Entrants's Name: Libby and Len Traubman

Country: United States

Field: Race Relations

Innovation - idea: Our sustained 14-year-old sustained Dialogue of Muslims, Christians, and Jews continues learning and modeling how to connect, communicate, change and create in our community and beyond. Now in 2007, we offer at no cost to educators and other citizens worldwide two new films -- DIALOGUE AT WASHINGTON HIGH (43 mins), and PEACEMAKERS: Palestinians & Jews Together at Camp (83 mins). http://traubman.igc.org/dg-prog.htm

Innovation - why it is pioneering: (1) While most Palestinians & Jews avoid each other & disengage, we connect, & help others do the same. (2) Our creativity that helps other alienated people to better communicate now includes two new 2007 films - DIALOGUE AT WASHINGTON HIGH (43 mins), and PEACEMAKERS: Palestinians & Jews Together at Camp. With the great need on Earth, both are at no charge to educators and others who will use them http://traubman.igc.org/vids2007.htm

Strategy - how it achieves impact: With a new quality of listerning, we begin with Story -- our personal narratives. We experience that "an enemy is one whose story we have not heard." We communicate what we do on a simple Web site, where we offer people downloadable guidelines and streaming audio and video. We also are examplars in public presentations, after which we support others on campuses and in distant cities to begin and sustain their own perpetual Dialogues. Now we are giving to humankind our two new films, to instruct and hopefully inspire.

Strategy - growth plans: We plan to contine being an authentic model, and to pass on this tradition in face-to-face modeling and support, broadcast media, Internet sharing of materials and relationships, telling the success stories of others, and film. http://traubman.igc.org/messages.htm

Impact to date: We have helped begin many dozens of Dialogues, here and overseas. One can get a sense for that my a Google search of "Jewish Palestinian Dialogue" or "Palestinian Jewish Camp" or "Jewish Palestinian Classroom"

Future impact: We can imagine our model and films being ageless. Elie Wiesel said, and we exprience: "People become the stories they hear and the stories they tell." We believe the power of Story will help jetison humankind to a new place of cooperation with each other and with Earth.

Sustainability - resource base: Our work is all-volunteer. There are no salaries. We are a handful of people who believe Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has." Until recently, we have given away printed guidelines and videos on a budget of about $10,000/year from 50-60 supportive individuals and families. More recently, we have raised more money to help fund Palestinian-Jewish Family Peacemaker Camp ($150,000) and the two grassroots films. ($40,000)

Major challenge for the field: The major challenge is to discover and grow committed people with a spirit of goodwill who will live this life, beginning their own relationships and motivation for the good of all. From this comes unprecedented creativity. Insights are presented in the form of authentic Story. The power today is with a new quality of Listening and with Story.

Contact Information:

Name: Libby and Len Traubman - Co-founders
Mailing address: 1448 Cedarwood Drive
Country: United States
Email: LTraubman@igc.org
Tel: 650-574-8303
Website: http://traubman.igc.org/dg-prog.htm

Bio: Libby & Len Traubman co-founded the 14-year-old Jewish- Palestinian Living Room Dialogue Group in California. These 30 women & men - Holocaust refugees & 20th generation Palestinians - after 176 meetings, continue learning to change "enemies" into partners.

Labor Day Week 2006, the Dialogue again partnered with Camp Tawonga for the 4th & largest-ever Palestinian-Jewish Family Peacemakers Camp in the California mountains. It is the only cross-generational residential camp of its kind in North America, perhaps anywhere. They gathered 255 Jews & Palestinians, including 50 from 29 towns in the Holy Land, women & men equally.

Libby Traubman is a retired clinical social worker. In 1982, in response the threat of global nuclear war, Mrs. Traubman was a founding member of the Beyond War Movement, now Foundation for Global Community. In 1992, she co- founded the Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue Group of San Mateo, based on her earlier experience organizing the Beyond War conference for Israeli & Palestinian citizen-leaders which resulted in a historic signed document, FRAMEWORK FOR A PUBLIC PEACE PROCESS. Libby is on the Board of San Mateo County 2000, & in 1994 was inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame.

Lionel "Len" Traubman retired after 36 years from his practice of Dentistry for Children in San Francisco. Dr. Traubman was regional alumni President of Alpha Omega Jewish dental fraternity, & received the 1998 Distinguished Alumnus Award of the University of California School of Dentistry, for whom he just gave the 2006 Commencement Address. He wrote & published THE ORECKOVSKY FAMILY: FROM RUSSIA TO AMERICA, depicting his pioneer ancestors' immigration following the first pogroms of the early 1880s. The book resides in 100 libraries in North America & Europe. For 25 years, Len has published on war & peace from personal experience with Russians & Americans, Armenians & Azerbaijanis, & Jews & Palestinians.