Supporting Civil Society Peacebuilding
International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace
The case for multilateralism
Why did peace succeed in Northern Ireland but collapse between Israelis and Palestinians? Both were considered deep, “intractable” conflicts over territory and national identity. Both saw intensive diplomatic negotiations in the 1990s. They even had some of the same negotiators. Yet, the peace process in Northern Ireland had one thing the Middle East has never had, something which the U.K.’s chief negotiator called “the great unsung hero of the peace process:” The International Fund for Ireland (IFI).
How and why did it work? Scale and leverage were certainly big factors. Combining funds from multiple donors, including the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union, enabled the IFI to deliver and unlock over $2.4 billion in total peacebuilding investments on the ground. But the structure was equally important. By concentrating funds and efforts through a single international institution, the IFI and the programs it supported gained vastly greater leverage, credibility, efficiency, expertise, sustainability, and impact as they strategically built a long-term infrastructure of peace.
International Fund Strategy
How an International Fund Helped Make Peace in Northern Ireland
Statements of Support for an International Fund
An International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace
There are 13.5 million Israelis and Palestinians living in the region, yet the international community is spending less than $4 per person, per year, towards peace in the region. By comparison, to achieve a sustainable peace in Northern Ireland, the international community spent over a billion dollars over two decades. This averaged spending of $33 per person, per year—starting twelve years before a peace deal was reached—is almost ten times the amount invested in similar efforts between Israelis and Palestinians. This investment occurred through a multilateral funding mechanism called the International Fund for Ireland, created by the U.S. Congress and funded by public and private entities across the world.
Legislation for an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace is making its way through the United States Congress, with MEPPA promising $250 million over five years towards such a priority. With the government of the United Kingdom having officially announced its support for the concept, and various other governments registering interest: ALLMEP’s advocacy for this game-changing project is at its most advanced stage to-date. All the while, ALLMEP continues to defend and grow existing funding for people-to-people peacebuilding projects from governments right around the world.
