Bringing Palestinian and Israeli children together in a safe, healthy and fun environment built on principles of
equality, diversity and respect.
The Peres Center For Peace
Israel’s leading non-profit organization promoting peacebuilding between Israel and its Arab neighbours, and in particular between Israelis and Palestinians. Founded in 1996 by the President of Israel and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shimon Peres, the Peres Center conducts dozens of projects which foster socio-economic cooperation and cross-border, people-to-people interaction in a wide range of fields, such as medicine, sports, agriculture, business, IT, education, the arts, and more.
Our programs have touched the lives of tens of thousands of participants in Israel, the Palestinian Authority and throughout the region. There are no similar organisations working on such a large scale to bring Palestinians and Israelis together.
The Peres Center for peace bases its peacebuilding activities on five main pillars, each of which focuses on a specific aspect of the organisation's mission: Dialogue and People-to-People Interaction, Capacity-building through Cooperation, Nurturing a culture of Peace in the Region's Youth, Business and economic cooperation, Humanitarian Responses. For further information visit our website: www.peres-center.org
Al Quds Association for Democracy and Dialogue (AFDD)
Established in 2006, with the aim of creating projects and sustainable cooperation with Israelis for mutual understanding and peace, the AFDD operates mainly in Palestinian centres and refugee camps where radicalism and hatred are easily bred.
Through its programmes, AFDD aims to transform the participant’s outlook from that of hatred and cynicism to appreciation of peace, dialogue and coexistence. For further information visit our website: http://afdd-pal.org/
Twinned Peace Sport Schools Program
Launched in 2002, the Twinned Peace Sport Schools program annually engages 1,500-2,000 children aged 6-14 from twinned communities in Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
In each locality, the Peres Center and Al Quds Association for Democracy and Dialogue establishes a football or basketball school, provides the children with weekly sports training, peace education activities and inter-language learning. The children meet with their twinned school for monthly joint Palestinian-Israeli activities and other special events.
The primary long-term objectives of this program are to foster values of peace and coexistence between young Palestinians and Israelis by changing attitudes toward the 'other' and diffusing stereotypes. New and unexpected relationships and bonding develop between Palestinian and Israeli children and their families. The secondary objectives are to provide a forum for the improvement of physical coordination and fitness; develop the participants' physical, cognitive and social skills; foster understanding and internalization of concepts of sportsmanship and teamwork; and increase motivation, confidence and leadership skills.
The program addresses an acute need in the participating communities, which offer very limited after-school activities and suffer from a chronic lack of sport and recreational facilities.
This program is designed to instill values of peaceful coexistence and encourage self-development through sport over a significant period of time. The program is implemented from September to June (parallel to the school year) and new entrants are encouraged to continue participating in the program for a number of years in order to successfully foster a profound appreciation of peace and achieve other aims related to fitness improvement and self-development.
Twinned Peace Kindergardens
The Peres Center, in cooperation with the Israel Tennis Center, launched the “Twinned Peace Kindergartens” program in 2004. The program caters to Palestinian, Arab-Israeli, and Jewish-Israeli children aged 4-6 years living in the Jerusalem region.
The children meet weekly to participate in a joint session, in which instruction is delivered in both Hebrew and Arabic. Within this session, the children participate in activities focusing on motor skill development (coordination, posture, and depth perception), with a view to improving fine motor skills, fostering cooperation and teamwork, and instilling self-confidence, sportsmanship and discipline. In addition, Peace Education activities are factored into the program, allowing the youngsters of different backgrounds to learn about each other, and be open to "the other". Special family days also give the parents and siblings the opportunity to interact with counterparts from the 'other side'.
Since its launch, the Twinned Peace Kindergartens program has reached over 1,000 Palestinian and Israeli youngsters from East and West Jerusalem and touched the lives of thousands of secondary and indirect beneficiaries including parents, friends, teachers and the community at large.
Language-Bridges
"Garak Kribek" (Arabic for 'your neighbor is your friend') illustrates our ethos at the Twinned Peace Sport Schools program, which brings Palestinian and Israeli neighbours together.
For the success of the project all participants learn basic Arabic or Hebrew in the Inter-Language Learning program. This component is practical and uses vocabulary from the world of sport. The children also learn about each other's cultures, religions, and traditions.
Apprentice Coaches
This year for the first time, graduates of the Twinned Peace Sport Schools Program have enrolled in a special program of their own - the Twinned Peace Apprentice Coaches Program.
Each 'Apprentice Coach' will, whilst learning new sport training skills, also participate in this new program dedicated to connecting all apprentice coaches and engaging them in more sophisticated coexistence activities.
These 15-18 year olds are volunteering in their communities: "ambassadors" for the project's ideas - ambassadors for peace.
Peace Team Outreach: Delegations Abroad
Various mixed Palestinian-Israeli youth delegations have had the opportunity to play together in exciting tournaments around the globe.
Playing abroad in teams comprised of Palestinian and Israeli youth gives the participants the opportunity to experience more intense interaction, as the youth travel, lodge and eat together throughout the duration of their visit.
The delegations serve as an inspirational opportunity to demonstrate how Israelis and Palestinians can overcome conflict and hostility and build positive and cooperative relations.
We recognise the many gracious individuals and organisations who make this work possible:
Beracha Foundation
Canadian Government (Canadian Heritage and DFAIT)
Casa Sefarad
Dutch Jewish Humanitarian Fund
Embassy of China in Israel
Eranda Foundation
Football for Hope
Foundation for Reconciliation, Tolerance and Truth
Generalitat de Catalunya
Laureus Sport for Good Foundation
Marc Rich Foundation
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece
Pratt Foundation
Real Madrid Foundation and AECID
Regione Toscana
Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation
And individual support from friends of the Peres Center, around the world.
