Dear Friends,

It isn’t hard to find worthy causes in a world as broken as ours. The greater challenge, at least for me, is to decide which of the many worthy causes I dare adopt as my own. My resources are limited; the challenges seem infinite.

I was first drawn to the Parents Circle (PCFF) by its spirit and ethos of hope. In the context of perpetual bloodshed and the seeming impossibility of peace, here is a group of families – from both “sides” of the decades-old conflict – who’ve created means of reconciliation and respect. When I first met these heroes, I knew I was in the presence of the solution. My spirits soared.

Over my decade of engagement with the Parents Circle, I’ve been persuaded that the people-to-people approach of the brave members, each of whom has risen from grief to join hands in reconciliation, is an incomparably effective way forward – a way that, if expanded and adopted widely, could actually dissolve the conflict and inspire peace.

I’ve met scores of members of the Parents Circle; each had a potent story, and each was full of integrity. They create programs that work. They see truth as the way to peace, and they prove that courageous, honest family-to-family communication has a power that can silence bombs and rebuke violence.

Selfishly, I support Parents Circle because it lets me sleep better at night, knowing that I am part of a path to peace in a world and region desperately seeking hope.

The Parents Circle has grown since I first met it. This year alone it supported:

• 410 Dialogue Encounters, engaging over 8,000 Israeli and Palestinian high school youth, young adults, adults, and international communities
• 4 Parallel Narrative Experiences, each over 3 months in duration, engaging 120 Israelis and Palestinians in activities that explored the national and personal narratives of each side of the conflict.
• A Parallel Narrative Alumni Conference, with 130 Israeli and Palestinian program alumni in attendance
• 30 “Women to Women” dialogue meetings engaging a total of 670 women  in peacebuilding and reconciliation dialogue

PCFF is worthy of my support. It earns my loyalty and commitment every time I hear another family’s story, see hope in another child’s eyes, and hear the ancient call to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Wishing you peace in 2018,

Willa Shalit