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We help women in regions of conflict and post-conflict build businesses to sustain their families and strengthen their abilities to foster peace.

Bpeace Strives to Create Joint Ventures Between Israeli and Palestinian Women

The security fence now separating the Israelis and Palestinians has made it more difficult than ever for people of goodwill, who aspire to live their daily lives without violence and fear, to meet and communicate. Because of security reasons, Israelis are forbidden from traveling in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and Palestinians must obtain special permits to enter Israel. In the current climate of fear and animosity, prospects for peace grow dimmer by the day.

The Business Council of Peace (Bpeace) is working to overcome these physical and psychological barriers through the Jerusalem Candle of Hope, a joint venture that combines the handwork of Palestinian and Israeli craftswomen.

Though correspondence and a Bpeace mission to the Middle East in July 2004, we identified Israeli candle makers from northern Israel, and Palestinian embroiderers from villages surrounding Bethlehem.
As a result of our facilitation, the Israelis are making an exquisite hurricane lamp from beeswax and embedded olive leaves that will be sold with a pouch embroidered with the fine needlework of skilled Palestinian artisans. Inside the pouch will be a votive candle used to illuminate the lamp.

Although the Israelis and Palestinians cannot currently work side-by-side, Bpeace is exploring ways to facilitate a dialogue between the craftswomen who express to us their desire for peace and reconciliation. Like us, they believe the Jerusalem Candle of Hope can serve as a reminder to the world that there are women who long for peace, prosperity and an end to the violence on both sides of the growing divide.

The following story is typical of the women who are working on the Jerusalem Candle of Hope. Hannah is based in Bethlehem, which is on the Palestinian side of the West Bank Barrier. Sveta is in Nazareth, in Israel proper. People with Israeli passports are prohibited from crossing the checkpoints into the West Bank, and only Palestinians with special permits (which Hannah doesn't have) are permitted to cross into Israel, so they cannot physically be in the same place. They will probably never meet each other.

$Sveta, an Israeli candle maker: \$

Sveta, an Israeli candle maker: "I think that we don't know one another well enough. This candle is a bridge between the sides and it can definitely help."

$Hanna, a master Palestinian embroiderer: \$

Hanna, a master Palestinian embroiderer: "This is a project of peace and it gives our two peoples the chance to work together."

The Jerusalem Candle of Hope will not only renew hopes for peace, it will generate much needed income for the craftswomen, many of whom are the sole breadwinners in the family. Over time, we hope that such income generating projects will empower Israeli and Palestinian women to play a more active role in the peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict.

Current and Future Projects Uniquely Engage Israeli and Palestinian Women

In addition to the Jerusalem Candle of Hope, Bpeace is working on a number of other programs to create long-term joint business opportunities for Israeli and Palestinian women. On the July 2004 Bpeace mission to the region, we identified the following initiatives:

Marketing clothing and crafts that are jointly developed and produced by Israeli and Palestinian women.
Identifying designers who are willing to travel to the Middle East to train Israeli and Palestinian craftswomen to tailor their products and skills to western tastes.
Supporting the efforts of the Center for Jewish/Arab Economic Development to provide training, marketing and financial assistance to joint Israeli and Arab women-owned businesses in Israel.
Creating joint mentoring and internship opportunities for Palestinian and Israeli women, where Bpeace can produce training materials and provide on-the-ground training. In addition, Bpeace will explore how to create joint internship opportunities for Israeli and Palestinian women in the US for training in retailing, tourism, marketing, finance, public relations and management.
Developing specific ways to support the building of Womenąs Business Centers in the region in conjunction with UNIFEM.

What you can do:

Join the Bpeace Middle East Team: If you have an interest in the Israeli and Palestinian conflict and experience in design, retailing, product development, marketing, business development and/or fashion, please get in contact with us. Join.

Palestinian women embroider bags that will hold the votive candle to light the Jerusalem Candle of Hope.

Palestinian women embroider bags that will hold the votive candle to light the Jerusalem Candle of Hope.

$Read about our July 2004 mission. Above, Bpeace members under the full moon in Mishkenot Sha\'ananim, just outside the walls of the old city of Jerusalem.$

Read about our July 2004 mission. Above, Bpeace members under the full moon in Mishkenot Sha'ananim, just outside the walls of the old city of Jerusalem.