"Peace is not merely the absence of war." Examining the disengagement of ordinary Cypriots from the peace process, Christalla Yakinthou argues that to keep things the way they are at present is to remain frozen in the past.

Rana Zincir Celal coordinates the Cyprus Chapter of the Greek-Turkish Forum. Following a meeting between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot women and Elders' Lakhdar Brahimi and Gro Brundtland, she writes about the need for women to be more involved in the peace process in Cyprus

Sari Freitekh discovers the hidden serenity of the Qalandia Camp Handicraft Cooperative and meets the women who are empowering their peers through literacy and skills training.

Frustrated by the lack of youth participation in the decision-making process, Zaher Bassioni set out to establish a youth organisation alongside similar-minded young people. Here, he blogs about his vision for a secular Palestinian society - one that practises peace, promotes democracy, and respects individual freedoms.

Why wait for someone else to solve the problems? Anees Barghouthy gives an example of young Palestinians taking proactive action to make a difference in their communities.

Ranaan Paz is an actor, playwright and musician who spent three years as a paratrooper in the Orev Brigade. In this blog, he describes coming to terms with the difficult memories from his time in the army and argues that it is possible for Israelis and Palestinians to live together.

Shira Avni, from Beit Yehudit - The International Cultural Centre for Youth (ICCY) in Emek Refaim, blogs about getting local residents to actively participate in the decision making that affects their lives.