שתיל - שירותי תמיכה וייעוץ לקידום שינוי חברתי

The last 20 years have seen a sharp rise in civil society attempts to influence the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Some organizations work to protect the human rights of Palestinians living in the West Bank using such strategies as reports and court petitions, others organize dialogues between people from both sides of the divide, and yet others initiate joint professional projects, hoping these will lower the level of mistrust and hatred.

Regrettably, none of these strategies has succeeded in 'bringing peace' to the region. Is the task too big for civil society? What can civil society organizations do in such a complex power structure, involving so many international players? Can social organizations really lead a fundamental transformation in the situation? Or can they only work 'within' it, minimizing the damage at the margins? Does their work always improve the situation, or does it at times serve the powers that be and actually act as a block to real change?

These penetrating and challenging questions were the subjects of discussion in a conference organized jointly by SHATIL's Conflict Transformation and Management Center and the Swiss Center for the Study of Conflict Management and Resolution at the Hebrew University, the first week of April. In the conference, "The Role of Civil Society Organizations in the Conflict between Palestinians and Israelis," more than 15 heads of human rights, peace and dialogue organizations participated in panels, sharing their strategies and discussing the dilemmas they face.

Are joint Palestinian-Israeli organizations better able to bring a clear message across because of their 'cross-border' cooperation, or are uni-national organizations more effective in each of their communities? What is the difference between organizations with a clear political statement against the occupation and those who do not have a clear position but work to bring together Palestinian and Israeli professionals? What achievements can human rights organizations show for all their efforts? These were some of the questions discussed. Although no clear answers could be given, most participants felt that creating a joint forum for raising the questions and discussing them together was an important step forward.

"Bringing together organizational directors from the field and academics who specialize in conflict management creates new ways of thinking," said one participant.

The conference was part of an ongoing effort by SHATIL and the Swiss Center to involve the academy in civil society efforts and to further develop the connection between conflict transformation theory and practice.