- Medbridge
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MedBridge 
Type Non-profit
NGOFounded 2003 (Belgium), 2004 (France) Location Paris Key people Willy De Clercq, Marco Pannella, Ana Palacio, François Léotard, François Zimeray Services Conferences, Seminars, Visits, Exhibition Method Promoting dialogue and mutual understanding between Europe and the Middle-East Motto A Bridge between Europe and the Middle-East Website www.medbridge.org MedBridge is a European organization whose goal is to promote dialogue and mutual understanding between Europe and the Middle East. Its aim is to enable Europeans willing to be informed on the Middle East or to support Israeli-Arab peace efforts, to access the most direct, comprehensive and objective information possible on the political situation in the region.
MedBridge has been registered as a French non-profit organization since 2004.[1] The organization was created by European leaders from different political backgrounds, such as Willy De Clercq, Marco Pannella, Ana Palacio, François Léotard and François Zimeray.[2]
Contents
Activities
Since its creation in 2003, the organization has initiated a dozen of international events: conferences, exhibitions, international meetings and visits of European parliamentarians and civil society representatives to the Middle East.[2]
Visits to the Middle East
Medbridge has organized visits to the Middle East for public leaders and decision-makers. About 500 parliamentarians, from 30 European countries, took part in these visits.[2]
According to Israeli diplomat Yigal Palmor,in October 2003 the organization gathered the largest European parliamentary delegation that has ever visited the region.[3] 160 parliamentarians from 28 countries took part in the visit.[4] In January 2008, the delegation accompanied another large delegation of 60 parliamentarians from 21 European countries.[5]
In addition to political visits, MedBridge has also initiated several visits for civil society representatives and opinion leaders. In June 2007, MedBridge organized a visit of French writers to the Middle-East in cooperation with Le Monde Magazine.[6]
People involved
Among the people who received the delegations of MedBridge are:[2][7][8]
- Abdallah II of Jordan
- Rania of Jordan
- Mahmoud Abbas
- Salam Fayyad
- Benyamin Netanyahu
- Shimon Peres
- Marwan al-Muasher
Among the people who took part in the delegations are:[2][6][7][8][9]
- Christine Defraigne
- Jean Bardet
- Joëlle Garriaud-Maylam
- David Assouline
- Inese Vaidere
- Jean-Pierre Plancade
- Yvon Collin
- Michel Bécot
- Jean Arthuis
- Didier Boulaud
- Thierry Repentin
- Élisabeth Lamure
- Roland Ries
- François Marc
- Jean Gaubert
- Claude Bartolone
- Christophe Bouillon
- Pierre Forgues
- Igor Gräzin
- Boriss Cilevičs
- Sergejs Dolgopolovs
- João Soares[disambiguation needed
] - Gustav Blix
- David Steel
- Baron Kilclooney
- Miroslav Mikolasik
Other activities
Mahmoud Abbas and François Zimeray during Parliaments for Peace in 2008.
Medbridge has organized several conferences. In the past important leaders such as Ehud Barak, Edith Cresson, Claude Goasguen, Antoine Sfeir, or Alexandre Adler took part in these.[2][10]
MedBridge has also organized exhibitions, among others at the French Senate.[2]
In 2005, MedBridge, in cooperation with the organization Hommes de Paroles, organized the first World Congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace, gathering 100 imams and rabbis from all over the world under the patronage of Albert II of Belgium and Mohammed VI of Morocco.[2]
References
- ^ Journal Officiel de la République Française published on April 10, 2004, number of announce 1064
- ^ a b c d e f g h http://www.medbridge.org/showpage.php/en/2/1/page.html
- ^ "European lawmakers to visit the region to promote understanding". Haaretz. October 24, 2003.
- ^ http://www.medbridge.org/showpage.php/en/99/12/page.html
- ^ "Visite express au Proche-Orient". Le Monde. February 21, 2008.
- ^ a b http://www.medbridge.org/showpage.php/fr/99/7/page.html
- ^ a b "Medbridge : Les parlementaires européens visitent la région. Guysen News International. February 7, 2008.
- ^ a b http://www.haaretz.com/news/european-lawmakers-to-visit-region-to-promote-understanding-1.103660
- ^ http://paris1.mfa.gov.il/mfm/Data/75592.html
- ^ http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x97ahj_conference-medbridge_news
External links
Categories:- Foreign policy
- Public policy
- Non-governmental organizations involved in the Israeli–Palestinian peace process
- Peace organizations
- Israeli–Palestinian peace efforts
- Politics of Europe
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