Prospectus
NIMEP is a non-polemical
student think-tank and outreach initiative aimed at finding a progressive
solution to the historic conflict in the Middle East. Through a diverse array
of events and initiatives it seeks to foster an environment of understanding
and co-existence between the peoples of the territory.
Too often, the term ‘activism’ consists of defining strategies
to ‘defeat’ our opponents. Instead of trying to convince, NIMEP
believes in trying to create. In this way, NIMEP recognizes dialogue as a
useful but limited tool. It is a valuable way to get new perspectives and
to understand personal connections to the conflict, but too often it turns
into a contest for justification and validation. Why is it that being pro-Palestinian
is equated with being anti-Israel? Why is it that a Zionist can’t be
pro-Palestinian? It is this exchange of ideas that fuels the creation of new
knowledge at NIMEP.
NIMEP is distinguished from other initiatives because it was conceived by
and run by students from diverse backgrounds: Jordan, Turkey, Israel, Saudi-Arabia,
Palestine, Iraq, Iran, Syria, South Africa and United States. These students
have come together by their own accord to create an initiative that is not
only a scholarly exercise but one that can contribute to new realities on
the ground. NIMEP views the conflict as a challenge that must be addressed.
The current realities should be an impetus for action, not a reason to delay.
The think-tank arm of NIMEP will become familiar with contemporary peace initiatives
and the current impediments to peace. Through research and immersive education,
students will try to discover solutions to problems, hone their analytical
skills, and share their knowledge with the University community and regional
actors. NIMEP will disseminate its unique outlook on the conflict through
various media outlets and campus events.
NIMEP believes that the foundation to any future political settlement will
not work unless it is based on a solidly founded human contact between the
conflicted parties. NIMEP’s outreach and cultural advocacy facet will
create contact between youth of the parties in conflict and with adults in
a way that will attain this objective. NIMEP will organize cultural events
in Boston and will create powerful and synergistic contacts between religious
centers and other institutions of education.
The unique group of students who have spearheaded this initiative are committed
to partaking in the next generation’s leadership and inspiring others
to realize the powerful results such a model of thinking and action can produce.
NIMEP is a project of the Tufts University Institute for Global Leadership (TIGL)