How an unlikely alliance of Jewish settlers and Palestinian activists are trying to bring peace to Israel

The Middle East has long been the site of conflict, but 'Jerusalem Double' is trying to ease tensions by having people from all backgrounds come together to play in backgammon tournaments. These tournaments have been very successful in sparking empathy, mentorship, discussion and bringing groups together.

High school junior Ezra Beinart founded an initiative that invites Palestinians to speak with young American Jews via video chat. The goal of the project, which has hosted six speakers so far, is to introduce Jewish teenagers to perspectives on Israel-Palestine that they may not be exposed to within their communities.

In the People's Peace Talks, ordinary people from Israel and Palestine come together for five hours in a room to reach a peace agreement, without the presence of politicians. With no communication between the two governments, one academic is trying a new tactic by engaging the public in the negotiation process. Despite some shortcomings of a simulation, the ideas generated may be part of a real solution in the future.

In an attempt to bring peace to a region post-genocide, Rwanda has implemented "Reconciliation Villages" where survivors and perpetrators live side-by-side. This state-mandated reconciliation has lead to community service events that bring the two populations even closer together as they work to better the community they all live in.

Sectarian conflict in Bahrain has torn friends and families apart, splitting the country into Sunni versus Shi’a. To soften the divisions, Bahrain Foundation for Reconciliation and Civil Discourse has hosted at least one event every month since its founding in 2012, inviting people from all ideologies to participate. These events include dialogue dinners, seminars, and even exchange trips to Northern Ireland and South Africa to learn about reconciliation experiences in those countries.

The Islamic State's recruitment of women draws big attention. But less noticed and more important are efforts in Islamic countries to raise the number of women in religious leadership, despite a long tradition against it, as a potential, effective antidote to the IS recruitment efforts – preventing young women (and men) from joining radical groups.

The Youth Initiative Against Violence and Human Rights Abuse, or Yiavha, brings together Nigerians from ethnic groups with a history of conflict and violence to help them find common ground through community storytelling. The organization has held more than 60 storytelling sessions in Nigeria’s Plateau state and has trained more than 300 youth to become peace ambassadors tasked with organizing their own storytelling events.

The Philos Action League dispatches Christian volunteers to offer support and solidarity to Jewish communities when antisemitic attacks occur. The organization has more than 2,000 volunteers who have responded to 128 incidents since 2021.

The Realness Project works with incarcerated people in Colorado to build skills in effective communication, "authentic relating," and conflict management. Roughly 90 percent of participants in the organization's workshops say it helped them grow their emotional ability to handle conflict, and about 78 percent said the experience gave them more confidence during job interviews.

Organizations like the Muslim Mental Health Initiative and the Hillel mental health and wellness pilot program are helping connect students in need of mental health support with specialists who understand their religion to make the process more comfortable and less difficult.