IFWP Middle East Peace Initiative

"Exploring Innovative Approaches to Lasting Peace and Stability

in the Middle East"

 

Jerusalem, Israel May 10-16, 2005 - Co-Sponsoring Organizations

International and Interreligious Federation for World Peace ("IIFWP")

As a UN affiliated NGO, IIFWP is vitally involved in the peace process in an ongoing, but strictly non-partisan way, and has been involved in drawing together moderate grass roots opinion on all sides to foster peace and reconciliation.

It has brought leaders of all faiths to embrace each other and to work together for peace transcending ancient sectarian divides and longstanding and deep-seated ill feeling. Its community service projects, bringing youth from all sides to work together to provide for the needs of each other’s communities, have been hailed as inspirational. It has also brought international statesmen, leaders of all faiths, parliamentarians and a host of other VIPs from every continent, to intercede for peace. Most recently (April 2nd and 3rd) an IIFWP delegation visited Jordan to educate people there about the part it can play in the peace process. It was widely featured on Jordanian TV and welcomed by Crown Prince Hassan. Continuing on to Ramallah, it held a seminar for 60 Imams and Sheiks and other leaders from the Islamic tradition (some of whom had hitherto been equivocal about violence as a means to peace) in non-violent conflict resolution. All participants warmly welcomed this initiative.

IIFWP’s work has been recognized and welcomed by the Sharon and Arafat (Abbas) governments alike and it was accorded official observer status in the recent Palestinian elections. It has been granted personal access at the highest level to key leaders such as Arafat, Abbas and Peres. Its events have been attended by top religious and political figures as well as by leading diplomats from major nations. It thus understands well the concerns and needs of such a select group of people.

World Media Association ("WMA")

Over the passed 25 years WMA has acquired a reputation in global media circles for mounting highly successful fact finding tours for media professionals to the world’s trouble-spots. These tours have afforded fresh insight into and coverage of areas of conflict of vital concern to the rest of the world such as Central America, Southeast Asia and the old Soviet Block. Affiliated to the News World Communications group, publishers of the Washington Times, United Press International, the Tiempos del Mundo network of newspapers in South America and a host of other publications, it draws upon the group’s wealth of media experience to ensure that its fact finding tours cater in a stimulating and highly professional way, to the needs of media professionals.

United Press International Foundation ("UPIF")

United Press International is a byword for journalistic integrity and a legend in the history of the development of media through its pioneering the provision of wire services and its having gained numerous ‘Pulitzer’ Prizes. It has, for a number of years, helped promote a range of events of interest and service to the media world through its United Press International Foundation ("UPIF") offshoot.

Womens Federation for World Peace ("WFWP")

WFWP was founded in May 1992 by Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon as an association of women from all over the world, from all faith backgrounds and from none and from all racial and ethnic backgrounds and nationalities, dedicated to bringing the unique peace making qualities of women to bear on current issues affecting the well being of humanity. It has been actively involved in building bridges of peace between all races and nations, in poverty eradication and women empowerment programs, as well as fostering women rights and opportunities. In Israel and as p[art of the "MEPI" it has been actively involved in the work of healing and reconciliation in local areas by visiting and embracing the families on both sides who have fallen victim to suicide bombers and other terror attacks. It is an NGO registered at the U.N.

World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations ("WANGO")

WANGO is a global network of NGOs established to harness the selfless energy and commitment to human betterment of NGOs throughout the world. It enables such bodies to work together harmoniously, better utilizing scarce resources and sharing know how and understanding of all kinds to tackle intractable social problems more effectively. It is registered as an NGO at the U.N. and provides a wide variety of support material and services to other NGOs. In The Middle East it has recently sponsored and organized a highly successful "Play Soccer Make Peace" football tournament in Gaza to help rebuild the shattered morale and low self esteem of young Arabs in the townships and refugee areas and has provided computer equipment to establish IT learning programs for young Arabs and Israelis.