Why the Academy ?
Musalaha: equipping communities for authentic reconciliation
Musalaha is a faith-based non-profit organization based in Jerusalem and founded in 1990. Musalaha’s mission is to teach, train, and facilitate reconciliation mainly between Israelis and Palestinians, and international groups, based on its grassroots “Curriculum of Reconciliation”.
This Curriculum is a pragmatic roadmap to equip and engage Jewish, Christian and Muslim individuals in reconciliation who are stuck in perpetual cycles of violence. Musalaha’s Curriculum of Reconciliation has also successfully facilitated trained people in conflict outside of Israel and Palestine to reconciliation, in the context of ethnic, power, and faith conflicts.
Musalaha’s fieldwork in Israel and Palestine and in the World
Musalaha’s Curriculum of Reconciliation has been guiding and affecting people to reconciliation in the following areas and contexts:
Occupied Palestinian Territories
Faith-Based Reconciliation
Military Occupation & Oppression
Israel
Settler Colonialism
Ethnic & Faith-based Reconciliation
UK
Native – Immigrant Reconciliation
Ethnic & Faith-based Reconciliation
Oman
Faith-based Reconciliation
Youth and Leadership
Europe
Native – Immigrant Reconciliation
Ethnic & Faith-based Reconciliation
North Africa
Settler Colonialism
Ethnic & Faith-based Reconciliation
USA
Native-Immigrant Reconciliation
Ethnic & Faith-based Recvonciliation
Generational Conflict
Transformation Political &
Ideological Conflict Transformation
The Journey:
A Timeline of Impact
1991
Musalaha staff and expert consultants put pen to paper and started writing the Curriculum of Reconciliation. The six stages were developed and tested with a group of Israeli and Palestinian women.
1998
The Curriculum is celebrated academically. Musalaha’s Curriculum is taught in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Bethlehem Bible College.
1990
Listening to Israeli and Palestinian individuals, including professors, religious and social leaders. Writing chapters on Historical Narrative & Trauma
1992
The Curriculum is celebrated academically. Musalaha’s Curriculum is taught in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Bethlehem Bible College.
1999
The Curriculum spreads internationally. A PhD study from Manchester University finds that Musalaha’s Curriculum is the most effective model for reconciliation of ethnic conflict in the UK.
1991
Musalaha staff and expert consultants put pen to paper and started writing the Curriculum of Reconciliation. The six stages were developed and tested with a group of Israeli and Palestinian women.
1998
The Curriculum is celebrated academically. Musalaha’s Curriculum is taught in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Bethlehem Bible College.
1990
Listening to Israeli and Palestinian individuals, including professors, religious and social leaders. Writing chapters on Historical Narrative & Trauma
1992
The Curriculum is celebrated academically. Musalaha’s Curriculum is taught in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Bethlehem Bible College.
1999
The Curriculum spreads internationally. A PhD study from Manchester University finds that Musalaha’s Curriculum is the most effective model for reconciliation of ethnic conflict in the UK.
2010
The Curriculum emerges in the media. The Curriculum airs on local television in Palestine, as a model to resolve interreligious tensions between Muslims and Christians.
2023
The Curriculum is taught in the prestigious Strauss Center for Dispute Resolution in the USA. The Curriculum and Musalaha staff facilitate both clergy and (non) religious students and practitioners from over 15 countries to reconciliation.
2000
The Oslo Accords fail and hope for peace declines drastically. Second Intifada breaks out. The chapter of Conflict Analysis is added to the Curriculum.
2022
The Curriculum is presented during the 9046th meeting of the United Nations Security Council
2025
The Curriculum is digitized and created into learning modules, accessible to global audiencers. This platform is from then on called "the Musalaha Academy".
Musalaha’s
Reconciliation Framework:
A Closer Look
0
What is the purpose of Musalaha’s Curriculum of Reconciliation?
The Musalaha Curriculum of Reconciliation facilitates reconciliation in a framework of transitional justice respecting human rights and equality, and it works.
Where top-down peace agreements have failed, perpetuating and intensifying violence, the Musalaha Curriculum responds to real questions and challenges real people have in conflict. To create and continue with authentic reconciliation, the Curriculum guides individuals and groups to conflict and narrative transformation, tackling root causes of conflict such as historical responsibility, narrative, identity, trauma, emotional logic, trauma, forgiveness, etc. The Curriculum is a guide to process emotions that accompany sacrifice and discomfort necessary for a reconciliation that is created for all: oppressed and oppressor.
The Musalaha Curriculum reflects not only individual needs, but also structural power dynamics and privileges in politics, social life, religion, and economy, influencing individual and group perspectives on (their role within) conflict and justice. The Curriculum responds effectively to cultural differences, group identities, differing expectations and misunderstandings between groups of people, while humanizing each other.
0
What is so special about Musalaha’s Curriculum of Reconciliation?
Musalaha’s Curriculum of Reconciliation is a multidisciplinary, well-researched academic reference work created in consultation with peace and conflict scholars, experts in mediation and reconciliation, theologians, social psychologists, and historians from Israel, Palestine, and internationals. The academic research is constantly being updated, as circumstances, challenges, community priority needs, and research on reconciliation evolve.
Besides its academic excellency and relevancy, the Curriculum is a pragmatic roadmap to reconciliation, being implemented for over 35 years in Israel, Palestine, and other contexts of ethnic-religious, native-settler, and family/work conflict.
The Curriculum is a tool towards indigenous reconciliation, breaking away from top-down, colonial models. Instead, the Curriculum priorities the agency of women and young adults in peacebuilding and reconciliation and focus on their development into indigenous agents of community change. The Curriculum draws inspiration from local customs and models of reconciliation, such as “Sulha”. As an instrument of justice and decolonization, the Curriculum is equipped to teach all audiences.
0
How many stages are there in the Musalaha’s Curriculum of Reconciliation?
Musalaha’s Curriculum of Reconciliation has a total of 6 stages and 23 chapters, built around the stages. The 6 stages are: Beginning Relationships, Opening Up, Overcoming Withdrawal, Reclaiming Identity, and Taking Action.
0
Is the Musalaha Academy the same as Musalaha’s Curriculum of Reconciliation?
The Musalaha Academy follows the structure of Musalaha’s Curriculum of Reconciliation. Besides the 2 Introduction Guidebooks which are free of charge, all Guidebooks are sorted chronologically by the stages. Moreover, all Guidebooks reflect one or two chapters relevant to the particular stage. As such, the Musalaha Academy mimics the reconciliation journey of Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals in the field with Musalaha
0
In what context is the Musalaha Curriculum of Reconciliation applicable?
The Musalaha Curriculum of Reconciliation has been applied to reconcile native-settler and ethnic-religious individuals and groups in conflict in Palestine, Israel, mainland Europe, the UK, the USA, and North Africa. Musalaha’s reconciliation is also applicable to professional and personal contexts (family mediation, work tension).
