Training of Palestinians on on conflict resolution (inside and outside Palestine) Strengthening role of women in decision making .

Wi’am is a grassroots organization established in Bethlehem in 1995, and an Oxfam partner since 2006.

Overview

The Wi’am Palestinian Conflict Resolution Center began operation in March of 1995. “Wi’am” in Arabic means “cordial relationships,” and developing relationships is the essence of our mission.  The Center helps to resolve disputes within the Palestinian community by implementing the traditional Arab form of mediation, known as Sulha, as well as Western models of conflict resolution. When Wi’am opened its doors, people living in the West Bank did not accept the authority of the Israeli military occupation, and there was no clear Palestinian authority outside Gaza and Jericho. Since many of the traditional village leaders (mukhtars) were appointed by the Israelis during the occupation, their legitimacy was no longer fully accepted by the community.

Although Palestinian autonomy is now extending into most major population centers in the West Bank, in reality 70% of the West Bank remains under Israeli military occupation. The Palestinian community has been severely weakened by more than three decades of Occupation (since 1967), and the transition of power to the Palestinian National Authority is slow-moving. One of the consequences of this reality is that there is no clear means of resolving disputes within the Palestinian community. It is in this context that the Wi’am Center continues its operation.
Our Mission

As a grassroots organization established in Bethlehem in 1995, Wi’am aims to improve the quality of relationships and promote peace and reconciliation in the community. It strives alongside other forces present in the community to build a society based on democratic norms and values.

Principles of Wi’am

Wi’am provides individual families, groups and neighborhoods with peaceful alternatives to conflict by:

Addressing and confronting injustices rather than avenging them
Dignifying persons on both sides of a conflict
Promoting meaningful and healthy relationships
Promoting dialogue at the inter and intra- community levels
Promoting greater joint mobilization around the values of peace, democracy, and human rights
Contributing to the reduction of violence and promulgating a culture of non-violence

Challenges and Sources of Conflict

Since opening its doors, Wi’am mediators have intervened in thousands of individual and community conflicts. These conflicts have all stemmed from the same root causes: Israeli occupation, the deterioration of both economic and political prospects, and the innumerable human rights violations against the Palestinian people. All of these stimuli and more influence the types of conflicts we encounter and the approaches we employ to mediate the conflicts. The only certainty in our context is uncertainty.

Repercussions of the Occupation

Economic: absence of tourism, closures of territories, high rates of unemployment, poverty and the difficulty of meeting basic needs
Cross-Cultural: deterioration of religious tolerance, lack of understanding, misperceptions of the “Other,” and lack of information about the situation at the international level due to media bias
Environmental: deforestation, confiscation of fertile agricultural land for the purposes of building the Separation Wall, dumping of waste material, lack of land and water rights
Domestic violence: delinquency, abuse, the inheritance generational violence, conflict between tenants, depression and stress-related symptoms
General Demoralization: emigration trends, trauma, lack of political direction, hopelessness, shaken self-esteem, polarization
Youth: delinquency, theft, drug abuse, traumatic experiences, lack of opportunity

Strategy

As the challenges to building a progressive civil society mount, and as we are becoming increasingly cut off from our neighbors in the region due to the political climate and the construction of the Separation Wall, the need for conflict resolution, mediation and civic education is vital. In an effort to respond to the needs of the community, we are looking towards the activation of more programs, activities, and fostering an already established network of peace-advocating organizations. This mission includes the propagation of the following:

1. Empowerment of Women: The contributions of Palestinian women to community development are inestimable. In an effort to boost the vast potential of women, Wi’am seeks to continuously develop programs that empower women in their roles of family (community) building, children’s education and leadership.

2. Community Centers for Youth groups: Young people in the Bethlehem have few options for releasing and developing their potential. They face problems with securing places that can provide a safe-haven for their meetings, discussions of community issues, and activities. Long-term goals include the construction of a multi-purpose community center that can host youth groups in an atmosphere of sharing and diversity of thought.

We have the following tasks:

Train community members, particularly the youth and women, in effective conflict mediation and reconciliation techniques and methods
Strengthen the involvement of women in formal leadership roles
Coordinate networks of Palestinian conflict resolution centers throughout the Occupied Territories
Expand the capacity of the Wi’am Center, including additional administrative staff, office space, equipment and staff development