WHO ARE WE ?

In a few words

Coexistences was born in 2007 after a group of 16 young Israeli and Palestinian girls were hosted by a few families in the Lausanne area in August 2006. The facilitators and the host families felt that coming to Switzerland would allow the participants to live and dialogue in a country that many consider neutral. They followed a dialogue guide created at the Jerusalem International YMCA (JIY) which used numerous joint activities and led to a rich and meaningful coexistence between two people of different cultures and three religions.

The trip to Switzerland – a multi-cultural country, a federation, at peace for three centuries – was an important step in the consolidation of the identity of the group. It allowed the young Israelis and Palestinians to live together and to express themselves in a benevolent context of dialogue and friendship. This trip was deemed a success by both the moderators and the participants.

Coexistences’ main mission is to repeat such stays in Switzerland. We hope that any action, however modest, that supports the mutual understanding between people, believers or not, will help fill the gaps between them and their nations, and contribute to a mutual desire for peace.

Such vision can only be achieved through an increase of the association’s members and by raising enough funds to make the stays possible.

The committee

Laurent Enser

Carole Guinard

Céline Rozenblat

Halina Sandri Rabczynska

STATUTES