The Forum for Discussion of Israel and Palestine (FODIP) is a registered UK charity.
Its remit is to host and facilitate sensitively inter faith dialogue on the Israeli Palestinian conflict, within and between Jews, Christians, Muslims and others in the UK, and to promote co-operation through dialogue.
Our Goals
- To enable Jews, Christians, Muslims – and those of other faiths and none – to talk positively and sensitively together about Israel/Palestine.
- To create and maintain safe spaces for difficult conversations.
- To promote mutual trust as the foundation for building good relations.
- To provide opportunities to share and to listen to different perspectives.
- To welcome challenging discourse.
Our Values
Promoting understanding, empathy and respect between individuals and communities, valuing our common humanity.
Our Parameters
- Independent of any one faith or religious body.
- Embedded in the UK conversation.
- No one shared political position on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
- Transparency in meeting our goals and values, especially in relation to funding.
FODIP works through:
- Hosting events for speakers and organisations from the region.
- Academic working groups.
- Using established networks and providing a consultancy on related issues.
- Issuing regular bulletins and up-dates.
- Advice and Information.
- Learn how to facilitate conversations locally through our ‘Hear to Hear’ method.
- FODIP acts as a link and a resource for local and national organisations and for religious institutions.
Patrons
Lord Harries of Pentregarth, former Bishop of Oxford, has written extensively on the ‘Abrahamic faiths’ as well as on Christian theology dealing with matters including ethics, secularism and war and peace. Former Dean of Kings College, London, Professor Harries was Chair of the Council of Christians and Jews and founded the Oxford Jewish Christian Muslim dialogue group.
Rabbi Dr Tony Bayfield is Head of the Movement for Reform Judaism and a President of the Council of Christians and Jews. A pioneer of serious inter faith dialogue in Britain, he has spoken and written extensively on the process and his collaborative publications include Dialogue with a Difference (1992) and He Kissed Him and They Wept: Towards a Theology of Partnership (2001). He is currently working on a publication jointly edited with Alan Race and Ataullah Siddiqui.
Shaykh Dr Abdal Hakim Murad (Tim Winter) is Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, and is acknowledged as a leading Islamic scholar in Britain. His inter faith work includes joint editorship of Abraham’s Children (2006) with Lord Harries and Rabbi Norman Solomon.
Trustees
Pasha Shah (Chair), Revd Bob Day, Leah Burman, Rabbi Warren Elf, Dave Swindells and Ameenah Zeglam. Also pictured is retiring trustee Revd Jonathan Dean.
Chair: Pasha Shah
Pasha Shah has had an extensive career in community cohesion and international development. A graduate from Manchester University in International Development, Pasha has worked as a consultant with a range of non-government organisations in Africa, Asia and in the Middle East. He is currently Acting Director of Qaaf Aid, a children’s charity operating in the developing world. He was Chair of Peacemaker, which gained national prominence after the 2001 civil disturbances in the northern towns of Britain and advised on government policies regarding Community Cohesion. Pasha has been on the Board of Trustees for FODIP since 2008 and acted as Muslim lead for several study tours to Israel/ Palestine.
Director: Josh Cass
Josh Cass has worked for the last decade on interfaith and cross-communal projects in the UK and abroad. Josh was the Programme Manager at the Encompass Trust between 2005 and 2008 where he helped set up projects which brought together young Israelis and Palestinians for intensive residential programmes in the UK. Since then he has worked for St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace and 3FF. He has strong links with the Jewish community and works with New North London Synagogue to develop their social action programme. Josh has an MA in International Studies and Diplomacy from SOAS, and is developing religious literacy training for foreign policy professionals in partnership with 3FF and World Faith.
Founder: Jane Clements
Jane Clements is an Anglican Christian and the Founder of (FODIP). Prior to that, she was Director of Programmes at the Council of Christians and Jews. She has a first degree in theology (with a specialism in Islam), an MA in Hebrew and Jewish Studies and a PhD in Holocaust Education, all from the University of London. With a background and training in Religious Education, Jane has many years of experience in inter faith relations and reconciliation work. Between 2004 and 2008, she also worked intensively with Israeli and Palestinian students from the Olive Tree programme at City University. She has been taking study groups to Israel and the West Bank for many years. Jane serves on the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Anglican Commission to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.
