ABOUT

Supporting Israeli and Palestinian Peace Builders

Mission

The Middle East Peace Dialogue Network supports Israeli and Palestinian organizations, programs and activities that promote dialogue, reconciliation, cooperation, co-existence and tolerance in order to establish and maintain long-term peace in the region.

Background

Since the early 1980s, Richard Goodwin, z’l, supported the coexistence work of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam/The Oasis of Peace (NSWAS).   

NSWAS is the only intentional village in Israel that is home to both Jews and Palestinian Arabs of Israeli citizenship. They demonstrate daily that coexistence is possible when based on mutual acceptance, respect and cooperation. Democratically governed and owned by its members, the community is not affiliated with any political party or movement.   

Goodwin founded The Middle East Peace Dialogue Network, Inc. (MEPDN) in 1999 to provide direct support for their visionary work.  Over the past several decades it has expanded its support to include other Israeli-Palestinian people-to-people organizations and programming throughout Israel.  

Since its founding, MEPDN supported several ambitious macro-solution projects. 

Working with the Geneva Initiative’s Israeli and Palestinian teams in 2009, MEPDN was the primary underwriter of the draft of 13 Geneva Initiative annexes that were compiled into a 423-page Regional Peace Plan.  

This a road map to peace covers issues relating to a final-status peace agreement, from security and borders to water and environment to Jerusalem and an international presence. It has been studied by local, regional and international leaders. Its content has been reviewed and analyzed by foreign ministries, official institutions and think tanks worldwide. It has been used as a primary resource in prior peace negotiations spearheaded by the US.  

In several recent Israeli election cycles, MEPDN supported various Get Out the Vote initiatives focused on voter education and mobilization. 

MEPDN has been an ardent supporter of both J Street and the Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP) since their founding.  Joanna Goodwin previously served on both their Boards of Directors for several terms.  

Meet Richard C. Goodwin, z'l

Founder

As Chairman and Founder of the Middle East Peace Dialogue Network, Inc. (MEPDN) Richard Goodwin trained his focus on making Middle East peace a reality. He sought to challenge stereotypes, mistrust and fear by supporting Israeli and Palestinian organizations, programs and activities that promote dialogue, cooperation, tolerance and the recognition and understanding of the other side’s narrative, needs and rights. 

It was his long-held belief that a two-state solution was essential to Israel’s long-term survival as the homeland of the Jewish people.  He worked with the Geneva Initiative to underwrite a comprehensive Regional Peace Plan to use as a roadmap to a negotiated peace agreement. Through MEPDN, he supported voter identification, education and mobilization campaigns in preparation for multiple cycles of Israeli elections.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1928. He previously resided in Snowmass Village, Colorado and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He was the loving father of his daughter, two sons, three grandchildren and three great granddaughters.

In 1948, Richard graduated from Drexel University with Bachelor of Science Degree in Commerce and Engineering. He entered the building business in association with his father and brother in 1950. During the 1950’s, the company constructed single-family homes in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. In the early 1960’s, they expanded into land development, sewer and water company and neighborhood shopping center construction, becoming Goodwin Enterprises.

Ramblewood on the Green, the company’s major project, broke ground in Mt. Laurel Township, New Jersey in 1960. The project began with single-family homes built adjacent to Ramblewood Country Club. Townhouses, apartments and condominiums followed in the 1970’s.

Over several decades, Goodwin Enterprises built more than 5,00 home and apartments as well as developed 15,000 lots for other builders. In the 1970’s, the company expanded into southeastern PA where they built 600 HUD townhouses and 400 conventional apartments. Richard became the sole owner after his father’s death in 1974.

Richard served his local and state Home Builder’s Associations as President. He served the National Association of Home builders as Vice President. He was a founder of the National Housing Endowment. He created of the Ethel Lawrence Endowment at Rutgers University Law School honoring the “Mount Laurel Decision” that spread affordable housing throughout America.

Richard had been a long-time fundraiser for the United Way of Burlington County, New Jersey. He earned his membership in the Million Dollar Roundtable.

He was the founder of the Goodwin Holocaust Museum of Delaware Valley, the Goodwin Holocaust Education Center in Cherry Hill, NJ, and was a founder of the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia.

He was the benefactor of the Richard C. Goodwin College of Professional Studies at Drexel University which awarded him an Honorary Doctorate of Human Letters, of which he was very proud.

Richard also served on the Board of Directors of the American Friends of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam. He is a member of J Street’s Advisory Council.

As founder and chairman of the Goodwin Foundation, Richard has supported more than 100 organizations, programs and institutions throughout the United States with his philanthropic grants.

He raised more than $1 million for prostate cancer research.

He was the benefactor of the Richard C. Goodwin Daycare Center at the Maasai Heritage Preservation Foundation in Kenya, Africa.

Richard Goodwin’s Vision for Middle East Peace

Out of the mist will appear a huge conference table. Representatives of the 22 nation Arab League and the new state of Palestine will be sitting around the table, Israel in the middle of the group. They will all be signing “Peace Agreements,” exchanging Ambassadors, Trade Agreements, Mutual Defense posts, arranging cultural exchanges of people and ideas, the list goes on. 

Also at the signing will be representatives of the United Nations and NATO to establish DMZs and, where appropriate, preparing plans to monitor them. 

Meet Joanna Goodwin Friedman

President

Joanna has served as President of the Middle East Peace Dialogue Network, Inc. (MEPDN), leading its philanthropic initiatives since 2007.
 
She previously served two terms on J Street’s National Board of Directors. She also served two terms on the Board of Directors of the Jewish Woman’s Archive and, until 2022, served several terms on the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP).

Joanna and Richard have been staunch supporters of J Street since its founding. J Street works within the American political system, in the Jewish community and with others with whom they share core values.  They advocate for diplomacy-first American leadership and policies that advance justice, equality, peace, and democracy in Israel, in the wider region and in the United States. 

In 2015, Joanna and her father, Richard Goodwin, received J Street’s highest honor, the Tzedek v’Shalom award for their lifetime commitment to peace. Watch this video to hear their inspirational messages and feel the love they have for the people of the region. 

She also serves as President of the Goodwin Foundation, over the years supporting more than 100 organizations and programs focused on health, community service, climate change, gun safety, and women’s and children’s welfare and peace. 

After becoming a certified coach by the Life Coach School in 2018, she added whole life and weight loss coaching to her roster of activities. Joanna teaches all her clients how to overcome limiting beliefs and challenges which prevent them from achieving whatever they want most in life, both professionally and personally.  

In addition, Joanna maintains her residential real estate license in Maryland and has been building,  remodeling and investing in real estate for more than 30 years.  

She now lives by the beach in Delaware with her husband, Mark J. Friedman. Between the two of them, they are the proud parents of five adult children, their spouses and their growing family of grandchildren. 

Trustees, Honorary Board and Staff

Joanna Goodwin
Friedman

President, Secretary,
Treasurer
Millsvoro, DE

John Goodwin

Vice President
Mt. Laurel, NJ

Robert Goodwin

Trustee
Mt Laurel, NJ

Honorary Board

Udi Bar-David

Founder,
Intercultural Journeys Wynnewood, PA

Abigail Edelman

VP of Marketing,
Connie Health
Richmond, CA

Yoko Ono

New York, NY


Lisa Tully, PhD

Electric Pollution
Solutions
Boulder, CO

Janet Wallach

Executive Vice President,
Seeds of Peace
New York, NY

Lee Croce

Administrator,
MEPDN

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