Icci.org.il - Women's Programs

Women's Programs

Through innovative programs aimed at encouraging female leadership, ICCI brings together groups of Israeli (Jewish) and Palestinian (Muslim and Christian) women to act as catalysts for peace. Since June 1991, these ICCI groups of women in Jerusalem and the Galilee strengthen the voice of women by empowering them to change the fabric of societal discourse in their respective communities and in greater Israeli society, and lay the groundwork for a shared future, despite the ongoing conflict.

ICCI strongly believes that if Israelis and Palestinians, Jews, Muslims and Christians, in the sacred and conflicted city of Jerusalem can come together and build mutual trust, respect, and understanding, they can serve as examples and as role models for both peoples, ultimately spreading hope for reconciliation.

Women of the Book: A Jerusalem Collage

Created, planned, and coordinated by Ms. Sarah Bernstein (an Israeli Jew) and Ms. Hanadi Soudah-Younan (a Palestinian Christian), a member of the ICCI’s Executive Committee, this program was and remains unique in that it created an ongoing dialogue between Jewish, Muslim and Christian women from East and West Jerusalem that successfully led to joint social action projects.

In June 2005, as a culmination of three years of active dialogue, the group published a book entitled Women of the Book: A Jerusalem Collage, which includes honest reflections by the participants about their dialogue experiences and about some of the dilemmas raised by living in a situation of ongoing conflict. The work is a fascinating mosaic about the interwoven lives and identities of a group of "everyday" Jerusalem women, committed to sharing their present and their future and creating a better world for the next generation. In addition, the book features visual collages created by the participants on the theme of women’s lineage and raises many questions and issues, such as connection to the land, refugee experiences, fear as a natural but prominent part of life, and raising children in the midst of conflict.

Women of the Book has already proven itself to be a powerful tool for helping other people move beyond their fear and distrust of the Other. We have found that the collages engage participants on a deep, human level. The women participants of the first dialogue group used this tool to build connections across the divide between different Jerusalem communities. In this way the women began the work of breaking down the almost insurmountable barriers of bitterness, fear, and suspicion that divide Jerusalem.

Jerusalem Women as Catalysts for Peace Group

Building upon the experiences of this first women’s dialogue group, ICCI has gone on to implement further programming in order to capitalize on the momentum already created and have a wider impact. While the first program described briefly above focused on various issues relating to the regional conflict, this group tried a different dialogue method, based on sharing life stories. Launched in May 2006, the group met over the course of 15 months to grapple with the realities of life in the socially, culturally, economically and physically divided city of Jerusalem. The methodology, based on personal narratives, provided a unique window into the conflict, and was particularly suited to women’s dialogue, combining the personal with the national, cultural and religious themes we wished to explore.

In the personal narrative dialogue sessions the women’s life stories have provided a fascinating glimpse into the sometimes harsh realities of life in Jerusalem, as well as historical, cultural and social processes which have impacted upon women’s lives over the course of the last seventy years. Interestingly, many stories have focused on experiences of loss and hardship in childhood, and how these early experiences have shaped the women’s lives as they struggle to build a better future for their children. Women reflected on the similarities and differences between growing up in an orphanage and growing up in the communal education system of a left-wing kibbutz. Group members have discussed their experiences of marriage – whether arranged or by choice – and how society changes, and remains fixed. Women compared their ability to direct the course of their own lives, and the extent to which their lives are dictated by the cultural and social mores of their respective societies. Members of the group discussed the impact the protracted conflict has had on their lives, and how they cope with the consequences of loss, restrictions and fear.

The Jerusalem Women as Catalysts for Peace group is now working on a project to distribute hats knitted by women in the US to new-born babies in East and West Jerusalem, together with blessings from the three religions. The women chose to study the theme of "Ceremonies and Traditions surrounding Childbirth" as the first stage in their new project. The women shared traditions from the three religions, leading to an absorbing discussion of the different practices, their parallels and differences. The women are now working to finalize and translate the blessings and other texts they have chosen, and will then begin work on compiling the blessings in an artistic format as a gift to accompany the knitted caps, which they will distribute to Jewish, Christian and Muslim women in the maternity wards in the city's hospitals.