Forward Thinking hold meetings in Israel and the West Bank, 8th-12th August 2016

Between the 8th-12th of August the Middle East Programme Manager, Edward Channer, travelled to Israel and the West Bank to hold meetings with figures from a variety of backgrounds and political affiliations in order to gain a comprehensive overview of recent developments and to develop Forward Thinking's forthcoming activities.In the West Bank meetings were held with senior Palestinian political figures in Ramallah and Nablus in order to discuss the current situation, with a particular focus on proposed upcoming Palestinian municipal elections. In addition, meetings were held with Palestinian youth organisations in Ramallah and Nablus, allowing for youth perspectives to be given and to ensure youth inclusion in the Middle East Programme's upcoming activities.Further meetings were held with Knesset Members, rabbis and ultra-Orthodox community leaders in order to discuss perspectives on the conflict from within their constituencies and to lay the foundations for on-going activities within Forward Thinking's Irish Peace Process Programme.