About Us – Challenge

Who We Are

Challenge is an Israeli NGO, formed in 2010, to promote Conflict Transformation within both the Israeli and Palestinian arenas. Conflict Transformation is an innovative approach that helps to identify the different layers in the dynamic of a conflict and provides practical tools to reduce the suffering through empathy, creativity, and non-violence.

Conflict can be a source of growth and development. The problem arises when one or more parties to the conflict choose to use violence to achieve their goals. Violence is a multi-faceted phenomenon that occurs whenever an individual or group feel they are deliberately prevented from fulfilling their Basic Human Needs. To reduce the occurrence of violence we are required to understand the factors and dynamics that produce this sense of Basic Human Needs being blocked. Only then it will be possible to design specific solutions adapted to each situation.

Challenge's Goals Are

To promote a more egalitarian and tolerant reality.
To reduce the levels of violence by enhancing capabilities of individuals to deal with conflicts.
To raise awareness to the developments in the field of conflict transformation.

Theory of Change

By CONNECTING conflict transformation theory with practical insights from the ground, we develop skills tailored to our region.
By WORKING TOGETHER to apply these relevant CT skills, transformative opportunities for society’s challenges emerge.
By IMPLEMENTING these transformative opportunities, a better future evolves in the entire land that Jews and Palestinians call home.

TEAM

Director of Palestinian Outreach
Ziad Sabateen

Director of Strategic Alliances
Dora Bender

Methodological Development Coordinator
Shiri Barr

Director of Project Development
Joseph Tako

"Path of Hope and Peace" Project Coordinator
Orit Segev Bar Halevi

"Connecting through the arts" project director
Marc Maisel

Director of International Outreach
Tamera Drozd

Executive Director

Mario Schejtman

Founded Challenge. Has extensive experience in managing organizations and projects in civil society and the academy. He holds a master’s degree in political science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and has been trained in a variety of methodological tools, combining different approaches and perspectives in his work.

Email:mario@challenge.org.il

Director of Events

Sharon Gordon

Studied economics and German history in Israel and Germany and holds a doctorate in history from the Hebrew University. Engaged for many years in initiating and producing events at various academic institutions. Founder and director of “Rama – Network of Humanities and Social Sciences”.

Director of Palestinian Outreach

Ziad Sabateen

Ziad is a Palestinian Muslim from the town of Husan. He is a dedicated peace builder with decades of experience, first with Combatants for Peace, and then Land of Peace with Rabbi Menachem Froman. He is the Palestinian Chairman of Path of Hope and Peace, and co-founder of the Abrahamic Movement.

Director of Strategic Alliances

Dora Bender

Dora is a political and social activist. She is Israeli-American and today lives in Rishon Le-Zion.

Methodological Development Coordinator

Shiri Barr

Shiri is a peace builder focusing on psychological obstacles to peace. In her work she combines tools and insights of mindfulness and conflict transformation. She is currently promoting the conceptualization, measurement and cultivation of the Reconciliation Mindset as part of a doctoral research.

Director of Project Development

Joseph Tako

Joined Challenge in 2021. Has extensive knowledge in controlling large national budgets and building complex tenders. To all above is added diverse experience in volunteering, social action and political activity. Joe holds a B.A. in Economics as well as an MBA in Finance.

"Path of Hope and Peace" Project Coordinator

Orit Segev Bar Halevi

Orit was born in Israel and currently lives in Tzur-Hadassah. For most of her life, she worked as an educator and to this day facilitating educational projects some of which are in the village of Husan. She is a social activist who focuses on promoting programs related to Israeli-Palestinian coexistence.

"Connecting through the arts" project director

Marc Maisel

Marc Maisel is an American Jew living in Tsur Hadassah. He is a founder of Connecting Through the Arts , a program that brings Palestinian and Israeli children together to work on art activities and learn English songs and phrases in Hebrew and Arabic.
He has a BA in Psychology/ Early Childhood Education from Vassar College.

