Peacebuilding amid Polarization: A Leader’s Toolkit for Constructive Engagement on the Israeli–Palestinian Crisis

Drawing on the expertise of leading scholar-practitioners of religion, peacebuilding, international relations, and conflict transformation, this five-part series offers practical, conceptual, and theological tools to help community builders, educators, religious leaders, and peace activists—both experienced and in training—navigate the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and its global impact. Sessions offer educational content, opportunities for participant engagement, and practical capacity-building exercises. 

Registering for the series means attending the Zoom course sessions each Thursday in February from 3pm-4:30pm Eastern Time.  The series also includes an additional “VIP” opportunity for those seeking feedback and coaching related to their particular areas of engagement.  Please note that the VIP option will follow the regular course sessions, and will go from 4:30-5:00pm EST.

There are no prerequisites to participation in this series. Each of the five content blocks functions as a stand-alone module, but the series as a whole is designed to offer participants a rich cumulative experience. The series expects active engagement of participants, and a certificate of completion will be awarded to those who participate in all 5 sessions.

The 5 sessions will be as follows (subject to change):  

1) Detoxifying the Discourse: Deep Listening, Discerning Motives and Agendas, Dialogue vs Debate

2) Developing Psycho-Spiritual Competencies and a Multi-Narrative Perspective

3) Acknowledging the Constructive and Confronting the Destructive Roles of Religion in the Crisis

4) Investing in a Shared Future: Pathways for Collective Healing

5) Walking through Grief, Imagining Transformation

This course will be team taught and facilitated by Dr. Yehezkel Landau, Dr. Celine Ibrahim, Dr. Rashied Omar, and Dr. Vanessa Avery.

This series is generously sponsored in part by the unRival Network* and enjoys collaboration and partnership from Religions for Peace USA and Hartford International University for Religion and Peace.

*About unRival:  UnRival is a network for those committed to nonviolence.  We support leaders building peace directly in their communities through leadership formation programs, research and resources, and by sharing their stories.