Basic Organization Information
American Friends of Neve Shalom-Wahat Al-Salam
- Also Known As:
-
American Friends of NSWAS
- Physical Address:
-
Sherman Oaks, CA
91423
- EIN:
-
13-3441742
- Web URL:
-
www.oasisofpeace.org
- Blog URL:
-
www.oasisofpeace.org...
- NTEE Category:
-
Q International, Foreign Affairs, and National Security
-
Q40 International Peace and Security
-
B Educational Institutions
-
B24 Primary/Elementary Schools
-
Q International, Foreign Affairs, and National Security
-
Q20 Promotion of International Understanding
- Year Founded:
-
1988
- Ruling Year:
-
1988
- How This Organization Is Funded:
-
United World of the Universe Foundation - $62,000
-
Middle East Peace Dialogue Network - $51,000
-
Kahn Foundation - $25,000
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Mission Statement
The American Friends of Neve Shalom/Wahat Al-Salam encourages, supports and publicizes the projects of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, the Oasis of Peace. For more than thirty years, Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam has been dedicated to dialogue, cooperation and a genuine and durable peace between Arabs and Jews, Palestinians and Israelis. Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel have chosen to live and work together as equals in this community to promote trust, understanding and mutual respect well beyond its own borders. At Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, the bilingual, binational, multicultural Primary School, the School for Peace, the Pluralistic Spiritual Center, and other projects, serve the village and beyond reaching thousands of Jewish and Palestinian youth and adults.
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Impact Statement
Educational projects allow the community to exert a positive influence on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict extending beyond its own borders. School for Peace: Founded in 1979, more than 50,000 youth and adults have participated in facilitated conflict management workshops addressing issues such as equality, rights, justice, identity, and resources including university courses, programs for women, training programs in facilitation and workshops for teenagers. Programs supported by USAID and the EU created a cadre of leaders in civil society and developing negotiation frameworks for future peace agreements. Primary School: Founded in 1983, the Primary School is the first ever bilingual, binational, multicultural Jewish-Arab school. The school draws 90% of its students from communities surrounding the village. Special activities include Language Laboratory, Multi-Media Resource Center, Archaeology Project, Zoo Lab and Ecology Project. Pluralistic Spiritual Center: Coordinates seminars and lectures on spiritual and ethical values including Dirasat; Mediation in a Multicultural Context and “Massar Masa” bringing together young people to discover the stories of their shared homeland. Humanitarian Aid for Palestinians: Over 10 tons of medical aid and its volunteer medical teams have cared for more than 17,000 people, arranged lifesaving medical treatment for two Palestinian children at Israeli hospitals at no costs to the patients, gathered the funds to equip a clinic that serves a village in the West Bank, took part in the food delivery rally in Gaza, hosted a summer camps for refugee children. Nadi – Youth Club: Provides a framework for a variety of stimulating, educational, fun and challenging extracurricular activities for the young people of the village. Awards: Nominated five times for the Nobel Peace Prize and awarded several prestigious peace prizes.
Revenue and Expenses
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Financial Statements
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Chief Executive
Ms. Perrine Vaillant
Term:
Since
May
2011
Chief Executive Profile:
Perrine Vaillant grew up in Paris,
France and has been the Executive Director of the American Friends of
Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam since 2011. She first came to the
organization as Assistant Executive Director in 2008. She had
previously been working in the non-profit sector with Amnesty
International, and other organizations in France and the United
States. She also worked with the French embassy in Rabat, Morocco.
Perrine holds a Masters in International Relations and Geopolitics
from the Institute of Political Studies of Toulouse, France and
Certificate in Human Rights with the College Universitaire Henry
Dunant in Geneva.
CEO/Executive Director Statement:
For four years, I have worked with the American Friends of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam and been inspired by the tireless work of Jewish and Palestinian residents of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam toward a peaceful future for the two people in the region.
Their dedication makes the “Oasis of Peace” such a unique place, whose impact reaches out to the entire region and further.
