T.S. Eliot once said,
"I measure my time by coffee cups."
His words apply to our work at Wi'am! Here, each cup of coffee represents people who come through our doors with problems to tackle. In that respect, we have started to measure our time by sips of coffee!

The Israeli-imposed closure of Jerusalem creates hardship in the Palestinian community. The unemployment rate in Bethlehem reaches 80%, depending on the severity of the closure. Israeli confiscation of Palestinian land creates a shortage of space for building houses. People are lacking the means to meet the basic needs of their families, and this feeds the cycle of violence at every level of society. As a result of these problems, we are facing a growing demand for conflict resolution by trained mediators. Since Wi'am opened in 1995, our staff and volunteers have mediated in over 1000 conflicts; 87% of those problems have been successfully resolved.

Wi'am means cordial relationships. The focus of our work is investing in human relationships. By humble means, we are striving to be faithful to Christ's call to servant leadership. We are trying alongside other democratic forces present in our community to build a democratic and just society. By the term justice we mean three things:

1. Redressing injustices rather than avenging them
2. Dignifying persons on both sides of the conflict
3. Promoting the quality of relationships

The work of Wi'am represents a grass-roots approach to the urgent needs of the people. As we continue to train local persons in mediation skills, one unique aspect of our work is that approximately 20% of our expenses are covered by over 100 local volunteers who give not only their time, but also offer hospitality and the use of their phones and vehicles. We have found that conflict resolution is the art and work of sharing ourselves, our resources, our minds and hearts with others.

"Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifest grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift you have received."
I Peter 4.9-10

Zoughbi Zoughbi, Director