A delegation of UNI Global Union’s leadership visited Palestine and Israel this week to bolster the labor movement’s role in fostering peace and improving conditions for workers there.

The mission visited Ramallah, Tel Aviv, and surrounding areas to meet with union leaders, peace activists, members of parliament, business groups, and inhabitants of refugee camps.

It was led by UNI President Ann Selin and also included UNI General Secretary Philip Jennings, Deputy General Secretary Christy Hoffman, Vice President for UNI Americas Ruben Cortina, and UNI ICTS Senior Coordinator Alex Högback.

“The peace process is presently stagnant, but support for a two-state solution persists through the current fog of paralysis and gloom,” said UNI GS Jennings. “The union movement provides hope and will play a key role in the struggle for its achievement.”

In recent months, UNI has given trainings to Palestinian unions in Finance and ICTS sectors, and the finance union there—the NTUBI—has recorded a tremendous surge in membership.

“In Northern Ireland and Colombia, the labor movement rallied people from all sides of conflict around common interests and collective goals,” said Jennings. “This delegation’s goal to listen, learn, and explore how UNI and the global trade union movement can support the work for peace here.”

The mission will give a full report to the Liverpool congress in June, and this website will give more details on the trip in the coming days.