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This pilot-project initiated by NGO Fractal brought together civic society activists from Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia for a five day visit to Israel and Palestine, offering them to assess and learn more about conflict-transformation efforts in these conflict affected areas, to compare and share experiences, and to increase their capacities to engage and work through differences in order to deepen relationships and prevent destructive and violent conflicts.
The aim of this pilot-project is to explore ideas for initiating process of cross-fertilization between two conflict affected areas and two conflict cases and regions: Western Balkan (Serbia, Kosovo and Macedonia) and Middle East (Israel and Palestine).

The visit took place from September 24th to September 29th and it brought together four civil society activists: Mr Filip Pavlovic (NGO Fractal, Serbia), Ms Valdete Idrizi (Community Building Mitrovica, Kosovo), Mr Sreten Koceski (Community Development Institute, Macedonia) and Snezana Baclija (Youth Dialogue Program, Serbia). The main organizer of the visit in Israel and Palestine was Mr Michael Raphael, peace activist and manager of the European Campaign “All Different – All Equal“

During the visit, the group had a chance to meet with a wide spectrum of civil society organizations in Israel and in the Palestinian territories: Gevim Group; Palestinian/Jewish organization Sadaka-Reut; The School for Peace Neve Shalom – Wahat Al-Salam; The Palestinian Center for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation (CCRR); World Union of Jewish Students; Young Israeli Forum for Cooperation (YIFC); The Peres Center for Peace. Equally important aspect of the program was getting familiar with Israeli and Palestinian culture, approach and way of life, in order to grasp the reality of the conflict in this region. Therefore, second layer of the visit was dedicated to discovering different places in Israel/Palestine: Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Village of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, Ein Gedi Kibutz, Bethlehem, Jerusalem.

The aim of this visit was development of long-term project aiming to initiate, to promote and to encourage permanent joint ventures and youth exchange between two conflict affected areas: Western Balkan and Middle East. Bearing that in mind, all organizations that were part of the visits in Israel and Palestine have expressed their interest in the program of the exchange and initial consent to join the network of organizations in the Middle East and in Western Balkans.

The follow-up meeting and visits of civil society activists from Israel and Palestine to Western Balkan will be planned according the outcomes and results of this pilot-project, while such return visit could take place in 2009.