Why AbrahamPeace.me

This book explains why AbrahamPeace.me was created, as well as introduces ways the public can participate.

Why we created this resource

The need for abrahampeace.me, a dedicated wiki for peaceful solutions in the Middle East, arises from several important factors:

 1. Centralized Resource for Collaboration and Education: This platform serves as a comprehensive hub where resources, data, and insights come together to inform the public and facilitate collaborative efforts toward peace.

2. Reliable, Unbiased Information: As mainstream resources like Wikipedia face disruptions from biased sources, this wiki ensures trusted, balanced information contributed and edited by people from diverse backgrounds—including Arabs and Israelis, Palestinians and non-Palestinians. This diversity fosters a balanced perspective and inclusivity.

3. Commitment to Verifiable Facts: Ideally, the information provided will be indisputable, backed by historical documents and records. For areas with conflicting views, these will be clearly labeled as disputed, offering potential compromises when possible or noting them as unresolved without requiring a definitive answer to progress toward peace.

4. Focus on Practical Peace Solutions: Unlike platforms with broader focuses, abrahampeace.me is dedicated solely to exploring actionable pathways to peace that can be understood and embraced by the general population.

5. Open to New Contributions: This resource is continuously seeking additional content contributions and editorial staff, inviting more voices to help build a balanced, solution-oriented repository for peace.

Though this initiative doesn’t directly influence political leaders, it empowers the public with knowledge and options for peace. In societies where people can shape government decisions, the collective demand for peace holds the potential to drive meaningful change.

Contributor Selection Criteria

At abrahampeace.me, we are committed to maintaining a standard of integrity, inclusivity, and dedication to peaceful coexistence. Writers and editors who wish to contribute to this resource must meet specific criteria that reflect the values central to our mission of fostering peace in the Middle East. Each participant is carefully selected based on their commitment to the principles outlined below:

1. Dedication to Peace: All contributors must firmly believe in and advocate for non-violence as the only acceptable path forward. We require each writer and editor to affirm that violence perpetuates further conflict and that true, lasting peace can only be achieved through dialogue, mutual respect, and understanding.

2. Commitment to Coexistence: Contributors must embrace the reality that all communities currently residing in the region have a right to remain. No individual, family, or group is expected to relocate. Instead, we seek contributors who believe in and support the peaceful coexistence of all people, regardless of their background or the length of their residence in the area.

3. Respect for Indigenous and Established Communities: All indigenous communities in the region are recognized as rightful inhabitants of their lands, with a legitimate and unassailable claim to remain. Similarly, individuals and groups who have more recently settled in the area, regardless of economic motivations, are welcome to remain if they pledge to reject violence and support peaceful integration.

4. Objectivity and Impartiality: Contributors are expected to approach their work with fairness and impartiality. Each writer and editor should be prepared to acknowledge and label contentious issues as disputed when applicable, and to explore potential compromises in a balanced manner.

5. Dedication to Evidence-Based Reporting: Contributors must ensure that all information provided is rooted in historical documentation and verified sources. Content should reflect accurate, indisputable facts wherever possible. Areas of ongoing disagreement or ambiguity will be transparently marked as such, in keeping with our commitment to truthfulness and transparency.

To maintain these standards, all potential contributors are thoroughly vetted through an application and interview process to assess their alignment with abrahampeace.me’s principles of peace, respect, and non-violence. By fostering a community of like-minded individuals dedicated to these ideals, we aim to create a trusted, solution-oriented resource that promotes understanding and lasting peace in the Middle East.

The Intolerance Paradox and the Boundaries of Peace

The mission of abrahampeace.me is rooted in a commitment to non-violence, mutual respect, and the pursuit of peaceful solutions to conflicts in the Middle East. However, the philosophy guiding this resource recognizes what is known as the “intolerance paradox”—the understanding that peace and tolerance may sometimes necessitate firm boundaries against those who actively oppose these principles.

1. Understanding the Intolerance Paradox: As first articulated by philosopher Karl Popper, the intolerance paradox states that, in a tolerant society, tolerance must be extended to all except the intolerant. If a society permits the spread of intolerance without restriction, the intolerant can eventually undermine and destroy the society’s foundations of tolerance and peace. Therefore, while peace is the ultimate goal, it is essential to recognize that some individuals or groups may actively seek to disrupt it through violent means.

2. The Role of Non-Violence and Military Solutions: While abrahampeace.me and its contributors are dedicated to peaceful dialogue and non-violent resolutions, we acknowledge that some individuals and groups may remain unyielding in their pursuit of violence. In these instances, a defensive, military approach may be necessary to protect the broader population’s right to peace and safety. This acknowledgment is not an endorsement of aggression but rather a realistic understanding that protecting peaceful communities may require defensive measures against violent threats.

3. Defining Boundaries for Peace: For this resource to remain effective in fostering peace, it must set clear boundaries. Those who insist on using violence to achieve their goals and refuse to embrace non-violent alternatives may find themselves outside the scope of the peaceful solutions promoted here. Such boundaries are not only vital for the integrity of this resource but are also a means to protect the rights and safety of those who genuinely seek peaceful coexistence.

4. Commitment to Balanced Representation: The contributors of abrahampeace.me work to provide a balanced perspective that reflects the diversity of views within the region, highlighting the possibility of coexisting in harmony. However, this inclusivity does not extend to individuals or organizations advocating violence as a means to an end. To maintain the mission of peace, we must remain vigilant against those who would disrupt it through intolerance or aggression.

In recognizing the intolerance paradox, abrahampeace.me seeks to create a safe space for constructive, peace-oriented dialogue while standing firmly against violence and intolerance. This approach ensures that the resource remains a beacon for peaceful solutions, serving those who genuinely aspire to end conflict and foster coexistence.