Mediation as a Bridge for Cooperation: ACT Strengthens the Partnership Between Community Police and the Local Community

Ramallah – As part of its pioneering role in promoting civil peace, the ACT Conflict Resolution Organization held the fourth meeting of the Community Mediators and Peacebuilders Network in Palestine, with the participation of representatives from community policing, to discuss the role of community councils in strengthening partnerships between the police and local communities. This was organized within the activities of the project “Mediation as a Tool for Community Peacebuilding.”

The workshop aimed to develop mechanisms for managing community conflicts and to promote the adoption of peaceful solutions based on dialogue and cooperation.

It also served as an interactive platform to explore the roles of official and community actors in early intervention for conflict resolution. Colonel Mohammed Badwan, Deputy Director of Community Police in the Jerusalem suburbs, and Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Al-Aidi, Director of Public Relations, presented the experience of community councils in handling disputes.

In this context, ACT emphasized the importance of integrating the roles of official institutions and local communities, noting that negotiation and mediation—based on its practical experience—are strategic tools to reduce the escalation of conflicts and enhance community stability.

The workshop also provided space for in-depth discussions with participants, addressing ways to improve coordination and cooperation, and proposing practical visions to strengthen the role of community councils in conflict management, favoring peaceful solutions over legal procedures.

This workshop reflects ACT’s approach to fostering effective partnerships between official and community actors, and to establishing mediation as a strategic tool for conflict management. It comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to support civil peace and to build more cohesive communities capable of addressing challenges through peaceful and sustainable means.