Above photo: Yasser Arafat, Executive Committee Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), addressed the International Conference on the question of Palestine this morning, following which general debate resumed on ways for the Palestinian people to achieve their inalienable rights. Seen in an informal meeting before Mr. Arafat’s address this morning are, clockwise from extreme left,: Nabil Ramlawi (PLO), Permanent Observer to the UN Office at Geneva (UNOG); Lucille Mair, Secretary-General, International Conference on the Question of Palestine (ICQP); Yasser Arafat; Mustapha Niasse (Senegal), President of ICQP; Erik Suy, Director-General, UNOG; (with backs to the camera) Massamba Sarre (Senegal), Chairman, Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People; and Alioune Sene (Senegal), Permanent Representative to UNOG. United Nations Archive.
Forty years ago an international coalition of over 1,200 organizations working for freedom in Palestine would meet yearly to share information and coordinate action.
A similar effort is needed today more than ever.
Let us be clear.
Gaza was a crime, even before Israel’s current genocidal war. One of the world’s most densely populated spaces served for years as what was essentially the world’s largest open air prison. If not a crime, it was certainly a violation of international law and an affront to human dignity and decency.
However, the recent horrifying events perpetrated there seem to have awakened the world’s conscience. Tragically, despite widespread international demonstrations and condemnation no ceasefire has been achieved and Gaza’s humanitarian crisis continues. Those who are not killed by Israel’s relentless bombing will suffer from continued displacement, or, even worse, die from starvation and disease.
Moreover, this crisis continues to escalate. What began in Gaza one year ago now threatens to engulf the entire region in a conflagration that could further enflame hatred, wreak devastation, worsen the humanitarian crisis, and redraw the map of the entire region.
However, imagine for a moment what might have happened if a coordinated global solidarity movement for peace and justice in Israel and Palestine existed? Could it have brought political pressure on governments to demand a ceasefire and end the flow of weapons to Israel, thus ending the genocide in Gaza—–perhaps within the first month of the hostilities? How many lives could have been saved, and how much senseless violence and devastation could have been avoided?
Many of us from an earlier generation believed that we had built such a movement in the mid-1980s.
At one time, the International Coordinating Committee on the Question of Palestine (ICCP) comprised more than 1,200 member organizations worldwide. The outcome of a United Nations (UN) initiative for a global conference on Palestine, these highly diverse non-governmental organizations (NGOs) ranged in size, scope, and diversity from small grassroots committees to large and complex organizations such as the Canadian Autoworkers and many American Protestant churches. Vibrant networks operated in Europe, North America, Africa, Latin America, and Asia as well as separate networks in Israel and Palestine.
However, we found ourselves haunted by the question of sustainability as we witnessed its demise in the mid-1990s. It is likely that most contemporary organizers are unaware of its existence, but the story of the ICCP holds many important lessons for today’s organizers.
The Story Of The ICCP
In 1981, the United Nations called for a conference on Palestine for member states. They added an NGO component almost as an afterthought, as the UN did not anticipate the level of interest or the expansive growth that took place. The UN Conference Secretariat began building NGO participation in the summer of 1982.
The goal of the NGO network was to create the necessary common ground to grow a coalition within the framework of “all relevant United Nations resolutions.” At the time, this was accepted to mean a “two-state” solution. But what we didn’t anticipate at the outset of the planning was the scope of worldwide interest among NGOs’ focused in some way on the question of Palestine. They had never been invited to find one another in an organized manner before.
In certain respects, the movement we helped create was a by-product of the UN conference, and perhaps its greatest accomplishment.
When the UN actually convened the International Conference on the Question of Palestine (ICQP) at the Palais des Nations in Geneva at the end of August 1983, one hundred seventeen member states registered for the ICQP. Another 20, mostly European countries, sent observers. Conference organizer Don Betz remembers, “This was far beyond what had been forecast by the Conference naysayers.” Those skeptics originated from within both UN staff and diplomats as well as large segments of the European press. France was scheduled to be the original host for the event at UNESCO. Many believed that pressure coming from Israel and its allies would block the effort.
