Following the events of Sept. 11, 2001, non-government leaders with interests in Middle Eastern democracy from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine and citizens from the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Italy and Spain decided to engage in dialogue to combat stereotypes and keep building relationships in the face of armed conflict. Over the next four years, the group convened 10 times to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and democracy in the Arab world. The group focused on how news stories and articles should showcase the potential for dialogue and the practical impacts on Westerners and Arabs.