Democracy and civic education
Peace building and Conflict resolution
Leadership Development
Community and Regional development
 

 

 

PEACEBUILDING AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Legacy staff assists participants to gain skills and change perspectives needed to break vicious cycles, and to develop the courage to create transition out of conflict by seeking justice, mutual understanding and ethnic harmony through:
  • DIALOGUE AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION
  • GLOBAL ISSUES
  • FAITH AND POLITICS

Hundreds of teenage youths and young adults from war-torn parts of the globe (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Cambodia, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Georgia and Abkhazia, Northern Ireland, and South Africa) have begun a process of personal healing and constructing new senses of purpose and hope through participating in specially designed three-week training programs that convene at Legacy's summer Global Youth Village.

" First of all, I was able to communicate with people whose points of view about life are different from mine, people whose religions, traditions, mentality and beliefs are totally different from mine. I never imagined that a girl who is Buddhist could be one of my best friends.. Now I know that I have to try to understand others' traditions, to see through others' cultural filters. Now I know that my opinion about something can be wrong and I have to listen to others' opinions. But I also know how to defend my opinion. It does not matter what your skin color, religion, or nationality is. First of all, you are an independent person and you do not have to be shy regarding your ideas."

Nino Kardava, age 16, country of Georgia

CROSS-CULTURAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION TRAINING FOR COMMUNITY AGENCIES

Legacy staff provided curriculum and trainers to the National MultiCultural Institute (NMCI) in Arlington, VA, USA, to carry out this pilot program. Participants were introduced to conflict resolution, developed mediation skills, and then focused on the application of these skills to participant's work in the community. The highly diverse trainee group represented NGOs, county agencies, schools, and community organizations.


"Thanks to the skill of the trainers in establishing trust within the group and building a cohesive team, the participants met independently and generated specific recommendations to be incorporated into the development of the agenda for the final session. This meeting, and the training team's responsiveness to the suggestions, instilled a sense of ownership of the program. This was the seed bed for the group's interest in working collaboratively to address Arlington community needs."   NMCI


PEACE EDUCATION: Between 1983 until the Dayton Accords in 1993, Legacy dedicated itself to a decade of peace education focused on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Activities touched thousands of people throughout the U.S. and the Middle East:

  • professional briefings for the Washington D.C. government and non-profit audience;
  • a ground-breaking dialogue group of American Arab and Jewish professionals;
  • first of its kind US-based peace training camp for Middle Eastern teens (begun in 1983);
  • Pittsburgh Middle East Youth Tour, in cooperation with the Pittsburgh, PA Interfaith Planning Committee;
  • NGO development work in support of the creation of the "Youth Leadership Forum," Jerusalem, whose target audience was young professionals;
  • co-existence study-tours that brought together American and Middle Eastern Israeli Jews and Palestinians in the US and the Middle East;
  • consulting services in support of the creation of Seeds of Peace Summer Camp

"The program at Legacy International included dialogue training, simulations, and education in conflict management. I gained more understanding of the other side. Before, I thought that Israelis should refuse to serve in the West Bank, to pressure the government to negotiate. Now I understand that the soldiers are serving because it's their duty to their country. I can understand that loyalty, because I hope there will be a Palestinian state. That is the dream of every Palestinian. I feel very sorry for the losses suffered by my people and also by the Israelis."
Samer Dajani, Palestinian
"To someone who believes that violence is the only way, I would quote Dr. Martin Luther King, "We must end the cycle of violence. The old saying "an eye for an eye" leave the whole world blind." Because of the attitude that it's a problem of "good guys" and "bad guys," there is a feeling that the good guys should win. But it's not a battle. It's a problem that must be understood and a solution that must be beneficial to both our peoples."
Saar Peer, Israeli

OIL INDUSTRY DIALOGUE WORKSHOP:
The American Petroleum Institute asked Legacy to facilitate non-adversarial interactions between member companies and environmental and public interest groups. Preliminary meetings were held within each sector to set ground rules and agenda topics. Three joint workshops, mediated by Legacy representatives, constructively addressed controversial issues. Outputs of the dialogue included

1) identification of essential elements for effective communication;
2) identification of potential mechanisms for future cooperation;
3) a jointly accepted framework for examining environmental issues associated with the use of petroleum.

.The dialogue workshop was seen as helping to develop trust [between oil company executives and executives of environmental interest groups]. New contacts were made and much was learned about each others' positions, organizational styles, and practical constraints. Interest in continued dialogue was reiterated, along with the desire for solid outcomes. Several participants expressed surprise and encouragement at common interests, desire for real dialogue, and lack of posturing evident in the workshop. A desire on both sides for continuing access to each other emerged."

Anonymous evaluation comments