Facilitating Dialogue Across Israeli and Palestinian Narratives
A Workshop for Experienced Facilitators
Facilitating Dialogue Across Israeli and Palestinian Narratives is an intensive, practice-based workshop designed for experienced dialogue facilitators navigating one of the most complex and emotionally charged issues on campus. Grounded in CDI’s evidence-based, nonpartisan framework, the program equips participants with advanced tools to manage polarization, respond to escalation, and sustain inquiry and free expression in high-stakes conversations.
Through structured simulations and applied learning, participants strengthen their ability to facilitate with care and intention—leaving with practical strategies they can use immediately in their work.
Grounded in behavioral science and nonpartisan facilitation principles
Focused on navigating conflict during conversations about the Middle East
Structured simulations for immediate, real-world application
Workshop Format
Facilitating Dialogue Across Israeli and Palestinian Narratives is offered as an intensive, interactive professional development workshop for experienced facilitators.
Length: 5 hours
Format: Virtual, instructor-led with structured, interactive exercises
Delivery: Private cohorts for experienced facilitators
Participants deepen their ability to navigate polarization, manage escalation, and sustain constructive dialogue.
Workshop Facilitators
Micah Hendler is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Jerusalem Youth Chorus (JYC), an Israeli-Palestinian music and dialogue project that has, for the last 14 years, empowered young singers from East and West Jerusalem to speak and sing their truths together — even in times of war — from the streets of Jerusalem to the global stages of TED and America's Got Talent. Drawing on over 20 years of experience in dialogue facilitation and cross-community bridge-building, Micah has brought the lessons of JYC to the US and around the world, collaborating with organizations working to depolarize America, including the Constructive Dialogue Institute, Braver Angels, the One America Movement, Convergence, and New Pluralists. His upcoming book, Impossible Harmony (HarperCollins, 2027), will offer his toolkit — and proof it works — to a global audience. Micah holds degrees in Music and International Studies from Yale and was selected for the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Music in 2017.
Eliza O’Neil is CDI’s Senior Curriculum Manager. Eliza’s role at CDI is to create dialogue-focused curriculum, resources, and trainings for students, educators, administrators, and anyone looking to cultivate skills to foster connection across differences in any context. Before joining CDI, Eliza was a program director for Seeds of Peace, where she ran dialogue and facilitation training programs for young adults and educators around the world. She spent 6 years as a facilitator for Essential Partners, working with communities of all ages looking to bridge divides and connect more meaningfully amidst conflict or discord. Eliza previously taught at experiential high schools in Maine and Colorado and led wilderness trips around the world for groups of young adults. Eliza holds a B.A. from Bates College and an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
You Should Attend this Workshop If You Are
Experienced dialogue facilitators working in high-conflict or politically sensitive contexts
Faculty and staff facilitating conversations about dynamics across Israeli and Palestinian communities
Campus leaders preparing for or responding to conflict-related tensions
Institutions strengthening internal capacity for complex, high-stakes dialogue
Concepts Covered
Building trust and openness through intentional opening practices that help participants feel comfortable engaging.
Common Use Cases
- Following campus tensions or controversial events
- As part of a campus-wide initiative on dialogue and free expression
- Professional development for new faculty or advisors
- Preparing departments to integrate dialogue into curriculum
- Building shared language before launching broader institutional change efforts
By the end of this workshop, participants will:
- Understand the core skills and mindsets of constructive dialogue
- Build classroom and campus environments that support inquiry and respectful disagreement
- Facilitate conversations across differences with greater confidence
- Apply structured tools to manage tense or controversial situations constructively
The training was a great balance of education and practice! I left feeling more confident and prepared to facilitate difficult conversations.
I honestly thought it was one of the best trainings I’ve been through.
I very much enjoyed this training and found it incredibly valuable to my work.
The training was a great balance of education and practice! I left feeling more confident and prepared to facilitate difficult conversations.
I honestly thought it was one of the best trainings I’ve been through.
I very much enjoyed this training and found it incredibly valuable to my work.