That pressure did take place. However, counter-pressure from the PLO and its allies forced the relocation to UN Headquarters in Geneva where it was more difficult for Switzerland to reject its convening as there was an existing UNGA resolution to hold the conference.
In reality, two conferences took place. One was the official United Nations gathering of accredited member governments, the global press, representatives of international organizations, and a host of “eminent persons.” This conference was meant to “seek effective ways and means to enable the Palestinian people to attain and exercise their inalienable rights.”
The second was the simultaneous UN-sponsored NGO conference. One hundred and four NGOs attended, including Israeli and Palestinian organizations. It is worth noting that, from its inception, the ICCP Palestinian participation spanned the gamut of existing Palestinian political discourse: Fatah, the Democratic Front, the Popular Front, and independent organizations joined the body.
As the conferences unfolded, awareness grew and interest focused on the NGO gathering where a more lively and interactive dialogue contrasted sharply with the endless official state messages being read out for the record upstairs.
Edward Said, one of the high-profile advisors engaged by the UN, visited the NGO meeting several times. One day, he entered the room alive, with multiple, simultaneous conversations, and remarked, “I would rather be here with you than upstairs. Something important, perhaps unprecedented, is happening here.”
At the NGO Forum, the interactive energy generated an environment of open, frank, and sometimes contending dialogue. Gathered together in one place for the first time, NGO representatives addressed the Question of Palestine, the future of the Palestinian people, and overall peace in the Middle East. While this ad hoc body possessed no official political authority, participants seemed propelled by a shared sense of the salience of the issue and the moment they shared.
It was clear that the UN’s role proved important to the success of the NGO meeting. First, it provided convening power and resources. But two other reasons also made the UN an attractive focal point for our organizing efforts.
Context is always important, and part of the context of that time was that there could be no direct contact between an Israeli and a member of the PLO. Meeting within and under the umbrella of the UN provided a means to circumvent that prohibition. Don Betz, the primary organizer for the UN Conference as well as the NGO gathering, remembers passing notes from one person to another so as to avoid “direct contact.” Kathy Bergen, who served as the ICCP’s Executive remembers a platform where potted plants had to divide participants on the dais.
Outcomes Of The Conference
In the end, the conferences accomplished two important things. At the “official” level, the UN issued a political document, the Geneva Declaration of Palestine, a more explicit and comprehensive statement than those in the past. Second, and more relevant for our purposes, the success of the NGO forum fundamentally altered the Program of Work for Palestine within the UN leading to the creation of the ICCP and continuing engagement with NGOs on a larger and more systematic scale.
For the next decade, the annual International Symposium, buttressed by dozens of Regional Symposia around the world, proved to be vital components of an emerging global movement. They provided an opportunity for thought leaders and academics to interact with activists and organizers, Palestinians and Israelis to interact with themselves and others. The range of topics covered virtually all facets of the dilemma.
But beyond providing information, the Symposia benefited the movement in other, more tangible ways. It introduced potential members to one another. It provided a platform that enabled them to identify common concerns and points of common emphasis. It alerted them to emerging trends and issues. It helped them formulate common language and strategies. The International Coordinating Committee for NGOs on the Question of Palestine (ICCP), and various regional networks grew out of these symposia.
In North America, this led to decisions to extend the work of the North American Coordinating Committee (NACC) beyond the annual symposium. This bi-national coalition of 85 – 100 U.S. and Canadian NGOs created an urgent action network, published an annual Resource Directory, and undertook special projects such as the Peace Conference Information Project.
Disparate organizations worked together, and disparate personalities built trust. Of course, conflicts arose, and some personalities clashed, but in the end, we learned valuable lessons. For example, the importance of identifying common concerns, sharing information, and building structures that helped reinforce our common pursuits.
Everything was done on a “shoestring,” that is with little in the way of monetary resources. Neither the ICCP, nor the NACC ever functioned with more than one staff member; most of the other regional committees had none. But in the end, dedication and innovative thinking can only take you so far.
