IPCRI is one of the leading non-governmental organizations working to make peace a reality. IPCRI – the Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information was established in 1988 to support and advance the two states solution. IPCRI is completely dependent on donor support and the contributions of individuals and foundations to carry out its work.
What do we do and how does your support help? The following are some of the programs that IPCRI runs:
* Developing policy options for peace for the Israeli, Palestinian and International leadership. IPCRI is a joint Israeli-Palestinian think-tank that brings together the brightest and most serious political thinkers and strategists from both sides to develop policy options for the leaders that can advance peace. IPCRI then spends great efforts to present those policy papers to the leaders and to individuals who influence the leaders. In this way, IPCRI brings together Israelis and Palestinians in direct efforts to influence the most important political decisions and events.
* Economics and peace go hand-in-hand. IPCRI is now in the process of establishing the Israeli-Palestinian Business Council – a precursor of an Israeli-Palestinian Bilateral Chamber of Commerce. The Business Council will require support for its establishment, registration, staffing and programs.
* IPCRI convenes regularly a strategic thinking team of Israelis and Palestinians who have been negotiators and senior officials in order to develop new ideas for advancing peace. This team meets with decision makers, its ideas are taken seriously and will continue to contribute in concrete ways in peace making. These meetings cost money and as the primary intellectual platform of IPCRI, it is most urgent that we have the funds to continue to meet.
* IPCRI has produced some of the best education materials on peace and democracy that is being used in schools all over Israel and Palestine. In November 2006 IPCRI convened an amazing conference on peace and democracy education with some 270 participants and now we need funds to continue the work of the community of peace and democracy educators that we have established. Education is the hope for the next generation. Our work has proven successes, we must continue it now. Your contribution will support the training of hundreds of Israeli and Palestinian educators during the next year in peace and democracy education.
* IPCRI is bringing together a consortium of environmental NGOs in Israel, Palestine and Jordan in order to convene an international conference on the environment of the region and how to sustain real environmental cooperation across the boundaries. The conference will be held during 2008. The environment of Israel, Palestine and Jordan is shared by us all, yet without cooperation, we will all suffer the consequences. IPCRI's environment program in the next years will place an emphasis on joint projects that will test and development alternative forms of energy. While environmental issues are gaining in importance around the world, in areas of conflict they receive much less attention. We cannot afford to continue to destroy our environment.
* The Israeli-Palestinian Water Forum - Israeli and Palestinian water experts, from the private, academic and governmental sector have been meeting under IPCRI's umbrella since 1989. Your contributions help us to convene the water forum and to initiate new joint cooperation projects that directly benefit Israeli and Palestinian citizens.
* IPCRI continues to place Jerusalem in the center – Jerusalem holds the key to Israeli-Palestinian peace. In our vision, Jerusalem has the potential to become the place where civilizations can celebrate each other’s diversity instead of the city where the clash of civilizations is played out. IPCRI Jerusalem work is based on preparing Jerusalem to be the capitals of two states and a true city of peace.
* IPCRI continues to lead campaigns of great importance in the field of human rights or in areas of key interests to both peoples. IPCRI helped to successfully re-instate re-entry visas for Palestinians who reside in the West Bank on foreign passports. IPCRI is now in the forefront of the campaign to prevent the so called Museum of Tolerance from being built on land within an ancient Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem.
* Twice a month IPCRI conducts public events in which diplomats, journalists and common Israeli and Palestinian citizens participate in. These events bring together prominent Israeli and Palestinian speakers who confront the most timely issues of the day.