Capacity-Building Director

Yoav Peck

Yoav lives in Jerusalem. Raised in New York, he’s lived in Israel for 50 years. Yoav is an organizational psychologist, specializing in systemic programs for the advancement of human dignity. He’s been active in human rights and peace work for most of his adult life, holding managerial positions in three peace organizations over the past 10 years. He has four children and four grandkids who all live here in Israel.

logistical coordinator

Yahel Tirosh

Yahel is an alumni of different shared society programs, such as AJEEC’s “Arab-Jewish Gap Year” , and the Arava institute’s academic program.
He studied Dialogue facilitation in the “School For Peace” in Wahat Al Salam/Neve Shalom, and he is currently a Psychology BA Student.

Yussre Salmen

Yosri ives in the south of the West Bank, he is married and a father of 6.
Yosri worked as a CEO of a Palestinian-Israeli organization, had experience in working at social institutions.
Now he Works in the social development field, while being an active member of Challenge.

Director of International Outreach

Tamera Drozd

Tamera has more than 20 years experience in international youth empowerment focusing on youth in conflict regions of the world. A resident of the Washington D.C. area, Tamera has collaborated with numerous non-profit youth organizations and has led international teams working with youth on peace, reconciliation and leadership skills in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Israel and Palestine. She has also been part of teams delivering U.S. Department of State grants for youth in Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Central Asia, the Caribbean and Indonesia.

Tamera enjoys connecting like-minded organizations and individuals that work to create opportunities for youth and communities to transform their situation. She holds a M.S. in mathematics and extends her passion for youth to her secondary school students she tutors in maths.

Sefi Donner

Sefi is an Israeli born in Haifa, a businessman, and a peace activist.
Upon being exposed to “The Green Book” – “Learning the Other’s Narrative”, he felt that this was where his heart lies and established “Sipur – Hikaya” , which works to promote reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians based on the dual narrative model and education for peace.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chariman

Phil Saunders

Phil is a London Jew who now resides in Tzur Hadassah. He is chairman of Challenge, Israeli chairman of Path of Hope and Peace, co-founder of the Abrahamic Movement, and co-founder of the Federal Forum.

Emanuel Shahaf

Founder and co-chair of the Federation Movement. Aeronautical Engineer by training, retired senior official in the Prime Minister‘s Office, political and social activist since 2003, since 2014 promotes a Jewish-Palestinian federation to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; Vice Chairman, Israel Indonesia Chamber of Commerce; Vice Chairman, Israeli-German Society

Inbal Cohen Amitai

Inbal is a seasoned professional global peace builder, leading Palestinian – Israeli projects since 2009 and business collaborations in the MENA Region since 2020, following the signing of the Abraham Accords.

Inbal is a strategic thinker, a cross-cultural-collaborations expert, a process-designer, a mentor and facilitator, specializing in collaborations between Israelis and the Arab Muslim world.

She has studied Psychology and Social Psychology, Collaborative Leadership, Voice Dialogue, AoH and has an extensive understanding of the Palestinian society.

Ran Kuttner

Ran is a Senior Lecturer and former Head of the International Graduate Program in Peace and Conflict Management Studies at the University of Haifa. He teaches courses on dialogue, group facilitation, leadership and conflict resolution, negotiation, mediation and peacebuilding strategies. He is also a mediator and mediation teacher in Israel and consults to organizations that work towards a more dialogic Israeli society. His research focuses on relational approaches to shared society, dialogue and conflict resolution and on integrating Buddhist philosophy, psychology and interpersonal practices for the cultivation of a more dialogic mindset.

Walaa Abu Shareb

Social activist in the field of shared society between Jews and Arabs in the State of Israel. Founded the “Think of the Other” organization which assists cancer patients with medical equipment and medicines and needy families in the Wadi Ara area. In the past, she volunteered as a youth counselor for the Ma’an for Workers’ Rights in Arab Society. She works at the visitors’ center in the Knesset, and previously coordinated programs at the Open University. She is studying for a bachelor’s degree in social sciences and humanities at the Open University.

Heriberto Winter

Organizational consultant, community entrepreneur, coach and group facilitator. Developed and organized community guidance courses as well as courses for activists in most Jerusalem neighborhoods. Formerly deputy director of the Lev Ha’ir Community Center, where he led important projects such as renewing the Mahane Yehuda market and works in the Old City. He holds a master’s degree in communication and urban planning from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Avigail Yinon

Engaged in dialectical-cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy. Developed and implemented programs to promote academic achievement and empowerment of underprivileged populations and programs for cultural mediation between the various groups in Israeli society. Formerly and currently a board member of the Yahad Council and a forum for civic consent and a member of various organizations such as Netivot Shalom, Kolech, Greenpeace, Secret Discourse and the Movement for Quality of Government. She is also an expert member of the European Organization for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and the Israeli Organization for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Holds a PhD in Psychology from Tel Aviv University, and is a senior academic member of the School of Education at Bar Ilan University.

