Stichting COME

COME Foundation is a private Dutch foundation that organizes annually an 11 day dialogue seminar for young Palestinians and Israelis (20-35 years old), providing them with the opportunity to encounter, dialogue, and familiarize with each other. Such seminars have been organized by the COME foundation since 1976 under the name Midden Oosten Communicatie Project, which became ‘Stichting COME’ in 1993. A group of 30 young adults participates yearly in the seminar. Participants are comprised of three groups of origin: Jewish Israelis, Palestinian citizens of Israel and Palestinians residing in the occupied Palestinian territories. COME Foundation has a Dutch board, which guarantees the continuity of the organization of the seminars and raises financial resources for this. The board members are involved on a voluntary basis. Two advisers, connected to the foundation for years, can help determine the vision. One Dutch paid project leader (0,3 fte, hired on a freelance basis) carries out the actual organization of the dialogue seminar and other connected tasks. The resources available yearly are around € 45.000, received from churches, private donators, and funds (like Solidaritietsfonds, Haëlla stichting, Alexander & Otto and stichting Mundo Crastino Meliori). The project leader is the chair of a committee with Israeli and Palestinian members. These ‘local committee members’ are former seminar participants. The committee is responsible for preparing, implementing and evaluating the program and for recruiting, selecting and preparing the participants of the three groups. Every couple of years, a meeting takes place between the Dutch board and the Israeli and Palestinian committee members, sometimes in The Netherlands and sometimes in Israel/Palestine. Through the website and a two-yearly newsletter the Dutch supporters are being informed about the work.