Forward Thinking (charity)
Forward Thinking is a charitable organisation addressing issues related to the Middle East Peace Process and religious/secular dialogue.
Aims and Programmes
It has three main aims[1]
- To promote a more inclusive peace process in the Middle East
- To facilitate political dialogues in, and between, the Arab/Muslim and Western worlds.
- To promote in the UK greater understanding and confidence between the diverse grassroots Muslim communities and wider society
and two main areas of activities
- The Middle East Programme.
- Political Dialogues
The Middle East Programme
The prime focus of Forward Thinking's work in the Middle East is to promote a more inclusive peace process through dialogue with key Israeli and Palestinian stakeholders and political/religious leaders who previously had been unengaged. Forward Thinking works to engage with those who are perceived as religious or political "hardliners, in the belief that a durable peace agreement in the region requires the full participation of all political and faith-based leaders at each stage of the process. [2]
Forward Thinking's key aims in the Middle East Programme are:
- To identify the issues preventing a solution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict at a regional and international level
- To consolidate our relationships with perceived hard-line Israeli and Palestinian groups and political leaders
- To develop a broader network of contacts within the region among key political and faith-based leaders
- To brief governments and other interested parties on our activities and offer an inside analysis of recent events
- To provide safe spaces for dialogue away from the region. [3]
Political Dialogues
Forward Thinking’s Political Dialogues refer to the spaces they provide to promote dialogue between together diverse constituencies, to work towards developing greater understanding, mutual respect and strengthening co-existence.
Forward Thinking seek to work at multiple levels and in diverse settings, engaging key constituencies from across the religious and secular divide, including: government officials, parliamentarians, political leaders, prominent figures from the financial/business community and civil society activists. Through this active mediation Forward Thinking attempt to bring together leaders that hold real constituency within their respective communities to try and bridge gaps that are often perceived as insurmountable. They try to facilitate engagement and design a process aimed at moving from “dialogue to action”. Through dialogue, participants can discover the minimum level of consensus that enables them to act together in promoting mutually desirable goals. [4]
Forward Thinking have several different political dialogues, including:
The Tunisian Process
In Tunisia, Forward Thinking have established and facilitate an ongoing dialogue focused on supporting political leaders develop sufficient consensus to address the challenges and mistrust that risk hindering the political transition to a fully multi party democratic state.
The Policy Forum
Forward Thinking have initiated a regional dialogue that brings together senior political, governmental and economic officials from across Europe and the Arab/Muslim world. The purpose is to address some of the growing political and economic challenges that can destabilise countries in transition. By providing a regular space for open and frank exchanges our goal is to create a network of influential leaders who can help deepen the mutual understanding and develop more informed and creative policy responses.
Forward Thinking are also in the process of establishing a broader network of secular and religious political leaders from across the Arab/Muslim to meet regularly with European and US, parliamentarians and diplomats, so as to enable them to examine together the challenges and misperceptions posed by the religious and secular political divide that some claim underpins much of the political instability in the MENA and Gulf region.
Work in the UK
In the UK, Forward Thinking continues to advise grassroots Muslim communities on how to engage with both the establishment and the wider British society without fearing the loss of their faith identity. They have developed a large network of community leaders that represent the culturally and religiously diversity of the Muslim community in the UK.
Staff
Forward Thinking's co-founder and director is Oliver McTernan. Oliver has an established background in conflict resolution and interfaith relationships. He was a visiting fellow of the Weatherhead Centre for International Affairs at Harvard University 2000-2003. He was also responsible for initiating the first post-conflict talks between NATO and the former Yugoslav government. He broadcasts regularly on radio and television.[5]
Julian Weinberg is responsible for managing Forward Thinking's Political Dialogue. Prior to taking up his position in October 2010, Julian was the Senior Middle East Analyst with a political risk and strategic advisory firm. In September 2009, Julian returned from Damascus having studied Arabic and worked as a freelance journalist for 18 months.[6]
Funding
Forward Thinking is funded by a diverse range of sources including: the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Union, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and a number of Trusts and private donors.[7]