THE AMERICAN FUND FOR CHARITIES
Supporting Good Causes Worldwide
Children of Peace is now associated with a project called Peace Dot
(a directory
of organisations working for peace - peace.stanford.edu).
with this new extra web address... http://peace.childrenofpeace.org.uk
Below, we give you a summary of what we are about.
Richard Martin, Chairman & Founder, Children of Peace.
Who we are:
Children of Peace is a UK-based charity dedicated to the protection and well-being of Israeli and Palestinian children. We are a multi-faith, non-partisan organisation who refuse to take sides and are committed to all children in the region; Bedouin, Druze, Christian, Muslim and Jewish. We believe in fostering friendship and trust through education, arts, health and sports projects, in the hope that this will make sustainable reconciliation possible. Our aim is for children from all backgrounds to engage with one another, so that a future generation and their communities can live side-by-side, in peace.
We are delighted to join Peace Dot's directory of organisations who are working in diverse ways to establish peaceful environments. Peace Dot is an initiative from Stanford University that hopes to better understand how technology can be used to encourage the public to participate in creating more peaceful societies. With a new organisation joining Peace Dot's efforts every day, we hope to spread the word that, in spite of all the challenges we face, there are many ways in which people are working towards improving the world we live in. If you are interested in Peace Dot's project, please follow this link... www.peace.stanford.edu. We hope you will be encouraged by what you find and invite you to get involved in any way that you can. If you are interested in Children of Peace's work, please read on, or visit us at our website... www.childrenofpeace.org.uk. You can also stay up-to-date with all our peace projects by joining our Facebook group.
Why we do what we do:
At the heart of everything we do at Children of Peace is our refusal to take sides and our commitment to facilitating dialogue between communities. It is our belief that in this conflict, all children are victims. The statistics below show just how much young Israelis and Palestinians need protecting.
- 70% of Palestinian children suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. (source: Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.)
- 33% of Israeli children have been personally affected by terrorism and 70% experience a fear of hopelessness (source: Herzog's trauma center).
- In just 2004 alone 557,000 Israeli children arrived at hospital Emergency Rooms including 34% due to trauma. (source: UNICEF 2006.)
- Between 2000 and 2006, over 700 Palestinian and Israeli children died as a result of the conflict, and a further 10,000 were injured. Several hundred live with permanent disabilities as a consequence. (sources: Basel Report and UNICEF 2006.)
- 22% of Palestinian children under the age of 5 suffer from malnutrition (source: the US Agency for International Development 2002).
- 31% of Israeli children are living below the poverty line, with over 50% of Arab children living under poverty line (source: the US Agency for International Development 2002).
These are figures we want to change.
What we do:
At Children of Peace, our approach is to encourage communication and understanding between the many communities and organisations that exist in the region. We act as intermediaries, helping groups to establish a connection so that they can get to know one another and work together to achieve a more peaceful society. We believe that this type of ordinary interaction is essential for peaceful coexistence.
The programs and organisations that we fund and support must always be open to dialogue. Over 100 organisations have already promised to strive for this cross-cultural communication, and together we are building a unique coalition of peace in Gaza, Israel and the West Bank. Our model for change, which is centred upon cooperation and mutual respect, has won us the trust of Israelis and Palestinians alike, putting us in a special position to act as a catalyst for peace. It is because of this trust that we are one of the few independent organisations able to deliver projects which provide children with food, clothing, healthcare, education, and equally important, fun.
Who is helping us and how you can help:
The charity enjoys the support of leading public figures worldwide including US Vice President Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, Gordon Brown, President Sarkozy, Boris Johnson and Tony Blair. Our Goodwill Ambassadors include Members of Parliament from all mainstream parties, Sally Becker - the "Angel of Mostar", Palestinian peace icon Bassam Aramin and Yasmin Levy the international Israeli singer."
___________________________________________________________________________
OUR WINTER APPEAL 2009-10
GIVING CHILDREN A CHANCE
Dame Judi Dench is championing our Appeal and asks for your generous support:
"The Children of Peace Winter Appeal 2009 - Schools Aid - seeks to help affiliated schools in Gaza, Israel and the West Bank by providing much needed resources.
That is why I urge you to dig deep and donate to the Schools Aid Winter Appeal. Your generous support will make a difference to the lives of children shaken by conflict, health issues and deprivation. By doing so, you can play a part in peace building between the children of Israel and Palestine."
HOW YOUR DONATION WILL HELP
- £5 will buy a hat and T-shirt for special bike ride in Jerusalem against racism
- £10 will buy art or sports equipment for classrooms and break-times
- £25 will buy Darbuka (Classic Arab Drum) for music sessions
- £50 will buy school supplies for children (books, pens etc) and equipment for classrooms (chairs, tables, curtains etc)
- £100 will buy books for library and for classrooms in Hebrew and Arabic
- £250 will provide funds towards transportation for students to get to schools in rural areas
- £500 will buy computers or media equipment for computer room/classrooms
The winter in Israel and Palestine can sometimes be surprisingly cold with snow falling on Hebron, Bethlehem or Jerusalem. Yet, many of our children - Bedouin, Christian, Druze, Jewish, Muslim or Sufi – are from economically deprived families and go to schools without heating in inexpensive summer clothes. Some go to schools that cannot even afford basic materials like pens, books or notepads and others desperately need funds for support staff, teachers, care workers, audio visual and play learning equipment.....many of the resources we take for granted. We plan to help up to ten schools in Gaza, Israel and the West Bank.
We can change this together, with your help.
PLEASE DONATE NOW
We are trying to raise up to £25,000 for up to 10 of our affiliate pre-schools, kindergartens, junior and senior schools in Gaza, Israel and the West Bank. Please help us to give the children a chance.
HOW TO DONATE
There are several ways you can donate to SCHOOLS AID 2009-10.
- You can send a cheque to our Head Office in East Sussex, made out to 'Children of
Peace' Please send it to...
Children of Peace Winter Appeal, Schools Aid, Suite 4, Quarry House, Mill Lane, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 5AA, UNITED KINGDOM.
Please request a Gift Aid form if you are a UK tax payer. By completing this we can reclaim 28p from the Inland Revenue for every £1 you donate.
- US donors can make their donation through our US Foundation - the American Fund for
Charities and thereby enjoy US based tax benefits through charitable giving. Simply
go to...
www.chapel-york.com/services/usfund.htm
- You can go direct to our own DONATE NOW page on this website, which will take you
to our safe and secure Pay Pal Account, enabling you to support our Appeal by credit
or debit card.
- You can click www.justgiving.com/winterappeal2009 and make your donation via our dedicated Just Giving page. Making your gift could not be more straightforward! The Just Giving page is also available on our growing Facebook page.
The Children of Peace Winter Appeal started on November 1st 2009 and finishes on 31st March 2010.
THANK YOU!