The expiration of the ICCP and the NACC in 1994 remains a complicated picture that deserves serious attention and discussion. Factors included the demise of several secular organizations, the severe loss of membership and reduction of resources among mainline Protestant denominations, and even the attitude of the Palestinian leadership at the UN itself.
Nevertheless, the ICCP’s and the NACC’s achievements and demise offer lessons that might be valuable to a new generation. Furthermore, they raise pressing questions for today’s leaders.
Lessons For Today
What comes after the current crisis passes? Can today’s activists and thought leaders identify and enact spaces and a framework that will encourage cooperation, both at the national and international level, thus bolstering their efforts? Can they organize sustainable long-term operations? Is it possible that the UN might once again provide such a framework?
Equally important, what strategies should be adopted in the face of mounting opposition – much of it unprincipled bullying, intimidation, and disinformation? Clearly, this is already taking place. Character assassination, ad hominem attacks, and perceived guilt by association are being launched against young professionals and others speaking out in support of Palestinian rights and challenging Israel’s unbridled military campaign. Sadly, one lesson from the past is that emerging leaders must prepare for the possibility that attempts to silence them could escalate to include violence, attempted infiltration, or burglary and vandalism. ICCP and NACC leaders could document and amplify all of these reprehensible activities that were directed against them and will likely be deployed against emerging leaders, particularly as those entities used to dominating public discourse find themselves increasingly in the minority.
An encouraging positive lesson drawn from the ICCP and NACC experience is that the effort put into building an effective coalition can produce unexpected positive results. Building an effective coalition takes time, energy and commitment. Human relationships help overcome disparate organizational outlooks, and so, with the ICCP and the NACC one could find committed atheists respectfully working alongside church leaders. But, organizations, like people, often have boundaries that need to be respected. Coordination does not mean domination, nor does it require agreement on everything. Nevertheless, identifying common principles and undertaking coordinated actions bolster and give greater emphasis to those areas where common agreement occurs.
Today’s activists can also draw strength from the knowledge that internationally, the political climate has changed. Support for Palestinian rights has grown exponetially as more and more people around the world have come to conclude that Israeli-Palestinian peace and stability in the region can only be obtained through political means.
Although some may argue it is premature, the question of what comes next must be addressed, particularly given the threat to a rules-based order and international law posed by this crisis. Once the crisis abates, how to maintain momentum and sustain gains? The measurable change in public opinion creates a new and unprecedented opportunity to transform the narrative and introduce lasting change. Clearly, US policymakers are already working to fashion their own answer – civil society needs to be doing the same.
This article represents a collaborative effort among people whose collective involvement totals more than two hundred years. Its primary authors are Kathy Bergen, Don Betz, Larry Ekin, and Don Wagner. They interviewed or solicited input from 20 additional former or current NGO leaders.
Kathy Bergen
Kathy Bergen was the General Secretary of the International Coordinating Committee for Non-governmental Organizations on the Question of Palestine in Geneva from 1990 until 1994. Of the 43 years she worked on Palestine/Israel issues, she worked in Jerusalem for nine years and in Ramallah for 7 1/2 years.
Don Betz
Don Betz is a former professor of political science and retired university president. He was a liaison officer for the United Nations International Conference on the Question of Palestine (ICQP) in 1983, with a concentration on non-governmental organization participation, and in the Division for Palestinian Rights. Betz served as the Chair of the International Coordinating Committee for NGOs on the Question of Palestine (ICCP) from 1984 onwards. The ICCP network expanded to over 1200 organizations worldwide.
Larry Ekin
Larry Ekin served five terms as the Chair of the North American Coordinating Committee. In cooperation with the Middle East Council of Churches, he founded the Ecumenical Travel Office and personally led more than 20 delegations to the region. He is the author of Enduring Witness: The Palestinians and The Churches and other publications.
Don Wagner
Rev. Dr. Don Wagner is a retired professor of Middle East studies, Presbyterian clergyperson, and human rights activist. He was the National Director of the Palestine Human Rights campaign from 1980-89 and member of the NAAC Steering Committee and of the International Steering Committee during the 1980s.