A Different Kind of Peace Initiative
Pax Democratica is not a think tank, a political movement, or a diplomatic track. It is a proposal—a structurally different way of approaching the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—and a growing coalition of individuals committed to its advancement.
Why We Exist
Every approach to Israeli-Palestinian peace over the last thirty years has been built on the same architecture: a small group of political actors, negotiating in private, attempting to deliver a deal to their respective publics. The architecture has failed. Repeatedly. Predictably.
Pax Democratica exists to promote a different architecture, grounded in the empirical record of peace processes that have actually succeeded in the modern era. That record points unequivocally to the inclusion of civil society at the structural level of negotiations, not on the margins.
Our mission is to bring this proposal—a democratically elected Joint Peoples Assembly—to the organizations, governments, academics, and citizens whose commitment is necessary to make it a reality.
What We Stand For
Level Playing Field
Both peoples enter any peace process as equals, with equal voice, representation, resources, and claim on the outcome.
Democratic Legitimacy
Decisions of consequence require legitimacy. In a conflict between two peoples, that legitimacy can only come from those peoples, not just their political elites.
Inclusive Process Design
The communities who will live with the outcome must help design the outcome. Anything else is fragile by design.
Trauma-Informed Engagement
Peace processes that ignore collective trauma produce agreements that collapse under the weight of unaddressed grief. Acknowledgment must be built into the process, not deferred for later.
Evidence-Based Optimism
We are not utopians. We are empiricists. The successful precedents are real: Ireland, El Salvador, Colombia. The proposal applies their lessons to the Israeli-Palestinian case.
Long-Term Commitment
This is a multi-year campaign. We are building infrastructure for sustained advocacy, not a one-off effort.
The People Powering Pax Democratica
Troy Davis - Pax Democratica was originally developed by Troy Davis, a long-time advocate for democratic governance and federalist approaches to international peace. A son of two stellar political visionaries, Gary Davis the founder of The World Citizen Foundation (World Citizen #1), and Esther Peter-Davis, the co-founder of the Green movement and Friends of the Earth in France (Les Verts), and a prominent environmentalist. Troy has been at the forefront of innovative political solutions, among them initiatives for the School of Democracy, innovative geopolitical energy solutions, and much more. Troy fashions himself a Peace Engineer
Amos Elroy - Recently joined the effort. Amos' background included leadership roles in the Global Peoples Assembly movement, the American Movement for World Government, and the World Citizen Foundation. Amos has also been an advocate for the World Democracy Movement. As an Israeli born individual Amos is very vested in a peaceful and equitable future for the region.
Since its initial form, the proposal has grown into a broader effort, with input from peace researchers, civil society leaders, and diplomats engaged with the Israeli-Palestinian issue. We are actively building a coalition of partner organizations and advisors: conflict resolution academics, peace organization leaders, journalists, religious leaders, and public policy practitioners.
If you would like to be part of that coalition—as an organization, advisor, or advocate—we want to hear from you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this another track of negotiations parallel to existing diplomacy?
No. Existing diplomatic tracks operate on the architecture we believe is structurally broken. Pax Democratica is a replacement architecture, designed to bypass the elite-driven approach that has repeatedly failed. It is not a supplement; it is a substitute.
How is this different from past civil society initiatives?
Previous civil society initiatives—dialogue forums, joint statements, person-to-person projects—are valuable, but they are consultative. They lack democratic legitimacy and decision-making authority. The Joint Peoples Assembly is different in kind: it is a democratically elected body with the authority to reach binding security and territorial agreements.
Does this require Hamas to agree?
No. Assembly delegates are elected from civil society—labor unions, civic organizations, religious bodies, professional associations—not from political parties. Hamas does not authorize or delegitimize a body that does not emerge from its political ecosystem.
How much does it cost?
The assembly's operations—equal salaries, office budgets, support staff for 480 delegates—are funded by the international "Friends of Pax Democratica" coalition. The cost is significant, but it is infinitesimal compared to the cost of continued conflict. Concrete budget estimates are available upon request.
How long would the assembly run?
The assembly is a multi-year process. Comparable peace processes—Ireland, Colombia—required four to six years of structured engagement. The assembly is designed for that horizon, with mechanisms for trust-building, trauma-informed dialogue, and binding agreements in distinct phases.
What can I do to help right now?
Read the proposal, then take it to a peace organization, religious community, civic association, or professional body you belong to. Urge a formal debate. Propose a resolution of support. Full guidance is found on the Take Action page.
Read the Proposal
The full case for the Joint Peoples Assembly—including the historical evidence and process design—is laid out in detail.