Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development

The Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development (NISPED) is a non-profit based in Israel which promotes peace and development through education, training, and community projects. It was founded in 1997 by Dr. Yehuda Paz.

NISPED has three major divisions: the Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation (AJEEC), NISPED Middle East, and NISPED Cooperative Development.

History
NISPED was founded in 1997 by Dr. Yehuda Paz. Paz remained the chair of NISPED until his death in 2013.

In 2011, co-executive directors of NISPED, Vivian Silver and Amal Elsana Ahl'jooj, received the Victor J. Goldberg Prize for Peace in the Middle East from the Institute of International Education.

Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation
The Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation (AJEEC) focuses on peace and development projects within Israel and the Palestinian territories, particularly among Arab-Bedouin communities in Israel. It was founded in 2000. AJEEC is one of the largest civil society organizations in Israel. It is a member of the Alliance for Middle East Peace.

In the 2000s, AJEEC began developing Co-operative Produce for Peace, which would see Palestinian and Israeli producers of cherry tomatoes, strawberries, and sweet potatoes working together in a cooperative. The project was suspended in 2007, following Hamas taking control of the Gaza Strip and the Israel government declaring a blockade on the border.

In 2009, AJEEC launched Joint Ventures for Peace in collaboration with the Shorouq Society for Women. The project brought together Israeli and Palestinian women entrepreneurs and craftspeople, who underwent training together to grow their businesses outside of their home territories. It was suspended during the 2014 Gaza War due to logistical difficulties.

In the mid-2010s, AJEEC did several studies in collaboration with the Green Land Society for Health on the recycling of e-waste in the West Bank, and its impact on worker's health and the environment.

AJEEC has a youth division, called Shabibat AJEEC, founded in 2002 by Sliman Al Amor. It operates under the Ministry of Education, and serves around 7,000 people as of 2022. Originally focused on southern Israel, the initiative has spread to the rest of the country in recent years. Shabibat AJEEC does Arabic-language outreach to primarily Bedouin youth through after-school programs and activities. They also provide programs and opportunities for Bedouin and Jewish youth to interact in positive environments.

International work
NISPED has also launched programs outside of the Middle East.

NISPED provided aid in Sri Lanka following the 2004 tsunami. They continued to provide aid through 2007.

Another such project is Communities Prosper Together, which was launched in Cameroon in 2019. The project provides various job trainings to promote positive relations between ethnic groups and community resiliency.