title: Promoting Arab and Israeli cooperation: peacebuilding through health initiatives.
abstract: This article describes a positive experience in building Arab and Israeli cooperation through health initiatives. Over the past 10 years Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian health professionals have worked together through the Canada International Scientific Exchange Program (CISEPO). In the initial project, nearly 17,000 Arab and Israeli newborn babies were tested for early detection of hearing loss, an important health issue for the region. The network has grown to address additional needs, including mother-child health, nutrition, infectious diseases, and youth health. Our guiding model emphasises two goals: project-specific outcomes in health improvement, and broader effects on cross-border cooperation. Lessons learned from this experience and the model provide direction for ways that health professionals can contribute to peacebuilding.
authors.affiliation: University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. harvey.skinner@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Harvey
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Skinner
authors.forename: Ziad
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Abdeen
authors.forename: Hani
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abdeen
authors.forename: Phil
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aber
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al-Masri
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Attias
authors.forename: Karen B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Avraham
authors.forename: Rivka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carmi
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chalin
authors.forename: Ziad
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: El Nasser
authors.forename: Manaf
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hijazi
authors.forename: Rema Othman
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Jebara
authors.forename: Moien
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanaan
authors.forename: Hillel
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pratt
authors.forename: Firas
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Raad
authors.forename: Yehudah
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: A Paul
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Arnold
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Noyek
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D006296:Health Services; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007391:International Cooperation; D007557:Israel; D007597:Jordan; D008877:Middle East; D012106:Research; D014857:Warfare