Think about it: in 30 years, they created the first ever binational, bilingual and multicultural primary school in Israel, where Palestinian and Jewish children learn together about each other, while achieving academic excellency. They also opened the School for Peace, a institution that, before anyone used to talk about “people-to-people” programs between Jews and Palestinians, brought hundreds of teenagers from both sides together for in-depth encounters where they could discuss the core issues of the conflict, get to understand the “other side” without giving up their own identity and beliefs. The School for Peace has brought more than 50,000 youth and adults together since its creation in 1979 and is now internationally recognized for its conflict resolution work. The village also created institutions like the Pluralistic Spiritual Center that focuses on interfaith and mediation work all around the country, and the Nadi/Youth Club where young people of the community can develop skills and deal with their unique situation of growing up in the only community of its sort while being citizens of the often segregated State of Israel. And finally, Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam continues its avant-garde work with the recent opening of a Peace College, which reaches out to students and scholars not only in Israel but from all over the world to learn from the experience of the community and advance peacebuilding studies.
So you can imagine what a pleasure it was for me to accept the position of Executive Director in 2011. I look forward to develop the capacity of the American Friends of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam to advance - from the United States - the impact of the educational programs of the community. There is still so much we can do with your help to make sure peace finally prevails in the region. Thank you for your interest in and support to the “Oasis of Peace.”
Officers for Fiscal Year
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Highest Paid Employees & Their Compensation
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Program:
School for Peace
- Budget:
-
$760,000
- Category:
-
Education
- Population Served:
-
Adults
-
Youth/Adolescents only (14 - 19 years)
Program Description:
Established in 1979, the School for Peace is an integral part of the Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam's mission to build relationships between Palestinians and Jews through communication and respect. The School for Peace brings together Palestinian and Israeli, youth and adults, with diverse and often diametrically opposed ideological backgrounds for youth encounter workshops, women courses, teacher trainings, and facilitator trainings.
Program Long-Term Success:
The village has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize on five different occasions.
Program Short-Term Success:
Program Success Monitored by:
Program Success Examples:
Program:
Primary School
- Budget:
-
$1,127,300
- Category:
-
Education
- Population Served:
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Children Only (5 - 14 years)
Program Description:
NSWAS' primary school was the first bilingual and
bicultural school in Israel and has been the model for the few others that
exist now. Children are taught both in Hebrew and Arabic, learning about the
two cultures and celebrating each other's traditions. Approximately 200
children come from the village and its surrounding area everyday to attend the
school.
Program Long-Term Success:
Program Short-Term Success:
Program Success Monitored by:
Program Success Examples:
Program:
Pluralistic Spiritual Center
- Budget:
-
$75,000
- Category:
-
Education
- Population Served:
-
Adults
-
Youth/Adolescents only (14 - 19 years)
Program Description:
"Doumia-Sakinah," or the Pluralistic
Spiritual Center, provides a framework for spiritual reflection on issues at
the core of the Middle East conflict and the search for its resolution. Its
programs focus on open, inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue, and the
advancement of peace.
Program Long-Term Success:
Program Short-Term Success:
Program Success Monitored by:
Program Success Examples:
Program:
Youth Leadership Training Program
- Budget:
-
$39,000
- Category:
-
Education
- Population Served:
-
Youth/Adolescents only (14 - 19 years)
Program Description:
The Young Leadership Training
Program (YLTP) creates a cohesive group of young leaders, able to
facilitate groups in binational/bilingual contexts; and creates the context for
social initiatives benefiting the Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam’s community as
well as the new communities they evolve in.
During this program, 15 to 20
high school students are trained to take leadership roles in their communities (at home and
at school in particular), as well as to run community service initiatives that
advance the community’s overall mission of creating a more egalitarian and just
society.
Program Long-Term Success:
Program Short-Term Success:
Program Success Monitored by:
Program Success Examples:
Funding Needs
- The Primary School: the Adopt a Class program support the 1st grade class for school year 2011/2012. It consist of tuition aid for the students.
- At the School for Peace, the programs in need of financial support are: the Youth Encounter Workshops, the Women Program, and the facilitator training.
- The “Mediation in a Multicultural Context” and the "Massa-Massar" interfaith program for the youth are in dire need for support at the Pluralistic Spiritual Center.
- At the Nadi - Youth Club, financial support would allow a new Youth Leadership Training Program.
Volunteer Needs
Every year, we look for volunteers and interns to help us with various projects in our office.The volunteer will be actively involved in supporting the work of the village and of Jewish-Arab coexistence. Job includes: research, grantwriting, communication work, clerical tasks, other projects.
Request for In-Kind Contributions
The American Friends of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam gratefully accept in-kind contributions. Please contact us regarding needs and opportunities.