Dear TalkMatters Supporters,
Earlier in the month I thought I’d give my mind some respite from its obsession with the initiatives that TalkMatters represents. Initiatives that continue their work of bringing Jews and Arabs together through their common interest in music, hi-tech, sport, religion, education, etc. despite the violence and suffering all around,
So I went on a city break to Vienna – a not altogether easy place to visit for a Jewish person. I saw the balcony facing an enormous arena from where Hitler had spoken to thousands of supporters when first entering Austria. Also a bronze sculpture of a man on his knees scrubbing the street. A haunting memory of the passers by watching Jews on their knees cleaning the streets of the graffiti that passers by had written about them.
But it wasn’t all gloomy. The music of Mozart and Strauss, the magnificent horses at the Spanish Riding School, and on the last day an unexpected treat. By a happy coincidence Shai Friedman, the Director of 50:50 Startups was in town. 50:50 Startups operates as a tech incubator to develop startups from scratch. Another initiative for TalkMatters. My mind was back on the job!
If the increasing fear and hatred are to be confronted, it is essential that Jews and Arabs meet, talk, listen and build up trust. And if it is through entrepreneurship so much the better.
‘Many of the kids don’t come to the program because they want to be agents of peace. They come because they see that working together on technology projects can transform their lives’
50:50 Startups is amongst the hi-tech co-operative initiatives that very few people in the UK know about. Initiatives that are trying to bridge the social, economic and ideological divide through innovation and entrepreneurship. Our newsletter this month is focussing on three entrepreneurial initiatives that TalkMatters supports.
50:50 Startups
50:50 Startups is a catalyst for positive change in the Middle East. They empower Palestinian and Israeli entrepreneurs to collaborate on ground-breaking technologies that address real-world challenges. By fostering cross-cultural understanding and economic growth, we lay the groundwork for a more harmonious region.
Founded in 2019 to create equal business opportunities for Israelis and Palestinians, 50:50 Startups is where young adult Israelis and Palestinians connect, collaborate, and build startups from the ground up.
50:50 Startups’s mission is to cultivate a new generation of cross-border startups, co-owned by Palestinians and Israelis. These ventures are powerful symbols of peaceful, productive collaboration, proving that meaningful partnerships can drive economic and social change. Through shared innovation, they contribute to stability and prosperity in the region by breaking down barriers, reducing animosity, and sparking creativity.
Co-Director Shai Friedman says: “At 50:50 Startups, we believe that equal partnership is a powerful driver of both business and social change in the Middle East. By building companies together, Israeli and Palestinian entrepreneurs not only create livelihoods but also reduce antagonism through cooperation. Our programs foster innovation, lower barriers, cultivate creativity and mutual respect. Through shared experiences of risk-taking, failure, and success, participants develop lasting trust and a strong foundation for economic prosperity in the region.” For more information, visit the 50:50 Startups website.
Middle East Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow (MEET)
MEET believes that young people have the power to shape a different future. Outstanding Israeli and Palestinian high school students who might otherwise never meet, work on a practical three-year program. With guidance from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s instructors and leading industry professionals, they gain skills in technology, entrepreneurship, and leadership. But more than that, the students have the opportunity to truly get to know one another, to work side by side, and to imagine what’s possible when barriers come down.
MEET is both an educational program and a community. MEET alumni are now studying at leading universities, launching startups, and joining global companies, all while carrying with them the relationships, trust, and sense of shared responsibility they built at MEET.
They remind us that change can be about skills or careers, but after all, it is about people who choose to see one another, and to build a better tomorrow together. For more information, visit the MEET website.
Tech2Peace
Tech2Peace provides hi-tech and entrepreneurial training alongside conflict dialogue to young Palestinians and Israelis. They partner with leading organizations like Google, Microsoft, and MIT to provide the best professional opportunities.
At the same time, Tech2Peace use conflict dialogue and team-building activities to create a safe space for young people of all backgrounds to meet, express their beliefs, and work with the “other side.”
Their mission is to build a network of Israelis and Palestinians that develop the hi-tech skills, professional opportunities, and mutual understanding needed to work together towards a brighter future.
Tech2Peace offer 10 day intensive seminars, Advanced Dialogue Weekends, Professional Mentorship, Interview, Facilitator, LinkedIn Training and Hackathons. Tech2Peace also boasts a highly active alumni community with monthly activities, organized by both staff and alumni, focusing on professional development, dialogue, hi-tech, and staying connected. Some of the alumni go on to create start-ups and other initiatives together, and many work to spread the word in their local communities and networks.
The seminars are just the beginning. For more information, visit the Tech2Peace website.
JOIN US ON AN INTERFAITH TRIP TO WAHAT AL-SALAM~NEVE SHALOM
Whatever we report, it is not the same as seeing for yourself what is happening at a grassroots level. Here is your opportunity. In November, TalkMatters together with Oasis of Peace UK are going to visit Wahat al Salam ~Neve Shalom (WaSNS) – the village in Israel where Jews and Arabs have lived in a shared equitable society ever since the 1970s. This special place is where half a classroom of children has family in Gaza, and the other half has siblings in the Israeli Defence Force. A place of immense complexity. A place where people commit daily to building a future of peace. A place that shows us that despite the relentless conflict peace is possible. Read more….
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In a time where conflict and division seem to increase daily, fear and pain threaten to silence us, TalkMatters continues to introduce the UK public to the people who refuse to see one another as enemies. We believe in supporting the grass-roots work in Israel and Palestine and we know that it is only by working together with you – our UK supporters – and with our Israeli-Palestinian Associates that we can ever walk another path. A path that leads to a future of peace, justice and equality for everyone. Please pass on this information to your friends and colleagues.
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We hope that hearing about these hi-tech start-ups and the fact that we have a large group signed up for our interfaith trip to Neve Shalom-Wahat al Salam warms your heart a little in these most dispiriting of days.
Jenny Nemko and the TalkMatters Team