Private Seminars are developed in-line with a para-diplomatic intervention approach in support of the peace process among Israel, Palestine and the Arab countries. Political, religious, and social representatives take part in private and confidential meetings held in Italy, where they can talk freely about the most important current issues in a neutral environment. The private seminars are a unique opportunity to build up personal relations among the negotiators and to reach concrete results through new policy proposals in order to support or re-launch the official negotiations. The seminars are held in collaboration with local authorities and local institutions, the European Union and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Seminars organized in recent years include:

Beyond the Road Map - 23-24 march 2007

Private seminars among young leaders (2004, 2005, 2006)

Closed door meeting among Israeli and Palestinian political representatives (2005)

Private Seminar on the Final Status

On October 4th and 5th 2002, the Italian Center for Peace in the Middle East organized, in cooperation with the Panorama Center of Ramallah and the Peres Center for Peace of Tel Aviv, a private seminar in Pisa between Israelis and Palestinians on the future perspectives of the peace process. The seminar was supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Tuscany Region and the Pisa Province. The meeting was attended by six representatives from each delegation, including academics and high level experts, important official Palestinian representatives, actors in the past peace negotiations, the directors of the three promoting organizations, Mr. Janiki Cingoli (CIPMO), Mr. Riad Malki (Panorama Center) and Mr. Ron Pundak (Peres Center for Peace) as well as by representative of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Counsellor Luca Fratini.
The participants discussed in the fundamental issues related to the political trends and internal mood of both societies, on their impact on the conflict and the possibility to return to significant peace negotiations. The participants underlined the need, for both peoples, to reach an agreement on the Final Status, by means of negotiations, starting from where they were left off at Taba in January 2001. Furthermore, they intended to continue working together on the new proposals for removing the obstacles towards the realization of a peace agreement.

Private Seminar between Likud and Egyptian Peace Movement

In February 1999, the Center organized a private seminar titled “Egypt and Israel - vis-à-vis the Peace Process and the development of bilateral relations”. The initiative, chaired by Mr. Janiki Cingoli, was supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Presidency of the Municipality of Milan. It was attended by an Egyptian Peace Movement delegation and by a Likud delegation composed of members of the Knesset. In fact, this was the first meeting ever organized among representatives of these two sides.
The Egyptian delegation was led by Egyptian Ambassador to Israel Bassiouny, while the Israeli delegation was led by Mr. Meir Sheetrit, head of the majority coalition at the Knesset. The event was also attended by Mr. Massimo De Carolis, President of the Municipality of Milan and by Counsellor Diego Brasioli from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the meeting the two sides discussed the fundamental issues concerning the Peace Process perspectives and the development of bilateral relations between their two countries, with the various inter-connected aspects.

Private Seminar between Likud and al-Fatah

In 1997, the Center planned the implementation of a private seminar focusing on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. This seminar, the first of this kind ever held, was attended by Likud members of the Parliament and by al-Fatah members. Chaired by Mr. Janiki Cingoli and supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tuscany Region, the seminar was realised the following year in Montecatini, near Florence, from 21st to 24th of May, 1998.
The Israeli delegation was led by Mr. Meir Sheetrit, Head of the Majority Coalition of the Knesset, while the Palestinian delegation was headed by Mr. Marwan Barghouti, General Secretary of al-Fatah for the West Bank. Counsellor Giacomo Sanfelice, Head of the Middle East Department at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, participated as well, as did Chris Innes-Hopkins, Political Advisor to the EU special Envoy Ambassador Moratinos, and Simone Siliani, in charge of the International Cooperation and Development at the Tuscany region.
The participants discussed in an open, frank and informal way fundamental issues concerning the Middle East peace process and the implementation of an interim phase of the previously signed Agreements, as well as the possibility of a quick resumption of the "final status" negotiations.

Private Seeminar: "Religious aspect of the Jerusalem issue"

In May 1995, in the countryside around Florence, the Center organised an important private seminar on the "Religious Aspect of the Jerusalem Issue", whose discussions and results where consequently published in 1996 in a special edition of the Italian Journal "Testimonianze". The event was organised through the support of Tuscany Region and the Province of Florence, with the encouragement of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the important contribution of the European Commission. The Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs (PASSIA) and the Economic Cooperation Foundation (ECF) of Tel Aviv were partners of the Center in the organisation of this event.
In February 1996, in the occasion of the public presentation of the seminar findings, the Center organised seminars/meetings both in Rome and Milan, attended by two representatives from the Israeli and Palestinian partners Centres (Dr. Ron Pundak and Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi respectively). Representatives of both the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vatican, (Monsignor Luigi Gatti), attended the seminar.
In Milan, the event was organised together with the Faculty of Political Science of the University of Milan, the Municipality and the Province of Milan, the European Union Representation in Milan and the IRSSAE (Regional Institute of Educational Research) of Lombardy. The event in Rome was organised with CESVI (an NGO from Bergamo) and with SIOI (Italian Society for International Organization).