Tech2Peace Spring 2023 Newsletter

“It gives me hope to see everyone here, talking in the middle of a conflict”  – Zoom dialogue following violence in Hawara

Taking space for change: WE ARE ACTING NOW The conditions for building peace are becoming harder and harder. Violence is tearing the two sides apart, the anti-normalization context is worsening, the democracy crisis inside Israel is distracting from focus on the conflict. Despite this, 300 young Palestinians and Israelis have already met each other through T2P in 2023 alone (for reference we reached 500 total in 2022). Young people recognize that change is needed in their lives and their societies, and that high-tech is the avenue to make this change. Our community is choosing to meet at the hardest times, including through in-person and online dialogues directly after the most difficult events, such as the violence in Hawara and attacks in Jerusalem.  DESPITE THE DIFFICULTIES, WE ARE WORKING EVEN HARDER TOWARDS CHANGE, and society is taking notice.        We are honored and proud that our co-founder and interim Board Chair Tomer Cohen was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for 2023, in recognition of his contributions to our society and specifically the impact of Tech2Peace, validating the importance of our work. Tomer joins our alumna Zada Haj and our board member Michael Mattias on the Forbes list. Alongside co-founders Abeer Abu Libdeh and Uri Rosenberg, Tomer has worked tirelessly to build Tech2Peace from the ground up and improve the situation in the region, and currently serving as T2P’s interim board chair. Mazal Tov and Mabruk Tomer! Through engagement with media and leaders in government and high-tech, we are making an impact by spreading our vision of a new reality between Israelis and Palestinians at the highest levels of society.     Advanced Dialogue Weekend on Bedouin Society in Rahat     Throughout the events of the past weeks, we have met through Zoom dialogues after violence in Jerusalem, Jenin, Nablus and Hawara. We have held a weekend dialogue in Rahat and a Cybersecurity Weekend in Jerusalem. We have also held a 12-day classic seminar in Neve Shalom / Wahat al-Salam