited to move forward with the program and promote nonviolent activism among the Palestinian youth in the West Bank and Gaza. 

  

Portraits of Palestine: Connecting ordinary citizens with decision makers in Jenin

OneVoice Palestine held a public meeting in Jenin to discuss the U.N. bid’s and Israeli election’s impact on Palestinian society.

Over 100 volunteers, citizens, and representatives from the Palestinian security forces packed Jenin’s City Call on January 23 for a OneVoice Palestine public meeting entitled, “The U.N. Bid: Reality and Challenges.” 

Jenin’s governor, Major General Talal Dweikat, sponsored the meeting, and OVP’s Jenin chapter organized the discussion. This event is part of OVP’s public meetings program, which seeks to link Palestinian leadership with the masses in order to promote confidence between them in cities in the West Bank and Gaza.

“The public meeting program provides a fantastic opportunity for the people to connect with the decision makers in a transparent and direct way,” said Abdallah Hamarsheh, OVP's youth leadership program director.

Notable speakers included Dr. Mohammed Almasri, director of the Palestinian Center for Research and Strategic Studies, who stressed the importance of the peaceful popular actions to end the Israeli occupation and build the independent Palestinian state. Othman Abu Gharbieh, Fatah movement’s Central Committee member, served as the event’s keynote speaker, and spoke to the Palestinian leadership’s take on citizen safety and security, the upcoming Palestinian elections, and the popular non-violent resistance against the occupation adopted by the leadership in light of political changes.

The focus, however, was how the U.N. bid and current Israeli policies create a challenging environment for Palestinian political aspirations.

Abu Gharbieh demonstrated how the Palestinian leadership capitalized on the support of the international community while at the U.N. and how the worldwide support provided an opportunity for the Palestinians and opened new horizons “we didn’t expect.”

But Gharbieh also stressed the importance to continue the non-violent popular resistance, but not at the expense of international support.

The reality and the future of the illegal settlement expansion in the West Bank were also on the agenda. Gharbieh stressed the importance of the Palestinian struggle under the political changes in the region and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state where sovereignty, dignity, and full independence are national demands in the face of the continued occupation. He used the recent Israeli elections as a frame.

"The numbers in the Israeli elections show a clear confusion, as it represents the political, social, and economic reality in Israel," said Gharbieh. "The State of Israel lives in isolation from the international community caused mainly by the arrogance of the Israeli leadership and their settlement policies."

Abu Gharbieh also took time to talk about the Palestinian reconciliation and the need to recover the “people’s spirit,” as he described it, through national Palestinian elections in Gaza and the West Bank. Abu Gharbieh also pointed that a Palestinian reconciliation must not be built on political quotas and should represent a clear image of a Palestinian international political agenda, avoiding the Palestinians an economic crisis.

When asked if the meeting was a success, Mohammed Asideh, OVP's field coordinator and senior youth leader, said he was pleasantly surprised at the meeting’s level of attendance.

"I didn't expect many to attend, but given the nature of these meetings and the subject at hand, I think the people of Jenin are clearly interested in investing their time to know more about the future of the Palestinian independent state and ending the occupation," Mohammad explained. 

Palestinian security forces were among those present for the meeting.

2012: The Challenges, the Mission, the State

By Wasim al-Masri

If I was asked to recall one memorable moment from 2012, the first thing that would come to mind is Palestine's United Nations bid and the series of events that led to the historic vote in November.

Every event, workshop, initiative, and campaign my colleagues and I at OneVoice Palestine (OVP) launched in 2012 – 35 workshops, 9 youth-led initiatives, 12 town hall meetings, and two major campaigns – was building to the day of the vote.

I was watching the vote in my living room with my family. And although the early polls showed a majority in favor of a Non-member Observer State of the U.N., like most Palestinians rallying in the streets of Ramallah and watching the vote on the big screens that night, I was anticipating the moment a Palestinian state was officially acknowledged by the international community and the rest of the world, bringing the state of inequality to an end.

That night, I had to go down memory lane and revisit some of the key moments in OVP's campaign to support Palestine's U.N. bid. We launched the campaign in early 2012 with little support and expectations from the local community.

We had a plan: to mobilize the people and advocate the importance of the U.N. bid for building the independent Palestinian state and achieving peace in the region. First, we launched a series of workshops to explain the U.N. bid, and then we organized town hall meetings to connect the people with the politicians. Finally, we mobilized the youth leaders on the ground nearing the date of the vote. Our plans seemed fairly easy from the drawing board. But they weren't.

Our first campaign in 2012, although praised locally by Palestinian officials, was sadly overlooked by the Israelis and the international community. We needed to convey a message to the Israeli government to cease settlement expansion in the West Bank and return to negotiations. "The land is ours, leave us be" was a bold statement in the face of, what we believe is, the greatest threat to the two-state solution and the peace process: settlements.

