Allmep: The journey to the International Fund

Aus dem Mailing von Allmep:

Dear Friends,

I just stepped out of the room where civil society took its seat at the table.

This week began with renewed conflict in the region, as Israelis and Palestinians faced missiles, bombs, and terror. But the week ends with a powerful glimpse at a path to break out of this violent deadlock. As I write this, I am finishing up an intensive day in Paris, where I joined my ALLMEP colleagues and 150 peacebuilders from across our network, alongside foreign ministers and senior figures from more than 20 states from the G7 and beyond. Over the last 48 hours ALLMEP has marked two major milestones in a journey we’ve been on for two decades: the launch of an international fund, and the experience of Israeli and Palestinian civil society being integrated into the diplomatic plans of world leaders.

Building momentum step-by-step: The journey to the International Fund

Our momentum began with groundbreaking news out of the UK, originally published across major wire services (you can read the announcement on Reuters here). At a foreign ministerial meeting in Chevening, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced that their governments will launch and fund a new International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace.

First conceived by ALLMEP in 2004 and inspired by the transformative success of the International Fund for Ireland, this new multilateral institution presents the chance to scale and institutionalize the reach and impact of civil society. Our field has learned how to create real impact, trust and partnerships on the ground — from humanitarian relief, environmental cooperation, and tech partnerships to economic development, educational programs, and inter-faith projects.

Now, this fund can radically scale the critical work of our 200+ member organizations (and counting — we welcomed 9 new members just this week). As Foreign Secretary Cooper noted in her announcement, while diplomats sign the agreements, there must be support for the civil society organizations building the dialogue, trust, and parallel constituencies required to make a two-state solution a reality.

This fund announcement is a major victory in the global campaign we first launched in 2009. It involved thousands of meetings and events, unheard-of coalitions of allies across the political spectrum, and six different bills in the U.S. Congress, leading Congress to pass MEPPA in 2020 with $250 million. We then enlisted Pope Francis, dozens of UK and European parliamentarians, and over 350 NGOs around the world in an appeal to the G7. Now, these three countries have delivered a new international fund, and are seeking others to help scale up.

Taking the stage in Paris as full partners

Following that historic announcement, our day in Paris began with a diplomatic breakfast, where I met, alongside leaders from our field, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, UK Foreign Secretary Cooper, and Canadian Foreign Minister Anand to discuss recommendations developed across civil society to deliver to the G7 leaders.

We then spent the day at a summit hosted by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Leading experts and diplomats moderated five intensive working groups, each addressing a different aspect of the conflict. Our civil society representatives brought with them the ideas, input, and lived experiences of hundreds of leaders in our field, feeding them directly into this intensive policy conference.

Together, they generated concrete, actionable policy recommendations for a diplomatic community contending with a frozen political process. These ideas were presented in panels alongside remarks from ministers representing over a dozen countries, culminating in the official announcement of the 2026 Paris Call — a clear, united, and tangible roadmap delivered directly to the G7 Leaders’ Summit convening in France on Monday.

We are not starting from zero

This is a marathon, not a sprint. Hitting major milestones after years of work confirms the path we’re on. Getting here required building an entire network and organization. And now, through continuous, data-driven advocacy — from our AI Pulse research to last year’s New York Declaration and the inclusion of hundreds’ of civil society leaders’ voices in the Paris Call conversation — we are steadily bridging the gap between changemakers on the ground and the international community, making the people an indispensable part of the process.

As the day closed, a remarkable and all-too-rare scene unfolded in the streets of Paris. Hundreds of summit participants — Israelis and Palestinians — walked together along the Seine River to the Pont de la Tournelle bridge, sharing a resounding message: Peace is Possible.

After three years of devastating war, Israelis, Palestinians, and the international community are ready to pivot from war toward stabilization, recovery, and true conflict resolution. We are finally putting the infrastructure in place to offer a generational alternative to endless violence. With global diplomats now working hand-in-hand with an organized, resilient civil society network, we have the best fighting chance yet to ensure a secure, lasting future for both peoples.

We did not get here alone. This week’s achievements were only possible with your support, and building on them in the journey ahead will require even more from all of us. Thank you for standing with us and the Israeli and Palestinian peacebuilders. This week we saw just how much we can do together, step by step.

In peace / John Lyndon