About Envision Hope

Envision Hope is a key to connection, trust, and civil resilience between Jews and Arabs in mixed cities and neighboring communities in Israel. We believe that shared living is not built through festive declarations or one-time symbolic meetings, but through deep, consistent, and direct field partnership. Since 2016, each of us has been working in mixed cities to establish a stable community infrastructure grounded in mutual respect, solidarity, and de-escalation during routine and emergency times.

We founded Envision Hope in January 2023 by creating a nationwide group of women from all religions and communities, united by a shared responsibility to promote coexistence and joint living among populations in mixed cities. The group underwent training, visited various cities, and studied local challenges. As the process progressed, each local team led activities and initiatives on the ground—from the far North to the Negev.

During the difficult days following October 7th, we accompanied the group members—each in her own city and region—in an effort to prevent the spread of violence to mixed cities and to foster a mindset of shared responsibility in the local space. The women organized emergency meetings and action committees, initiating trust-building encounters between local authorities and the public. This field work served as a primary source of inspiration for writing the book *Women Write Hope*—born from the desire to share the courageous work of these women and others with the broader public.

Furthermore, in the face of pain and radicalization – particularly among youth and young adults – we developed educational programs that connect religious identity, faith and the values Judaism and Islam share, to make a deep encounter possible and to build trust between Jews and Arabs. Drawing on the relationships we built with religious leaders, we advanced interfaith dialogue initiatives in the education system, with a special focus on mixed cities.

To our pride, our work in the field during the war has earned international recognition: in 2024 we were jointly awarded the Victor J. Goldberg Prize for Peace, and in 2025 the Luxembourg Peace Prize.

Even in these challenging days, when many feel growing despair in the face of radicalization and violence, we continue to act together, joining hands to build trust across different communities and groups. Through our work in the field, we understand and believe more than ever: mixed cities must serve as the model proving that we can live in peace, justice, and safety—for ourselves and for future generations.

The work and spirit of Envision Hope are dedicated with love and deep gratitude to the memory and legacy of two trailblazing leaders who walked this path with us:

• The late Vivian Silver: A prominent peace and social justice activist who founded and managed numerous partnerships and projects (including AJEEC-NISA, the Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation, and Women Wage Peace). Vivian was killed in her home in Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7, 2023. Her work and field partnership with Ghadir Hani inspired our activities in recent years, and we were deeply moved to dedicate the book to her memory.
• The late Faten Al-Zinati: A trailblazing leader and director of the Arab-Jewish Community Center in Lod. Her joint community work, in which Dror also took part, laid the foundation for mediation language, leadership models, municipal dialogue, and trust-building in complex living spaces. Faten passed away in 2022 at the age of 46.

Envision Hope's consistent, in-depth work in the field has earned broad international recognition:

• Victor J. Goldberg Prize for Peace (2024): Awarded to Ghadir Hani and Dror Rubin for their joint leadership and proven impact on the ground. Read more about the prize and acceptance speeches
• Luxembourg Peace Prize (2025): Awarded in the "Outstanding Peace Process" category for building dialogue infrastructure and community resilience during crisis times. Read more about the prize