Alternative Action is a grassroots alternative to the status quo in Israel and the greater Middle East. From social programs and dialogue sessions to education and advocacy, Alternative Action aims to challenge one-sided perspectives on issues facing our region and to promote fresh alternatives based on justice, indigenous rights and the possibility of a brighter future for all peoples of the Middle East.
What is “alternative” about our peace activism?
- We circumvent the international community, the European-funded “peace industry” and the failed two-state paradigm that has only exacerbated tensions in recent decades.
- We reject the notion that westernized “moderates” from both sides can attain peace by signing worthless agreements brokered by foreign powers. Peace can only be achieved by bringing the marginalized “radicals” on both sides to the table – those most fully living the aspirations of their people who until now have been completely shut out of negotiations.
- We believe that peace cannot be achieved by forcing each side to compromise but rather through reaching a solution that allows each side to fully experience victory according to how victory is defined in each party’s respective narrative. For this to take place, we must first examine the core aspirations and grievances of each side in order to create a larger narrative inclusive enough to encompass both ostensibly rival narratives. The goal should not be to meet in the middle (with each side continuing to feel justifiably suspicious of the other) but rather winning together through a solution that allows us to transcend the conflict’s destructive either/or paradigm.