CIRCLEWORK IN ISRAEL & PALESTINE
Israel is the hub of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as the nucleus of one of the planet's most long-standing, challenging, and dangerous conflicts. Despite the vast amounts of money and energy spent on trying to resolve the conflict between Israel and Palestine, the situation has not improved.
We believe that one of the main reasons for this is that outer changes are not enough. For there to be lasting peace, inner changes must occur in the way people think and feel. Political solutions alone can't achieve this-a transformation of consciousness is needed. Circlework is a powerful tool for inspiring these changes.
The empowerment of women, especially of strong female leaders, is a crucial key to peace, both in the Middle East and elsewhere. Therefore, while Circlework is also available to men, our work in Israel focuses on women. Since 2005, our founder Jalaja Bonheim has been offering circles for Jewish, Israeli Arab, Palestinian, Druze and Bedouin women that aim at empowering them to serve as effective agents of peace in their communities. Our goal is to build a community of Israeli Circlework leaders.
Our work in Israel has three branches:
- We organize talks, workshops, and retreats in Israel and the West Bank. Ranging from two-hour circles to four-day residential retreats, these gatherings allow people from diverse backgrounds to experience the peace-bringing power of Circlework. Participants treasure these circles as life-changing experiences that send ripples of healing through their families and communities.
- We provide scholarships for female leaders from Israel and Palestine to attend the Circlework Leadership Training in the United States. They develop courage, confidence, and strong leadership skills, and emerge with a sophisticated understanding of circle dynamics, new tools, and an enduring support system for their continued development.
- We have produced a 17-minute DVD entitled Circlework: A Path to Peace in the Middle East.
Most types of reconciliation work focus exclusively on dialogue. In contrast, Circlework holds that true reconciliation cannot occur as long as people's hearts are closed to each other-an assumption born out by cutting edge psychological and sociological research. Jalaja Bonheim explains:
"In my circles for Jews and Arabs, I begin by slowing them down and guiding them out of their heads into their hearts. For unless enemies are willing to open their hearts to each other, there is no way for them to overcome their conflicts. Therefore we begin by connecting, not as Jews or Arabs, but simply as human beings. We sing together, we dance, laugh and cry. We share food and stories. In the age-old ways, we weave a basket that can hold whatever emotions need to be held. Were we to move straight into head-thinking, the contracted mind would inevitably undermine any steps we tried to take towards peace."
If you have a desire to alleviate suffering and bring peace to the Middle East, please join us in supporting the Israel Project of the Institute for Circlework. Thank you! Your tax-deductible donation is an investment in the future.
What Your Gift Accomplishes....
$150 Provides a half scholarship for a participant in a three-day retreat in Israel or Palestine, including meals and accommodation.
$300 Provides a full scholarship for a participant in a three-day retreat in Israel or Palestine, including meals and accommodation.
$800 Provides a half scholarship (tuition, food, and accommodations) for a participant in the week-long Circlework Training.
$1,600 Provides a full scholarship (tuition, food, and accommodations) for a participant in the week-long Circlework Training.
$2,500 Provides a full scholarship for an Israeli or Palestinian woman to participate in the Circlework Leadership Training, including tuition, meals, accommodation, and partial travel expenses.
$25,000 Funds a ten day series of talks, circles, workshops and retreats in Israel and Palestine, facilitated by Jalaja Bonheim and assistants.
