Parents Circle - Families Forum

In 1995, Israeli businessman Yitzhak Frankenthal and a group of Israeli families established the Parents Circle – Families Forum (PCFF) to bring together Palestinian and Israeli families who were grieving the loss of a family member to the ongoing conflict. Three years later, PCFF hosted its first meeting, a dialogue between Palestinian and Israeli families. Today, the joint Palestinian-Israeli organization — which maintains offices in both Israel and Palestine — is composed of more than 600 families who engage in dialogues and programs to promote tolerance and peace.

PCFF's work is rooted in the notion that sustainable peace can only be achieved after a process of widespread reconciliation, and PCFF hosts dialogue meetings and exhibitions to foster this process at the micro level. Further, PCFF hosts the annual Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day Ceremony, celebrates International Peace Day, and organizes a five-day Youth Summer Program, which brings together more than 50 bereaved Palestinian and Israeli youth between the ages of 14 and 18. These impactful programs are only part of PCFF's far-reaching work; the organization has attracted international attention for its efforts to work towards peace and prevent the loss of further life.