The Arik Institute

Peace can only be achieved through reconciliation and tolerance

Peace is an ideal that should be the foundation for the activities and ambitions of all nations as well as individuals. As a Utopian ideal, however, its ambiguity often obscures the practical political and cultural means for its achievement. The paths to resolution of conflicts are well accommodated by the ideas of reconciliation and tolerance.

We believe that the ideal of Peace is universal and should not have political connotations. Therefore we define Arik Institute as a Non-Political organization, actually meaning that we shall support any leader of any political party who will lead our country towards peace.

It is our aim to promote knowledge of the “other”, their history, concrete political situation and way of life, and to nurture understanding of contesting narratives. Humane acquaintance of this sort can play a definitive role in reconciliation and the breeding of tolerant dispositions. Creating empathy to each other involves simultaneous acts on a number of parallel levels in order to bring about a radical emotional change while addressing both denial and repression of unpleasant realities.