PEACE AND TOLERANCE BRACELET

Peace and Tolerance Bracelet

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: ISRAEL AND PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES

This bracelet was created to express the shared aspiration, optimism and hope for a future of peace and tolerance for the Israeli and Palestinian people. The translucent white beads with their shades of color symbolize a future of hope and reflects the coexistence of joy and grief among the people. The shape of the stones reflects the hardship and suffering. The silver beads illustrate the mutual destruction, the silver flowers a contrast of hope, and the dove symbolizes the hope for a different future.

The bracelet has gained enormous success and gives rise to interest in Israel and all over the world. Women peace activist women wear it as a symbol of their common struggle for a true and righteous peace.

2 " diameter, fits all wrists

CRAFTED BY THE PARENTS' CIRCLE

The Parents' Circle - Families Forum is a nonprofit organization that promotes dialogue and reconciliation between Palestinians and Israelis who have lost loved ones in the present conflict. The over 500 members grieve together, speak together, and share with each other, breaking down national boundaries and promoting healing rather than revenge. The Parent's Circle believes that the people of Israel and Palestine want to, and will, work together for peace. Face-to-face reconciliation programs, such as weekend trips abroad, are designed to bring together Israeli and Palestinian youth and adults that may not normally have the opportunity to meet and speak. Public campaigns and media seek to reach a wider audience, such as the upcoming TV drama series "Opening Hearts;" an international art exhibit called "Offering Reconciliation;" and a weekly radio show "A New Direction." In 2002 the Parents Circle launched the program, "Hello, Shalom! / Hello, Salaam!" ("Hello Peace!"). This is a phone line that can be used for free by anyone living in Israel or the Palestinian Territories to reach someone on the other side of the conflict to speak about peace and reconciliation for up to thirty minutes. Many people connect with their phone buddy and exchange numbers to keep up the relationship. Within the first two years of its creation, 400,000 people had already participated, totaling over one million calls.

The Parent's Circle's dialogue and reconciliation programs have been met with great success. However, there is no denying that the economies of both Israel and Palestine have been hard hit by the conflict, with the impact particularly severe for Palestinians. Noting the economic needs of many of the Palestinian women in Gaza participating in dialogue, the Parents Circle recently began supporting an income-generating project where Palestinian women embroider accessories to earn much-needed additional income. The sale of this embroidery not only supports the needs of women and families in Gaza, but also supports the continuation of dialogue and reconciliation that is necessary to bring a sustainable peace to the region.

Fair Trade Products: Global Goods Partners