We at Musalaha lament the devastation and unfolding tragedies in Gaza and Southern Israel. We stand firmly against the embrace, use, and justification of violence against civilian populations in the name of justice, vengeance, and liberation. We are distressed and overwhelmed, never having seen this scale of inhumanity, anguish, rage, and hatred before.
Read MoreMusalaha is a faith-based organization that teaches, trains and facilitates reconciliation, mainly between Israelis and Palestinians from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, but also international groups, based on biblical principles of peace, tolerance, and love. We recently received news about Musalaha from Executive Director Daniel Munayer:
Equipped with courage and strong faith in our reconciliation mission, the entire team has prospered in transforming 343 Israelis and Palestinians across the Land in 2022. Musalaha bridges antagonism through faith and by finding each other in joint, meaningful encounters.
Read MoreMusalaha is a faith-based organization that teaches, trains, and facilitates reconciliation, mainly between Israelis and Palestinians from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, but also international groups, based on biblical principles of peace, tolerance, and love. We recently received news about Musalaha from Executive Director Daniel Munayer:
I find myself both excited and humbled to be taking on the role of Executive Director. I am well aware of the big shoes I have to fill, but together as a team, we have already begun rethinking our strategy and approach as an organization. Some changes include revisiting our organizational structure and sharpening our mission statement. Some other changes include further developing our projects domestically and expanding our vision and expertise internationally.
Read MoreYoung Adults Seeking New Ways to be “Community”
A Muslim-Christian Young Adults group recently went to Jordan to take several excellent workshops on volunteerism, participate in a Youth Leader Seminar, and experience several cultural activities.
Organized by eight Danish volunteers, the workshop leaders shared with the Palestinians reasons why they volunteer, how they volunteer, and what they do when they volunteer back in Denmark. They then challenged the group to explore the causes that motivate them the most and to design their own volunteer outreach program when they return to Bethlehem.
Read MoreMusalaha Ministry of Reconciliation is a non-governmental and non-profit organization that promotes and facilitates reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, and internationally with people from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds. Musalaha encourages participants to engage in conflict resolution by going through a process developed in our 22-chapter reconciliation curriculum called, "Six Stages of Reconciliation." One of our most popular and successful projects is with children. Every year we provide summer camps across Israel and Palestine. Depending on the location, some camps are mixed Jewish-Palestinian, and others are mixes of Christian-Muslim Palestinians. Indeed, after women, children have proven to be the most successful segment in achieving reconciliation. Often, children find it easier to recognize the humanity in their fellow campers and develop lasting relationships. Moreover, children who grew up attending Musalaha's camps tend to be more successful in later years at reconciliation.
Read MoreAs part of promoting reconciliation in the community, we conducted a joint Christmas training for our women's groups from Bethlehem and Aboud, emphasizing the value of giving. The weekend focused on sharing our love and message of reconciliation with children who have physical and psychological needs, many of whom would not be able to spend the holidays with their families. The women prepared gift baskets and gave them to neighbors in need as part of learning to celebrate Christmas through giving, love, and reconciliation.
University students are hard to pin down. For many, their energies are devoted to their studies. They are at the mercy of rigorous course and exam schedules and have too much to do with their limited time.
Read MoreLight in the Darkness
On a rainy afternoon in Jerusalem, fifty-seven women arrive at Tantur Ecumenical Institute seeking reconciliation against the odds. Despite common faith in Jesus, the group is far from ordinary – composed of Palestinian Israelis, Jewish Israelis, and Palestinian women living in the Palestinian Authority.
Recent political activity tried to exacerbate the distance between these communities; so, everyone who walks through the door is performing an act of courage, vulnerability, and gentle defiance against stereotypes. Still, each person carries a unique set of expectations or doubts.
In the first session rather than focusing explicitly on the theological rhetoric and the wounds and fears that have historically served to dichotomize these communities, the staff brought our focus to relationship building. The group is broken into smaller circles, and we engage in a game: each person is given a different colored slip of paper.
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