Maya Kahanoff

Facilitates dialogue groups and has over a decade of experience as a consultant and evaluator of dialogue programs, conflict resolution and reconciliation.
Her areas of interest include: the psychological aspects of protracted conflicts; Dialogue and mutual recognition of social conflicts; Reconciliation and peace education. Lecturer in the program for the study of conflicts, their management and settlement at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a researcher at the Truman Institute for the Advancement of Peace at the Hebrew University. Holds a PhD in Sociology and Anthropology from the Hebrew University.

Katia Las-Dekel

Social activist in various fields, coordinator of a local culture committee and a member of the education committee. Formerly active in the Israeli Center for the Advancement of Social Justice in the field of recruiting and retaining volunteers and public relations. Educator, group facilitator, mediator, and finished the program of “Applied Behavior Analysis” ABA of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Worked at the school for hospitalized children at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. Graduate of the Makabim Program – a pluralistic Jewish leadership program, graduated with a master’s degree in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution from Bar Ilan University.

Ruham Nimri

Founded Challenge. Formerly Director of the Daily News Service at JMCC – Jerusalem Media and Communications Center, and formerly Project Manager at The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy – MIFTAH. Considered one of the top political analysts and specializes in media monitoring and media coverage in conflict areas. He facilitates groups and facilitates social transformation in conflict conditions and participatory strategic planning and evaluation. Participated in the development of the “KUMI” method and of “ROC – Reflecting on Changes” method for project evaluation.

Andy Faur

Humanistic secular rabbi. Acts for the equality of religious streams, freedom of religion and from religion, and in dialogue projects between all streams in Judaism. A social activist on French Hill neighborhood for freedom and for preserving the pluralistic character of the neighborhood. Formerly Director of the Latin America Desk at the World Zionist Organization. He holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Buenos Aires and a master’s degree in Contemporary Judaism from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is a lecturer and educator; PhD candidate in the field of Education.

INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD

Michaela Birk

Germany, co-founder of Transform Centre for Conflict Engagement and Political Development e.V., and an independent project coordinator, researcher as well as moderator and group facilitator. Her special fields of interest are conflict analysis and transformation, effective organization and communication as well as minority and human rights. She is active in Israel/Palestine, North Africa and in Europe working on human rights, democracy and community cohesion.

Jonathan Dudding

UK, works internationally as a facilitator and facilitation trainer. Since 1996, Jonathan has worked with governments, local, national and international organizations, trade unions, research organizations and international consortia mostly in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He specializes in the Institute of Cultural Affairs’ Technology of Participation (ToP), focusing on areas such as strategic and short term planning, organizational and institutional development, citizen engagement, partnership and conflict transformation.

Wilfried Graf

Austria, senior researcher at the Centre for Peace Research and Peace Education at the Alpen-Adria-University of Klagenfurt. He is co-founder and executive director of the Herbert C. Kelman Institute for Interactive Conflict Transformation (HKI), with associates in Vienna, Jerusalem and Ramallah. He is an adviser and trainer in conflict regions and post-conflict societies, in particular in the Balkans, Sri Lanka, South Caucasus and Central Asia. Today his activities are focusing primarily on Israel/ Palestine.

José Hamra Sassón

Sociologist, has an M.A. in Political Science from McGill University, where he specialized in Middle Eastern politics. He is a doctoral student in the Critical Theory program at 17, Institute of Critical Studies (Mexico City). Since 2021 he is coordinating Babelica: narratives of becoming in the “Holy” Land an analytical program of 17, Institute of Critical Studies https://17edu.org/.

He is a speaker and an independent analyst in various diploma courses and events on issues related to the Middle East in different institutions and journalist venues. In Montreal he imagined and co-founded Gesher/Yisr (Bridge) a show at Radio McGill dedicated to cultural experiences of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Israeli, Palestinian and Arab graduate students.

José was a chanich and boguer in Hashomer Hatzair Mexico.

