The Peace Talks Simulation is the main event by the Charney Resolution Center that takes place in the center together with all the students from the Eastern Mediterranean International School (EMIS) every year. It is one of three big missions in each academic year. The other two are YOCOPAS (Youth Organized Collaboration for Peace and Sustainability) and Mission Week. All these projects share the root of educating people to understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, its difficulty to solve, stakeholders, and social complexities but are implemented in a different way.
While YOCOPAS brings Israeli and Palestinian students from outside to experience more authentic political dispersion and Mission Week offers a physical experience in conflicted areas and therefore a deeper understanding of the issues that surround us, the Peace Talks Simulation is an authentic simulation of negotiations regarding 6 core topics that make up the big picture of the conflict: Jerusalem, Refugees, Settlements, Security, Resources, and Gaza. All 10th and 11th graders are accompanied by 12th grade facilitators that guide them through an effective and respectful simulation. The participants are split into an Israeli and a Palestinian delegation. This Simulation requires Teamwork, Adaptability, and negotiation skills that are tested and developed throughout the day of the simulation. In order to be as realistic and authentic as possible, there will be guest speakers with experience in negotiation. All of them will be giving out advice on the content and form of the negotiations, so the experience can be as real as possible, but they will hopefully be inspired by the visions and creative ideas of our students.
What’s interesting about this Simulation is its freshness. Young people from all over the world come together and fuse their ideas creatively, in a way that would never be applied in the real world, but should maybe be considered. EMIS is a school bringing people from 50 different countries together, including Israelis and Palestinians, and involves them in the process of finding solutions for coexistence. In fact, EMIS is a representation of this regions’ potential as students live in dorms together, eat together, study together, and are family to each other, independent of where they are from. Because this microcosm of a community embodies coexistence, simulating negotiations can be something insightful, not only for the students themselves that learn how to deal with complex, contradicting, and deeply rooted issues but for real-life negotiators and decision-makers to see how young people, with new and innovative ideas, envision the world and set an example of peace from their perspective, fueled by their experience living on campus altogether.
In the past two years, we learned to be flexible and adaptable due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Peace Talks Simulation has always been teaching, enlightening and enjoyable, even on zoom and with masks. This year, however, we will be able to experience a flexible Peace Talks Simulation, with in-person speakers and more freedom.