Over the course of three months, we planted trees threatened by confiscation in Area C (east of Bethlehem, south of Hebron, and west of Jenin). We also rallied hundreds of youth leaders and activists to support the Arab Peace Initiative and send messages to the Israeli public inviting them to adopt the initiative and revive the peace talks. Above: Over 300 activists gathered near Jenin in April, flying balloons containing copies of the Arab Peace Initiative -- translated into Hebrew -- over the Wall and into Israel. Below: OVP's activists rallying with the people of Bethlehem to plant trees in an event we named, "The Future Garden of Peace."

Back in my living room, President Abbas was wrapping up his speech in the General Assembly. "The General Assembly is called upon today to issue a birth certificate of the reality of the State of Palestine," said Abbas. "This is why we are specifically here today."

By the end of June, the image was clear. We've established a solid base in advocating the importance of the U.N. bid. People started to ask questions and we provided answers through our town hall meeting program, focusing entirely on the topic of the U.N. bid and the options of the Palestinian Authority (PA) after the vote, connecting ordinary citizens to the Palestinian leadership. The first town hall meeting organized by OVP's youth leaders in Hebron attracted over 300 participants, with decision makers responding to the public's questions and concerns.

Through our community events, whether we were hosting or co-sponsoring, we made sure that the message of the U.N. bid and the two-state solution was conveyed. We wanted the public to be aware of this rare opportunity to end the conflict once and for all. The message was present through each and every event we organized. A good example would be the day we celebrated the International Day of Peace. The youth leaders called all nations to support the Palestinian leadership at the U.N. and help bring justice by ending the occupation to build the independent Palestinian state.

We were counting the hours to the day of the vote, promoting peaceful mobilization and inspiring people to take actions along the way. Hundreds of new recruits were joining the Movement through our introductory workshops, community events, and public campaigns. And on November 18, hundreds joined us to plant the foundation stone for the future garden of peace.

Activists, community leaders, and the citizens of Bethlehem joined hands to paint an image of effective public engagement by creating positive facts on the ground. We couldn't be happier.

A week prior to the vote, we launched the final stage of the campaign: a U.N. bid website. Our youth leaders and staff members were on the streets of every major city in the West Bank handing out fliers and posters; interviews occurred, and our office in Ramallah was a circus. We were hyper from coffee and pure excitement!

One particular Tuesday comes to mind. As I was driving to the office, I was thinking that I had obviously spent too many hours staring at our campaign's blue logo, because I was seeing blue everywhere. Once I arrived to the office, I was greeted with the image of our logo featured on the front page of a hugely successful local newspaper.

The logo we used to promote the campaign was a hit! “Palestine at the United Nations” logo was a huge success among news agencies and local media outlets, and on that particular Tuesday, it was everywhere, and represented the peak of our campaign.

"Of the 193 member states of the United Nations, 131 (67.9%) have recognized the State of Palestine as of November 2012. Their total population is over 5.5 billion people, equaling 80 percent of the world's population."

The day after the vote there was much work to be done. The team was exhausted. We were having coffee and discussing the crazy rollercoaster we've been on for the past 12 months. The question on everyone's mind was the obvious: what comes next? For OVP's team, it was clear that walking down the path of the two-state solution and promoting the Arab Peace Initiative through peaceful mobilization would continue. The path of ending the occupation and building the state has just begun. We have ambitious ideas for 2013, but that's another story to be told.

Portraits of Palestine: OneVoice youth leader finds inspiration in Leadership Development Program

Above: Alaa Salous, upper right, with the students of Rosary Sisters School in Nablus. Below: Alaa in an advanced training workshop in Ramallah.

It was graduation time for the first and only Student's Council in Palestine. Proud parents beamed at their children. OneVoice Palestine Executive Director Samer Makhlouf handed out certificates to the new graduates while extending his congratulations to OVP's ever-growing Youth Leadership Program membership.

And surrounded by the 16 graduates from the Rosary Sisters School in Nablus, Alaa Salous, a OneVoice Palestine trainer, recalls his very own first basic training session.

"I was nervous. I didn't know what to expect," said Alaa, 23. "Having my friends around did help."

Alaa was among the first OneVoice Palestine activists to participate in a basic training session in Nablus. He has come a long way since then.

OVP launched the Youth Leader Training Program in 2008. Hundreds of young people in the West Bank and Gaza join the program every year, taking advantage of OVP's character building advanced courses and meeting new people who share the same interest in ending the conflict and building the independent Palestinian state.

"We have launched the program with the intention of making a difference," said Abdallah Hamarsheh, OVP's Youth Leadership Program director. "Along the way we've made modifications to the program, based on what we are looking to achieve and the feedback we've received from our youth leaders."

