Shanti-Salam-Shalom-PeaceProject
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My name is Ibtisam Ahmad Ali and I am an Israeli-Arab and alumni of Portland State University's Conflict Resolution Masters program. I have spent many years working with local communities, examining their needs and interests, and finding ways to empower and assist them both in my hometown of Acre, Israel, and now in Portland, Oregon.
I am building an NGO focusing on high school program for exchange of Arab Israeli, Jewish Israeli, and Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza with American high school students. I will use my passion for this work in my NGO. This initiative is called the Shanti-Salam-Shalom Peace Project, and will soon be registered officially. The word “Salam” is Arabic for Peace, “Shalom” is Hebrew for Peace, and in Punjabi, “Shanti” also means Peace for Indians and Pakistanis.
This month in June, I will go to visit Palestine and Israel to start my project there with the two schools.The first project will be directly with a school from my hometown of Acre, and the other will be with a school from Bethlehem in the West Bank.
I believe that change in societies, communities and policies comes from the youth and those able to carry forward and influence major events in history through a shift of paradigm. Under-pinning this shift, and one way to influence it is to provide students with an understanding of Conflict Resolution. I believe that in this way a strong foundation for collaboration can be built between Palestinian, Israeli and American youth communities working together, sharing ideas, and learning about each others’ cultures, customs, and dynamics. I seek to build bridges of understanding between Eastern and Western cultures more generally, and between Israeli and Palestinian youth. Building early connections will help those who participate to understand the Palestinian Israeli conflict differently, and beyond cultural or political stereotypes. My program will enhance this opportunity through workshops held with students both in Israel/Palestine and in the US. I believe we can collaborate towards building a better future.
I ask for your support and donations as we launch our NGO!
I am building an NGO focusing on high school program for exchange of Arab Israeli, Jewish Israeli, and Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza with American high school students. I will use my passion for this work in my NGO. This initiative is called the Shanti-Salam-Shalom Peace Project, and will soon be registered officially. The word “Salam” is Arabic for Peace, “Shalom” is Hebrew for Peace, and in Punjabi, “Shanti” also means Peace for Indians and Pakistanis.
This month in June, I will go to visit Palestine and Israel to start my project there with the two schools.The first project will be directly with a school from my hometown of Acre, and the other will be with a school from Bethlehem in the West Bank.
I believe that change in societies, communities and policies comes from the youth and those able to carry forward and influence major events in history through a shift of paradigm. Under-pinning this shift, and one way to influence it is to provide students with an understanding of Conflict Resolution. I believe that in this way a strong foundation for collaboration can be built between Palestinian, Israeli and American youth communities working together, sharing ideas, and learning about each others’ cultures, customs, and dynamics. I seek to build bridges of understanding between Eastern and Western cultures more generally, and between Israeli and Palestinian youth. Building early connections will help those who participate to understand the Palestinian Israeli conflict differently, and beyond cultural or political stereotypes. My program will enhance this opportunity through workshops held with students both in Israel/Palestine and in the US. I believe we can collaborate towards building a better future.
I ask for your support and donations as we launch our NGO!
Organizer
Ibtisam Ahmad Ali
Organizer
Portland, OR