12/27/2023
Transformative Peace would like to extend warm wishes for a joyous New Year to everyone! As we step into the new year, we are faced with the promise of new opportunities and the challenge of emerging conflicts. We are also compelled to confront persistent issues, some of which have languished in a state of stagnation while regrettably others have intensified. Most notably among the latter has been the escalation of violence in Palestine. The indiscriminate violence and inflammatory rhetoric from Israeli media and political figures only serve to incite ethnic cleansing, racism, war crimes, and genocide.
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s recent declaration of being “proud” to have prevented a Palestinian state serves as a reminder of the urgency to push for a political solution before it is too late. Netanyahu fails to identify the very prevention of those political rights as a root cause of the recent violence, and it is a central part of our mission, and intent in 2024, to elevate the importance of political and human rights, not just as a moral obligation, but as a strategic tool of conflict resolution and transformation. This helps reflect the importance of our mission here at TP, which is not just to put an end to political violence, but to transform societies and relationships to achieve deeper, more lasting peace. It is our hope, in the upcoming year, that we can make an impact in Palestine and beyond, working hand in hand with our partners in North Africa and the Middle-East. This is the perfect time to pause and reflect the future we desire and the steps we can take to make it a reality.
Although this year has unfortunately been marked by various human failures and tragedies such as continued human rights violations, natural disasters exacerbated by climate change, wars, and poor governance, it is essential to acknowledge the exceptional work being done by civil society organizations, activists, and individuals all throughout the world. It is our hope that we can contribute to these positive efforts while also striving to diminish the negative ones. Our goal is not only to react to these challenges but also to prevent them through transformative peacebuilding.
In that pursuit, TP has been actively partnering with numerous organizations committed to affecting positive change through inclusive and human rights based peace work. Throughout this year, TP has conducted focus groups and undertaken research, developed training manuals and informative materials, and facilitated workshops with civil society organizations. These efforts have had an impact at both the national and local levels. The following is breakdown, in numbers, of what we have produced throughout the year:
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