OVP's training program starts with introductory sessions for all new recruits, explaining OneVoice's message and goals for ending the conflict and achieving a sustainable peace agreement based on the two-state solution and the 1967 borders.

The introductory sessions are followed by basic training workshops. The youth leaders can vote for the subject of training based on what interests them on their personal and professional levels. Basic training courses can vary from teambuilding activities to communication and leadership skills.

Once OVP's youth leaders start to develop a sense of commitment to the program, they are introduced to some of the advanced workshops. Subjects in these workshops are usually more focused and oriented in terms of skill development and self-awareness, and include public speaking, media, and negotiation skills training. Highly trained professionals with immense experience in their respective fields develop the workshops.

Alaa was among the select few senior youth leaders in the West Bank to participate in OVP's recent project with Generations For Peace (GFP). This "training the trainers" program builds a small team of highly trained youth leaders capable of providing a successful training experience.

"OneVoice and GFP provided me with the tools to build a basic training project," said Alaa. "I have been working closely with members from my community in Nablus to implement some of the ideas I've learned and deliver a better understanding of the conflict and the two-state solution."

Alaa and fellow youth leader Rameh Mesmar worked on a series of basic training workshops for the students of Rosary Sisters School in Nablus. According to Alaa, they were developing "an original training experience involving the students in the conflict in a positive way."

This training consisted of character-building exercises based on his training with GFP. The students were also responsible for organizing the entire graduation ceremony, sending out invites, setting up the hall, and more. This was their "final test."

Alaa is currently working with OVP's chapter in Nablus, delivering OneVoice's message and goals within Alnajjah University's campus and providing new recruits with basic training based on OVP's youth leadership and development training program.

Portraits of Palestine: OVP Promotes Peaceful Mobilization in Bethlehem

“Believe you can  and you're halfway there.”

We are believers. We believe that ending the occupation will only come through collective effort and unity. We believe that an independent Palestinian state can only materialize through a comprehensive peace agreement with the two-state solution as its basis. We believe that to inspire the people we must lead. And we most definitely believe in nonviolence.  Peaceful mobilization and selfless acts of courage are the keys to ending the conflict once and for all.

This is why we were inspired to lead and rally hundreds of people through deserted lands east of Bethlehem to plant the foundation stone for the future Peace Park on November 13. It’s a message, as we see it, for the state of Israel to abide by the 1967 borders and for the international community to support the Palestinian bid for non-member status at the United Nations this month.

We were not alone. The people of the rural area of Bethlehem and some Palestinian community leaders insisted on participating in the event, and called it “a beacon of hope for many” and a “positive fact that needs to be strengthened with popular work on the ground."

Dar Salah city hall was the initial  rallying point for OneVoice Palestine activists, community leaders, citizens of the small village, and many news reporters who came to cover the event - and in some cases, participate as inspired Palestinian citizens.

Hundreds walked the rocky path through the small hills. Greeted with the view of numerous caves scattered around us, the excitement began to build. Some were singing, others taking photos - the rally was a fascinating experience for all involved.

Upon arrival, the massive crowd gathered around a small monument on top of the chosen  location. The monument reads: “The Peace Park, the State 194,” referring to Palestine becoming  the 194^th state in the UN. The people of the area decided that the garden will be a beacon of hope for the future state and a symbol of peace for all.

“We are proud of this accomplishment,” said Dr. Mahmoud Labadi, spokesman of the International Relations Council of Fatah and OneVoice Palestine Advisory Board member. “The [Peace Park] is a symbol of courage. It represents the Palestinian dream of  the future state and peace with all its neighbors.”

Samer Makhlouf, OVP’s executive director, expressed his gratitude to the generous people of Dar Salah and the surrounding villages. Makhlouf pointed out the individual responsibility of each citizen toward ending the occupation, achieving peace, and the role of effective public engagement in creating positive facts-on-the-ground.

The people started planting the trees after. It was a pleasant sight by many standards. The youth leaders and the villagers were working together with one vision, a state for Palestinians and a prosperous future for generations to come.

The once deserted land is no longer forgotten. The trees rise from the ashes of despair and give hope to all. People from all different backgrounds were once more reminded of their national identities and why we are supporting Palestine’s UN statehood bid, reasons why we were there that day. Our work in Dar Salah was finished for the day, but we still have a long road ahead of us.

As I walked back to our rallying point, I looked in the eyes of the people around me; they all sparked with hope and excitement. We were talking about visiting the Park in the future, only this time it will be an entire forest, with tourists from all nationalities visiting the State of Palestine. I told them I would hold on to this thought. I know the challenges ahead are great. I also know that keeping those sparks of hope will be the biggest challenge we will ever encounter, but that this is what ti will take to deliver statehood and peace.

-Wasim Masri

Watch a news segment from the Palestine News Network's (PNN) coverage of the event: