SIR PAUL JOINS HONORARY BOARD OF GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION WORKING TO END PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI CONFLICT
The OneVoice Movement today announced that Sir Paul McCartney has officially joined its International Board of Advisors, which includes other celebrities such as Danny DeVito and Jason Alexander, as well as international dignitaries and political figures like Dennis Ross.
McCartney first spoke with Israeli and Palestinian representatives of the group, which seeks to empower the moderate majorities of Israel, Palestine, and citizens internationally to work toward a two state solution to the conflict, during his visit to Israel at the end of September 2008. He met with OneVoice Israel Chairwoman, Irit Admoni Perlman, in addition to staff members and youth activists from the movement. At the meeting, he expressed his support for OneVoice’s activities on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides.
Speaking to Nisreen Shahin, OneVoice Palestine’s Executive Director, Sir Paul reaffirmed his commitment to OneVoice’s moderate, grassroots approach to ending the conflict. He also travelled to Palestine, to bring his message of peace to the West Bank as well. Later that evening at his concert at Tel Aviv’s Park HaYarkon, he and members of his band wore OneVoice pins in a show of support for the movement and the ideas it promotes.
Said McCartney, “Having met representatives of the association OneVoice, I was impressed, first of all, by the fact that half of the organization is Palestinian and half is Israeli. Almost 650,000 people have signed on to their manifesto, supporting their steadfast work to bring about a negotiated solution, and peace in the region.” He went on to say of OneVoice: “They told me that the vast majority of people in both societies are moderates and simply want a better life for their families and themselves. This gave me great hope that, one day, people like them will help to bring about a peaceful resolution to the troubles in the area. I am, therefore, happy to lend my support in this way to the cause of peace.”
Over the past six years, OneVoice has built a “human infrastructure” of youth leaders and citizen activists working to mobilize their communities and push their elected representatives to achieve a two state agreement. The movement has trained over 2,000 youth leaders in Israel and Palestine, and counts on its board over 60 world leaders, dignitaries, celebrities, business people, and political figures.
The OneVoice Movement is an international mainstream grassroots movement with almost 650,000 signatories in roughly equal numbers both in Israel and in Palestine, and over 2,000 highly-trained youth leaders. It aims to amplify the voice of the overwhelming — but heretofore silent — majority of moderates who wish for peace and prosperity, empowering them to demand accountability from elected representatives and work toward a two-state solution guaranteeing an end to occupation and violence, and a viable, independent Palestinian state at peace with Israel. OneVoice counts on its Board over 60 foremost dignitaries and business leaders across a wide spectrum of politics and beliefs, joining as OneVoice for conflict resolution. www.OneVoiceMovement.org
Source: The OneVoice Movement
