Affinity Groups

The ALLMEP Affinity Groups initiative provides a unique platform for peacebuilders to collaborate, share knowledge, and tackle mutual challenges across different fields of expertise. By bringing together professionals from various sectors, the Affinity Groups foster a collaborative environment where participants can exchange ideas, support each other’s work, and develop solutions to the complex issues affecting peacebuilding efforts. The program transitions from networking and sharing challenges to producing actionable policy recommendations that shape decisions on peacebuilding, with a focus on bottom-up solutions. The groups serve as a bridge between grassroots efforts and policymakers, advocating for strategies that directly address the root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

List of Affinity Groups

Tech & Peace

This group focuses on fostering entrepreneurship in the tech and peace sectors to create opportunities for marginalized communities, especially inside Israel. By supporting innovative startups and projects, the group aims to generate jobs, promote economic collaboration, and empower communities through technology-driven peacebuilding initiatives.

Health

Health is a universal right that transcends political boundaries. This group focuses on improving healthcare access, discusses trauma and mental health support, and fosters cross-border collaborations between civil society health organizations.

Education

This group discusses educational opportunities that bring young people from different communities together. It focuses on projects like joint schools, teacher exchanges, and cross-border learning programs to promote understanding, tolerance, and cooperation.

Faith

Faith communities play a key role in peacebuilding. This group supports groups working on peacebuilding based on religious values, interfaith dialogue and collaboration between religious leaders.

Women’s Leadership

Women are central to peacebuilding. This group works to increase women’s participation in leadership and decision-making. It supports mentorship programs, advocacy efforts, and training to ensure women are represented in peacebuilding efforts.

Palestinian Narrative

This group centers Palestinian voices in peacebuilding. It focuses on amplifying their stories, addressing inequalities, and ensuring their perspectives are heard in policy discussions and international forums. The aim is to promote understanding and a balanced approach to peace.

Objectives

Transform discussion-based groups into engines for policy advocacy by developing and promoting recommendations that address short and long-term policy challenges in peacebuilding.
Create a network of professionals and organizations that can collectively address shared challenges in peacebuilding through structured discussions, workshops, and events.
Equip participants with the tools and support needed to propose concrete, evidence-based policy solutions that influence local, national, and international decision-makers.
Facilitate the continuous exchange of ideas, experiences, and best practices across diverse fields, encouraging participants to build on each other’s work and develop innovative solutions.
Ensure that the policy recommendations and advocacy efforts are directly linked to peacebuilding activities, creating tangible improvements for communities affected by conflict.