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Following the signing of the Oslo Accords and later the many disappointments arising from politicians, a movement of citizen diplomats has emerged with the intention to change reality and facts on the ground. This movement is manifested through different people-to-people initiatives designed to bring Israelis and Palestinians together in order to give a human face to the Other and, hopefully, generate sufficient momentum and pressure from below to bring about the long-overdue political will to move forward toward a peace agreement.
The Concept of Citizen Diplomacy
Solutions to end conflicts may be provided by either politicians, civil society leadership or by joint efforts of the two. Politicians typically hold official negotiations in an attempt to reach a diplomatic agreement or truce - a process known as "first-track" diplomacy, whereas civil society leaders and activists engage in people-to-people initiatives - also known as "track-two" diplomacy, civil society-led actions or "citizen diplomacy." John McDonald and Louise Diamond expanded the two tracks to nine tracks, inventing in 1 991 the term "multi-track" diplomacy. The nine tracks through which a resolution to a conflict may be attained are: 1) official (track-one) diplomacy; 2) unofficial, yet professional, conflict resolution processes; 3) international business negotiations and exchanges; 4) citizen exchanges (such as teacher exchanges); 5) international research, education, and training efforts; 6) activism; 7) contacts and exchanges between religious leaders and followers; 8) international funding efforts; and 9) public opinion and communication programs. The idea underlying this model is that there must be a holistic approach to conflict resolution whereby initiatives should be undertaken in all of the nine tracks in order to create a lasting peace.
Citizen diplomacy aims to provide both sides of the conflict with opportunities to interact and work together, resulting eventually in creating a "culture of peace" which may have a transformative effect on the conflict. The theory stresses that gradual shifts in attitudes among a critical mass of people can yield major changes in the course of conflicts. This change must come from all aspects of society - decision makers, civil society and civilians.
A "culture of peace" can effectively be fostered (or alternatively, undermined), inter alia, by educational programs, bi-national dialogue groups and the mass media, as these are the main axes along which...