Interfaith Encounter Association

National Network
Israel
Address

12/34 HaArazim Street
P.O. Box 3814
Jerusalem
Israel

Telephone
+972-2-6510520
Fax
+972-2-6510557
E-Mail
yehuda@interfaith-encounter.org
Website
http://www.interfaith-encounter.org
Organisation Type
Non-Governmental Organization
Year of Establishment
2001
Fields of Activity
  1. Democracy and community development
  2. Gender
  3. Heritage
  4. International/Cultural relations
  5. Religion
  6. Youth and education
General Information
IEA's general assembly, composed of IEA's activists, elects a Board of 8 – 2 Jews, 2 Muslims, 2 Christians and 2 Druze. IEA's staff consists of its executive director and assistant director as well as office manager and groups' coordinator – all part time. IEA also includes 40 volunteers who coordinate its encounter groups. Encounter groups are IEA's main activity: 29 groups formed till March 2009 – from the Upper-Galilee to Eilat, including 2 Israeli-Palestinian groups. Groups are on-going (5 groups work already for 6 and 7 years) and bring together neighboring communities. Another main activity is weekend retreats of interfaith encounter. Partners: Acre Municipality, A-Sallam School (Majd el-Krum), Kalanit School (Karmiel), M'ghar Community Center, Swedish Theological Institute (Jerusalem), Austrian Hospice (Jerusalem), Henrietta Szold/Hadassah School of Nursing (Jerusalem), Hope Flowers School (Bethlehem), Palestinian Peace Society (Hebron). Funding: St. Nicolas Foundation, Church of Sweden, Protestant Church of the Netherlands, Meyerhoff Funds, Government of Canada.
Mission and Objectives

The Interfaith Encounter Association (IEA) is dedicated to promoting real and sustainable coexistence and human peace in the Holy Land and the Middle East through cross-cultural study and inter-religious dialogue. We believe that, rather than being the cause of the problem; religion can and should be a source of solution for conflicts that exist in the region and beyond.
We do not believe in the blending of all traditions into one undifferentiated group, but in providing a table where all can come and sit in safety and ease, while being fully who they are in their respective religions.
IEA's objective is to create a popular movement of active building of peaceful inter-communal relations. It aims to do so mainly through community-based development of on-going interfaith encounter groups. Each group brings together neighboring communities and builds relations of mutual understanding, respect, trust and friendship.

Main Projects / Activities

• Regular weekend retreats with Palestinian partners – 23 until now.
• Occasional inner-Israeli retreats – 10 so far.
• Annual Middle East conferences with partners from: Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestinian Authority, Tunisia and Turkey. 5 so far.
• On-going groups of interfaith encounter. So far the following 29 groups were formed (from north to south): Acre, Karmiel-Majd el-Krum, M'ghar – Sawa Rabina, M'ghar – Shibolot, M'ghar – Bridging, M'ghar – Lana, M'ghar – Green Light, Galilee Women's Interfaith Encounter (WIE), Haifa WIE, Haifa University Youth Interfaith Encounter (YIE), Carmel City, Wadi Ara WIE, Living Together in Wadi Ara, Netania-Qalansawa, Tel Aviv University YIE, Petach Tikva – Kfar Kasem, Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Talking – Mt. Scopus YIE, IEA Reut-Sadaqa, Study and Dialogue, Jerusalem WIE, Jerusalem YIE, Jewish-Christian study of the Gospel of Mathew, Abu Dis And Maaleh Adumim, Ein Karem – Health Equality for all People in Israel, Jerusalem Arabic Speaking group, The Future – Mothers and Daughters, Jerusalem-Hebron YIE, Eilat

Contact (1) Full Name
Yehuda Stolov
Head of the organisation
Dr. Yehuda Stolov, Executive Director