Friendship Village

Friendship Village acts to promote education for civil society, democracy and peace

We believe that a determinate action is needed in Israel-Palestine to empower women-educators to be politically aware and to lead civil society and democracy.

We create cooperation with educational institutions to form academic courses and summer training for Jewish and Arab women-students in the education colleges, and for women-teachers currently working in the Israeli education system.

In these courses and training, Arab and Jewish Israeli women-educators get to meet and connect. They learn together about the Jewish-Arab conflict and about the narrative of "The Other", about democracy, civil society and conflict resolution. The process they undergo opens their eyes to see the other group's needs and validity and to empathize with them, and creates an aspiration for resolving the conflict in a positive way.

As women and as educators they are empowered to recognize their own power and responsibility as main change agents in society. Their daily work at the schools is immediately influenced, as their knowledge, their confidence and their abilities to speak and act grow.

We are convinced that such courses should be a part of all curriculum in all academic institutions, and we strive to mobilize them towards increasing education for democracy and peace.