Preparing for JoU with Coordinator Yishai Pulvermacher

In 2018, Yishai Pulvermacher took part in the Journey of Understanding (JoU) as a participant. Four years later he returned to Encompass, this time as the Israeli Coordinator. In just under two weeks, he will join the rest of the Encompass team in Cyprus to take part in JoU as a staff member. We spoke to Yishai to learn more about how he prepares for JoU, which starts with recruiting participants, as well as his role in, and hopes for, the next programme: 

“The first step is gathering applications. These come from a number of sources, including personal recommendations, universities, social media, and other peace-building programmes. Next, I start interviewing the applicants. In line with Encompass’ agenda, my aim is to create as diverse a group as possible. This means including both religious and secular participants from across the political spectrum in Israel, as well as a mix of genders. This is to ensure that the dialogue sessions are enriched with different viewpoints and life experiences. What I look for, more than anything else, is curious people who are willing to listen, to share, and to be empathetic to others even during disputes.”

Before participants attend the programme in Cyprus, they are required to take part in a series of preparatory sessions where they learn the necessary skills to take part in a dialogue programme such as JoU: 

“The most important thing to us in this seminar is the ability to manage mature discussions and to be able to converse and dispute in a respectful way. So I have 1 to 2 meetings with my participants before the seminar, in Israel, in which we practice those skills. We train them in “active listening”, facing them with challenging dilemmas, giving them a taste of what’s to come.

Having been a participant on the programme myself, I advise new participants that they must come to the programme with open minds and open hearts. A change cannot happen if we stick to our beliefs and are not willing to hear and learn other’s narratives and point of views.”

Not only will Yishai be attending the programme as a Coordinator, he will also be taking part in dialogue sessions as a facilitator in training:

“I’m very excited as this seminar is going to be my first time facilitating since joining the Encompass team. Alongside working as a trainee facilitator, I will be supporting the programme manager with logistics. During the next programme, after I’m fully trained, I will be facilitating full-time.” 

The Journey of Understanding does not end after the 10 day programme in Cyprus. Rather, equipped with new skills and a deeper understanding of each other’s lives, we hope participants will return to their communities to spread the message of peace through understanding and continue to engage with Encompass’ work: 

“Conflicts around the world always include a big amount of prejudice, misconceptions and sometimes even ignorance, polarising us and leading to animosity, racism and violence. Interface programmes, like Encompass, have been psychologically proven to help reduce and overcome prejudice. Once you meet “the other side” and see that, at the end of the day, they are just people like you and me, having the same hobbies and having the same dreams.

My constant hope is for the participants in this programme to come out of it more insightful about this conflict which has gone on for far too long. I hope they will choose to put what they learn into good use to try and make this world a better place for us all. 

When participants return home, we stay in touch with our alumni to create a network of activists and organise opportunities to bring them together again in the future. Our goal is to widen this network, to connect these people, and support them to share Encompass’ aims with those around them.”