OPPORTUNITIES IN SWITZERLAND: JPBLD Director travels to Guggisberg

This January, JPBLD’s Jerusalem-area Director Zak Adileh travelled to Guggisberg, Switzerland (near the Swiss capital of Bern) to take part in a two-week, international youth leaders exchange. Jointly organized by the Swiss NGO Verein Naturkultur and the Bernese Foundation Stiftung Urgestein, the conference brought together leading Israeli, Palestinian, and Swiss youth leaders in order to foster intercultural dialogue, forge new personal and professional connections, and meet potential program funders. The entire event was underwritten by the Confederation of Switzerland with the help of the Movetia Foundation. Zak’s presence at the conference represents growing recognition of JPB’s work in the Holy Lands and will strengthen his leadership of local operations.

Also in Switzerland, plans are underway to establish a JPB Summer Youth Institute in Geneva. This beautiful city boasts substantial Jewish, Muslim, and Christian populations, a long history of peacebuilding, and a UN Headquarters. All this together with its safety, lakeside location, and manageable-size make Geneva an ideal location for a new leadership program in 2024. Geneva is a former home to Fr. Nicholas and Dorothy Porter, and JPB friends at Emmanuel Church there are providing invaluable assistance with this strategic development.