Just Vision

Just Vision discussion following Encounter Point screening - Yafo, Feb 23, 08

Just Vision engages three key constituencies: the grassroots, the general public and persons of influence. In so doing, we create opportunities for religiously, culturally and politically diverse North American, Arab and Israeli communities who care about the future of the Middle East to come together to constructively support change in non-partisan ways. Our staff and board are comprised of Jews, Muslims and Christians, including Israelis and Palestinians. Our offices are located in Jerusalem and New York with one colleague telecommuting from Washington, DC.

Engaging the Public

As the first of a series of video and multi-media pieces highlighting Palestinian and Israeli civic peace builders, Just Vision launched our feature-length documentary film, Encounter Point, in April 2006 to sold-out audiences at the Tribeca Film Festival. The movie tells the story of ordinary Palestinians and Israelis who overcome personal tragedies and grief to work for peace. Since then, Encounter Point has won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Rencontres Film Festival in Montreal and at the San Francisco International Film Festival. Encounter Point has screened to over 10,000 people in 150 cities across North America and the Middle East as well as to millions when it broadcast on CBC Television in Canada and on Al Arabiya, one of the largest Arabic satellite stations in the world.

Hailed by Variety as a "Concise, intelligent documentary... that deftly avoids schmaltz in its delineation of grief and its celebration of cross-cultural activism," Encounter Point has received rave reviews in Variety, the Jerusalem Post, the Village Voice, TimeOut NY, the New York Times, LA Weekly, the Jewish Week, the Knoxville News Sentinel and more. The film explores issues of identity, fear, loss, personal history and transformation, non-violence, communication across divides, social movements and forgiveness. It also demonstrates some of the practical challenges and opportunities facing Palestinians and Israelis who wish to connect with one another – from linguistic barriers to violent attacks and intimidation. The film is meant to explore challenging issues, and to prompt audiences to ask questions. Since educators are often responsible for teaching their students about current events, this film can serve as an engaging, responsible, interesting and dynamic tool.

Just Vision publishes portraits of dozens of Palestinian and Israeli grassroots peace builders on our website. This resource enables journalists to learn about the field in an efficient manner, to search for interviewees according to languages spoken, issue areas or fields of work, and to conduct preliminary research on potential interviewees.

Finally, Just Vision reaches out to Israeli, Palestinian, broader Arab and American journalists to encourage them to report on nonviolent approaches to resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. From NPR to Al Jazeera, Just Vision has succeeded in getting Palestinian and Israeli nonviolent civic peace builders onto the airwaves to promote their efforts and their views. In April 2005, we were featured on Oprah.com and on the Oprah Winfrey Show to express our desire for more coverage of peace builders. Our work has received press attention from outlets ranging from the New York Times to Al Arabiya to the Jerusalem Post.