Fifteen participants (6 Arabs and 9 Jews) completed the SFP facilitators training course, which ended February 13. The four month intensive training course was led by Dr Nava Sonnenschein and psychologist, Wasim Birumi. As part of the course the participants attended lectures, received academic reading material, and had intense group discussions on aspects of the Jewish-Arab conflict and the role their own identity plays within it. They also learned the skills needed for facilitating groups in conflict through peer facilitation. During the course, participants kept a diary on their experiences and analyzed the process they went through. These newly trained facilitators began the course with different levels of experience in the field of conflict resolution, yet they all left with a new awareness of the issues of the conflict, their own identity, and skills to work with groups in conflict.

Arab participant: “I want to say that the workshop clarified my own identity and belonging to my people. I am happy and proud that I made this important step in my life. I have changed a lot through this course. I became more knowledgeable and feel a responsibility to my people. Today I am more committed to help them strengthen their identity..”

Jewish participant: “I feel the course is the beginning of a long journey. The first part has exposed me to many voices, feelings, information. I want to re-examine what I have learned and how I previous perceived the situation. I have new eye glasses for seeing our reality in Israel. My view on the conflict between the two people has widened.