Radio All For Peace

A Palestinian-Israeli Radio Station-

The idea of a joint Israeli-Palestinian radio station is unique and innovative, and one through which we can bring the vast accumulated experience of both the Jewish-Arab Center for Peace at Givat Haviva and the Palestinian organization Biladi – The Jerusalem Times to bear through the electronic media and reach a new audience, previously not exposed to the message of peace, and bring to them our message.

The Palestinian organization Biladi – The Jerusalem Times and the Israeli organization The Jewish-Arab Centre for Peace, Givat Haviva, which are partners in the youth magazine Crossing Borders and maintain a long-standing, good and egalitarian working relationship, propose to create a joint radio station broadcasting in Hebrew, Arabic and English, which aimed at a wide audience amongst both people and provides messages of peace, cooperation, mutual understanding, coexistence and hope.

The goals of the project include:

·exposure of the various aspects of each side to the other side

exposure of interviewees, artists and topics of each side to the other side

emphasis on the different and the similar

breaking of stereotypes existing on both sides

discussion of common interests such as health, environment, culture, transportation, economy, etc.

exposure and reporting on joint initiatives and projects and on alternative ideas for the conclusion of the conflict

providing hope to the listeners

preparing listeners towards “the morning after” the conflict

A central aspect of the conflict between the two people arises from the distance and alienation between them. Common sense dictates that the more we know each other the less we will hate, be angry at and fear each other. A large portion of each of the two populations does not know the other side at all, except for what they learn through the local media, which do not always paint a picture truly reflecting the other side. In fact, the media generally emphasize only the negative aspects. Showing the true face of each side will assist in grappling with these obstacles, which have been built up over the years of the conflict, and will assist in opening hearts towards the better days to come.

One of the items most lacking in the Middle East is hope. The loss of hope is also the greatest threat to both peoples. Both populations have undergone periods almost impossible to bear in recent years, and many people have ceased believing that the situation can change. The existence of a sane voice, which invites its listeners to become part of an involved group of citizens who are not willing to forgo a better future, can assist by serving as the ray of light at the end of the tunnel.

Even if today, at the height of the bloody conflict between the two peoples, it seems as if the current reality will never change, we must not forget the possibility of another alternative – a more optimistic one, which sees the possibility of an end to the conflict. Therefore, it would be most proper to prepare both peoples for the morning after the conflict. After all, genuine peace will be achieved and based on a strong bond between both peoples and not their leaders – and this bond must be established and strengthened already today.

Our objective is for the station to become financially independent, continuing to meet the goals above, and broadcasting with the participation of the young people trained by our activities in the fields of radio and coexistence.