Abrahamic Reunion Information

The Abrahamic Reunion, founded in 2004, is a bottom-up grassroots organization designed to overcome the problem of segregation and separation in Israel and Palestine by bringing together small to large groups of people from the four major religions to spend time together, work together, study together, and create an atmosphere of trust and understanding. The basic premise is that religion has been used to divide people in the Holy Land and it can also be used as a force to bring people together while still respecting divergent points of view and cultures. The attempt to bring a political solution without having the support of the people has not worked for 70 years and the Abrahamic Reunion, recognizing this, has removed itself from any political posturing and consciously uses the interaction of women, young people, students, and religious leaders top develop a network of understanding and to train people in conflict resolution and interfaith dialogue. What is the problem and how does the AR specifically overcome the issues at hand? There's been a history of segregation of the Jewish communities, religious and secular, from the Arab Palestinian and Arab Israeli communities. Villages and sections of cities are often populated by one particular religion or even aspect of that religion, which is self-segregated by choice from "the other". For example, there can be a Muslim village in Israel, two miles away from a Jewish village, and there is absolutely no interaction, communication, or any program which would promote understanding. The AR has continually, for over 15 years, realized that bringing people together for a day or even two days, and having people eat together, study their religious texts, culture, and customs with each other, and get to know each other in an atmosphere that is free from fear, creates a different attitude and a renewed hope for peace.