5) Description of initiative: Friends of the Villages is a partnership between Palestinians and Jewish Israelis working within the Occupied Territories--a place now in extreme crisis.

We have four areas of focus: agricultural support and rehabilitation, legal advocacy, support for individuals most directly harmed by the occupation, and community building. Because farms themselves are targets of violence (destruction and poisoning of crops, travel restrictions interfering with cultivation and harvest, and attacks on farmers themselves), various technical and human supports are provided protect this economic base. Legal advocacy aims for uniform application of the rule of law and against individual cases of discrimination. Many individuals harmed by the occupation (a family member is killed, for example) are supported during their crisis and trauma. On the community level, we have supported programs and training for residents in three communities: Salem, Deir al-Hattab, and South Mt. Hebron -- all on the West Bank.

Because all four areas of focus arise out of direct, human relationships between Palestinians and Jewish Israelis, there are profound ripple effects. People on both sides step out of hopelessness and powerlessness, into action based on mutual respect.

The occupation environment is rife with asymmetries and therefore the task of developing mutual and respectful relationships requires courage, openness, long-term commitment and --for the Israelis among us -- careful avoidance of "saviour" mentalities.

Because of travel restrictions, the Israelis in our organization regularly visit their Palestinian counterparts in the three communities cited above.

The beneficiaries are both the Israelis and Palestinians who overcome the social isolation which has continually grown since the first intifada. Almost an entire generation is growing up not having contact with the other side -- an ominous reality!

6) Description of innovation: Conditions in the West Bank and Gaza have been in steep decline, particularly in the last few years. Numerous checkpoints within the West Bank limit Palestinian mobility tremendously; waiting for hours at a single checkpoint is the norm. Education, work, and commerce are all therefore severely compromised. International aid has been all but cut off.

On top of that the conflict directly affects civilian targets -- people, farms, infrastructure. So this main uniqueness of our work is finding ways to create mutual, respectful relations in the midst of numerous and extreme asymmetries. In particular, our activity is unique in several respects:

- Location. It is bi-lateral work done within the occupied territories itself. Unlike coexistence programs in Israel itself, this organization focuses on those most affected by the occupation and separation, i.e. those living in the Occupied Territories. - People. It is mediated through nonprofessionals who have direct relationships, and these relationships are grounded in a long-term history of working together -- in contrast to potentially impersonal relationships between organizations and agencies. - Focus. As an organization, it does not undertake political advocacy of any kind. It focuses on specific communities. - Skillfulness. There is, within the organization, a thorough, "on-the-job" training in trauma and coping with trauma, facilitated by volunteer clinical psychologists. - Dignity and security. We work together to ensure that neither the dignity nor security of any individual or community is compromised by the work of the organization. - Nonaggression. It requires careful work for us not to be aggressive, especially to people who are aggressors.

7) Delivery model: For us, the notion of "target population" implies for us a false dichotomy. Within the realm of our partnership, this is not quite an accurate notion. However we do work together for the survival and development of the three Palestinian communities -- and others in the future.

Similarly, the "mechanism" is not a form of media, or some kind of system. It is simply the one-on-one or many-to- many meetings that are fostered through existing social networks. We are the bridge builders who can ensure that formal aid is directed to the right people, who truly want the aid, and whose survival and capacities are positively affected in the long run.

In short, on the basis of these relationships, more traditional partnerships (described below) are formed -- not the reverse!

Also, we serve to inform people on both sides of the separation wall. People within the West Bank are sometimes not aware of their human rights. People outside the West Bank are often not aware of the conditions and needs that exist there.

8) Key operational partnerships: In general, we are bridge builders between, on the one hand, Palestinian individuals and community organizations and, on the other, Israeli and international agencies dedicated to humanitarian assistance and human rights.

In particular agricultural support and rehabilitation involves working with local village councils. Also, local Jemaiya (community centers) are partners in the identification, prioritization and delivery of support and materiel.

The Center for Individual Human Rights, Physicians for Human Rights, and Machsom Watch (a.k.a. "Mothers of the Checkpoints") have all been active partners, providing critically needed support and services.

To provide legal advocacy, relationships with several sympathetic attorneys in Israel has been essential.

The Center for Individual Reconciliation and Recovery has organized large-scale, multi-lateral meetings to broaden the experience of mutual engagement.

In recent years, Ha'Arretz, the major daily newspaper in Israel, has been an excellent witness and advocate for the needs we address and the kinds of work we do.

To ease Israeli travel to and from affected areas, some form of collaboration and understanding is sometimes possible with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). There has also been work done to encourage the IDF to protect Palestinian civil rights.

9) Financial model: Our finances have been minimal with neither staff nor overhead expense. All fundraising has been made on a case- by-case, 100%-to-purpose basis. For example, funding a school bus so that the children in the south Mt. Hebron area may attend school. Giving support to a family whose head of household was shot by a settler. Buying and delivering medications that would otherwise not be available. Transporting people with urgent medical emergencies to hospital.

However, we are now certainly at a transition point. We envision on-going fundraising and administrative effort which will cost no more than 15% of funds raised. Five percent of funds will also be reserved for administrative expenses and travel. Thus, 80% is reserved for direct application to the focus areas.

          • Costs as percentage of income: 0

          • Financing: Donors include individuals and foundations. Because this is a scalable organization with low overhead, relationships have been sustained for very little. However those relationships lay the foundation for projects which may increase in scale and number. We also hope to form partnerships in other villages.

We are definitely at the transition point between start-up and scaling up. Our emerging business plan suggests there are several opportunities and a few challenges involved. We seek to raise $100K in the next year, and within three years, be operating within the $300-500K range.

The principal challenge is to retain the integrity and dignity of the partnerships while projects with greater costs are undertaken. We plan to approach this scaling up deliberately and collaboratively.

10) Effectiveness

          • Project outcomes: It is a safe assumption that most people in the three communities (total population, approximately 12000) have a direct or indirect connection to the partnerships formed, the assistance rendered, or the infrastructure rehabilitated. Hundreds have had a direct connection. In addition, nearby villages have been positively affected.

          • Number of clients in past year: Dozens have had a direct connection. Hundreds, if not thousands, have had indirect benefit.

11) Scaling up strategy

          • Stage of the initiative: Scaling Up stage.

          • Expansion plan: Friends of the Villages is a model for how to work together under circumstances of separation. Because larger groups cannot meet, our plan is for more small teams.

Money. Because of the mounting economic and social devastation in this area, we are receiving encouragement from donors to scale up. We have engaged a Canadian Director who, for the short term, volunteers to represent us internationally.

People. We do not see a shortage of interested and trainable Israelis who can also do this work. Nor do we see a shortage of Palestinians interested in relationship and cooperation.

Infrastructure. This can be kept to a minimum. However, we do foresee a need for more robust communications technology and more opportunities to meet as a larger organization (understanding that there are financial, technical, legal and physical obstacles to those).

12) Origin of the initiative: In 2002, two-year-old Tabarek Odeh, in Deir al-Hattab was in critical need of neurological medication. Under curfew, the parents sent out an urgent appeal, and an Israeli, Assaf Oron, responded by sending the medication to a nearby health centre. Due to checkpoint delays, the parents could not get to hospital in time, and the baby died. Since then, some of us (including Assaf) visit people in the villages of Salem and Deir al-Hattab to open and maintain relations there. Also, similar friendships developed in the south Mount Hebron area. Traditional people in this area, "cave dwellers," face many obstacles to retain their traditional ways of life.

Contact Information:
Robert  Ziegler
Director
Friends of the Villages
(NGO)
Palestine