ALLMEP announces Regional Director, Nivine Sandouka, to lead innovative new programs focused on trauma-healing, AI-assisted dialogue models, womens’ leadership, and increasing collaboration across the field
In a year marked by unprecedented challenges for the peacebuilding field, ALLMEP and our community of peacebuilders have worked tirelessly to meet the evolving needs of the field. In a survey conducted with our members, 95% reported that they have continued to work with beneficiaries on the ground throughout the course of the war, adapting their programs’ structure and delivery. 25% of our members actually reported an increase in their program activities. In times of immense crisis, suffering, and pain, ALLMEP is proud to support the peacebuilding field as it continues to demonstrate its resilience and steadfast commitment to peace, security, and equality for all.
ALLMEP has operated similarly over the last year, adding new staff, programs, and adapting our strategies to meet the unique challenges posed by this devastating period. Among them, we are proud to announce our new Regional Director Nivine Sandouka. Previously serving on the board of ALLMEP and then as our Regional Chief of Staff, Nivine brings decades of expertise in the peacebuilding field in the region. Nivine is a native East Jerusalemite and serves on the board of many other organizations in Jerusalem, promoting women’s empowerment, civil rights, and community well-being.
Nivine has been leading a comprehensive process to adapt and evolve ALLMEP’s regional programming and our service for our 160+ members, with the network having grown significantly since October 7th and the onset of this war, as has each member’s individual needs. With that growth in mind, Nivine has overseen the development and implementation of a renewed regional strategy at a crucial time for ALLMEP. As we enter the second year of this horrific war and reshape our field-wide strategy to meet the needs of the field in this truly unprecedented moment. ALLMEP is launching several new regional programs to support and strengthen our members, and new research initiatives to provide updated data and policy analysis for government stakeholders and international funding bodies around the world.
Our new Director of Impact and Policy Research, Dr. Natali Levin Schwartz has just completed the first phase of an AI-assisted research project, analyzing local perspectives, opinions, and political visions for the future. We have recently published a short summary of our first-phase findings, which analyze the perspectives of the people working in the peacebuilding field. Next, we will conduct similar dialogues with the wider public, to help better understand the discourse and political aspirations of Palestinians and Israeli Jews living in the region.
Our Director of Programs, Wasim Almasri, has also been implementing a new program focused on trauma-healing and psychosocial support for the field. Both Palestinians and Jewish Israelis are facing immense trauma and retraumatization right now, with direct and secondary exposure to violent conflict casting a shadow over everything that they do. Last spring, ALLMEP conducted a field-wide needs assessment, where the vast majority of peacebuilders and activists in our community named trauma-healing and mental health care as top priorities for their beneficiary populations. Through a series of uni-national workshops and multi-day training sessions, ALLMEP has partnered with leading scholars and trauma therapists to create “Trauma in Peacebuilding” which has already served (X NUMBER) of peacebuilders.
Additionally, ALLMEP’s Director of Membership Relations, Doubi Schwartz, has been coordinating Affinity Group Meetings, bringing together organizations from our network working on similar issue areas like peace and technology, environment, healthcare, identity, education, and more to connect around their work, collaborate on programming, and share knowledge with one another. ALLMEP has long believed that our 160+ member organizations are more than just the sum of their collective work. Collaboration, connection, learning, and partnership are key to scaling the impact of the peacebuilding field and maximizing the reach and impact of these programs.
Lastly, ALLMEP is working hard to launch a new program focused on women’s leadership and empowerment in conflict resolution and peace negotiations. Next year marks the 25th anniversary of UNSCR 1325, which recognizes the outsized impact of violent conflict on women and girls and calls for increased participation of women in peace processes. ALLMEP’s Women’s Leadership Network is focused on platforming and empowering Palestinian and Israeli women peacebuilders across generations. The program will focus on political advocacy and best practices derived from other successful peace processes, and its development is being led by Nivine, in her role as Regional Director and drawing on her expertise as a board member of Forward Global Women, and as a thought leader in the realm of women, peace and security.
This last year has been devastating for the region, with so much death, destruction, and despair on the ground. The death toll is staggering and we know that the foundations required to build a lasting peace are desperately needed right now. Our community of peacebuilders works every day to realize a different kind of reality, rooted in equality, security, and peace for both peoples. ALLMEP is entering the second year of this horrific war with a strong and focused team, ready to tackle the challenges that lay ahead. We couldn’t do this without the incredible work of the peacebuilding community and the generous support of our donors.