Gudrun Kramer

Austria, is board member of the Herbert C. Kelman Institute (HKI), Vienna. As Programme Manager for the German Development Corporation she heads the “Regional Social and Cultural Fund for Palestinian Refugees and Gaza Population”. From 2005-2010 she was the Executive Director of the Institute for Integrative Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding – IICP, now HKI (Vienna). In this function she was engaged in international peace processes as mediator and facilitator on behalf of the Austrian Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Ann Lukens

Wales, mediator, facilitator, trainer, coach and leadership consultant. She has developed a strong practice in team and group conflicts, working with groups in organisations and communities and with the Kumi project in the international arena

Oliver Ramsbotham

UK, Emeritus Professor of Conflict Resolution at the University of Bradford, UK; President of the Conflict Research Society; former Head of the School of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford; former Chair of the Oxford Research Group; and co-series editor of the Routledge Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution.

Alexander Redlich

Germany, Professor of Psychology at Hamburg University

Jay Rothman

USA, Associate Professor of Conflict Resolution at Bar Ilan University in Israel. He focuses on the role and nature of identity in driving and creatively engaging conflict. Rothman is the Executive Editor of The International Journal of Conflict Resolution and Engagement. Rothman is also President of the ARIA Group, Inc. A conflict resolution consulting and evaluating firm

Jerome Segal

USA, founder and president of the Jewish Peace Lobby. He is currently working on a book on the Palestinian Declaration of Independence of 1988

Sunita Singh-Dalal

Sunita is a senior lawyer based in Dubai since 2011, where she lives with her husband and two sons. She is a private wealth lawyer and advises and assists clients and advisers with topical matters in the UAE and GCC such as Estate and Succession Planning, Wealth Management, Dispute Resolution and the implementation of Family Codes of Governance and Family Constitutions.

She is regarded as a leading authority on Middle East private client issues by global private wealth industry groups such as STEP, HUBBIS and PCD.

Sunita is recognised as an expert within the Middle East private wealth community, which is reflected through her being recognised by Chambers & Partners High Net Worth Guides in 2020 and 2021 as a ranked individual within the UAE.

Routinely the recipient of many awards and nominations within the legal sector; most recently, Sunita has been peer-selected for the Private Client Global Elite Directory 2022-23.

Sunita has been shortlisted as “Inspirational Woman of the Year” in the Citywealth Powerwomen Awards 2020 and was awarded Young Lawyer of the Year (Non-resident Indian) by the Indian National Bar Association (INBA) in November 2019. Sunita has been named a key India Lawyer in both the Indian Business Law Journal’s 2021, 2019 Report and the Global Stars Report 2017.

She actively promotes women empowerment for young professionals in India and the Middle East and is a professional mentor for female executives in the GCC.

Brandon Sipes

USA, conflict engagement consultant and Program Coordinator for Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, Inc. He currently manages a variety of projects including capacity building for international NGOs, a national youth mentoring initiative, and a global response to the refugee crisis.

Ian Spears

Canada, Ian Spears is an associate professor of political science at the University of Guelph in Ontario Canada and senior research associate at the University of Johannesburg. He has written on the problems and prospects of conflict resolution in Africa, and the Middle East and is the author of Civil War in African States: The Search for Security.

James Wiegel

USA, creative and dynamic innovator in the field of participatory methods. An Associate with Partners in Participation, he has more than 35 years of experience inventing practical applications of ToP methods and values for use in strategic planning efforts, local development initiatives, long term social change projects and intensive training programs. Jim has been involved in the facilitation and training of groups concerned with participatory organizational and social change on 6 continents

Ahmed Badawi 1967-2020

Germany/Egypt, co-founder of Transform Centre for Conflict Engagement and Political Development e.V., joined the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in 2001. Ahmed held positions as Research Associate at the Institute of Development and Peace (University of Duisburg-Essen), the Oxford Research Group, the International Crisis Group and Zentrum Moderner Orient. Prior to leaving Egypt in 1999 he used to work as a print and TV journalist and as a community development specialist. He was a trained group facilitator since 1993, had an MSc in Development Studies from SOAS (University of London) and a PhD in Political Science from Humboldt University in Berlin.
Ahmed passed away in March 2020. He will be deeply missed.

All conflicts can be transformed!
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