FIND THE RESULTS OF THE POLLS HERE.
Progress at the negotiating table is only one step in the process of reaching an agreement that can be implemented. An end to the conflict will only come when the leaders come to an agreement that their peoples are ready to understand, accept, and support; it is imperative that the public understand the process.
Public opinion polls are almost uniformly presented as static snapshots of how citizens feel about a particular issue, without considering how the questions asked actually shape the data outputs, and how the process of polling itself can shift public opinion. Thoughtful polling can be used to engage and inform ordinary people, highlight existing agreement, bolster moderate views, expose extreme positions, and ultimately build consensus and even peace.
Gauging Opinion, Engaging the People. OneVoice partnered with foremost experts in public opinion from Israel, Palestine, and the international community to develop an iterative methodology to not merely gauge public opinion, but engage the public in crafting consensus on the issues at the heart of the conflict. The polls, which ran in parallel in Israel and in Palestine, are comprised of a series of questions on final status and procedural issues. The results are used as a basis from which to launch Town Hall Meetings.
National Aspirations versus Working Solutions. Unlike many polls conducted in this space, the questions will be designed to separate national aspirations – the dreams for an ideal future that are legitimate parts of all national narratives – from practical working solutions – what is possible within negotiations for a mutually-acceptable two state solution that will bring a permanent end to occupation, conflict, and violence, bringing independence, viability, security, freedom, and dignity to both peoples.
FIND THE RESULTS OF THE POLLS HERE.
Global Perspective, Local Expertise. Leading the process will be Dr. Colin Irwin, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Irish Studies at the University of Liverpool, who will bring to OneVoice his expertise in building consensus through polling in Northern Ireland. In addition to OneVoice staff, he will work in partnership with Dr. Nader Said, General Director for the Arab World for Research and Development (AWRAD) in Palestine, and Dr. Mina Tzemach, Professional Director for the Dahaf Research Institute in Israel.
Timeline
The public polling project, in conjunction with our Town Hall Meetings series, are designed to be longer-term undertakings, operating over a period of roughly one year.
The polling team determined methods, and devised the polling questions through November and December 2008. The first round was put into the field at the end of February 2009, with polling conducted through March. The results have been compiled in a joint study in early April for public release. Further iterations will be based on data gathered in the first round, the data output used in Town Hall Meetings.
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