Educational Encounters
Israeli society is deeply divided along the lines of a Jewish majority and an Arab minority (21%). The division between these populations is reflected in nearly all economic, political, and social aspects of daily life. The ongoing socioeconomic and cultural discrimination of Israel’s Arab minority and the growing alienation between Jewish and Arab populations are cited as some of the most serious threats to the future of Israel as a democratic state.
Discrimination and alienation have led to mutual mistrust and hostility between Jews and Arabs, translating into increased racism, extremism, and violence in recent years. Mistrust and hostility have only increased as any attempts to resolve the larger Arab-Israeli conflict have remained stagnant in recent years.
The combination of mutual mistrust and the lack of progress in resolving the conflict have legitimated overt expressions of animosity and institutionalized discrimination. Legislation such as the Nation-State Law, asserting Jewish supremacy, demonstrates this, as have ensuing racist attacks and attitudes. Recent surveys confirm the Jewish-Arab tensions as the most severe friction in society.
Young people can be identified as central actors in this conflict. They are known to be the most vulnerable to extreme influences and subject to incitement. The most recent renewal of violence, still fresh in everyone’s memory, was mainly characterized by the involvement of ever-younger antagonists.
Young Jews and Arabs grow up with segregated school systems and limited social interaction. They rely on separation rather than dialogue and cooperation as a solution for increasing personal security, with Arab youth feeling increasingly alienated and marginalized. Current conflict trends can be perpetuated or transformed through the next generation of citizens and leaders.
 |
| Participant drawings of the future they wanted to create together |
Why are these programs important?
In 2016, the State Comptroller dedicated a special report on Education for a Shared Society and Prevention of Racism, and has followed the situation since that time. The Comptroller's report in May 2021 indicated a lack of such programming, which contributed to youth involvement in the civil unrest of May 2021. Givat Haviva and other civil society organizations worked with the Ministry of Education for several months to bring recommendations that would strengthen education for a shared life.
Recommendations to the Ministry of Education were: to establish education for shared life beginning as early as preschool, to foster both Arabic and Hebrew studies throughout the entire education system, to train teachers for education for shared life, to ensure standards for the concentration of the subject, and to allocate government funds to education for a shared society.
Our programs have impacted policy and provided a resource for the Ministry of Education in response to the State Comptroller’s report. The ministry subsequently sought our expertise and effective programs and encourages schools to engage teachers and students in our programs.
Due to a change in policy for the 2022-2023 academic year, the Ministry of Education has transferred funding for Education for partnership, tolerance, and solidarity based on a sense of belonging to the Israeli community and Israeli society directly to the schools. We are currently inundated with program requests and cannot meet the needs of schools. The current system requires us to contribute additional funding to programming on behalf of the schools.
What are the programs we offer?
Givat Haviva has developed a comprehensive educational program for Jewish and Arab students that fosters learning and understanding and imparts tools to promote a shared society in Israel. Implemented within and alongside the formal education system, Givat Haviva's programs utilize informal peace education approaches, focusing on experiential education, Jewish-Arab encounters, dialogue, culture, arts, and joint activity. Givat Haviva aims to reach students throughout their educational lifecycle, starting in elementary school and continuing through high school. The programs create opportunities for repeated encounters and personal development among Arab and Jewish young people – laying the foundations for a shared, democratic future for Israeli society.
Youth Encounters in the Time of Crises Following the events of October 7, it was our duty and responsibility to implement activities that would prevent violence and the escalation of divisions between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel. After collaborating with our colleagues from the fields of psychology and sociology, the Givat Haviva educational team presents " Youth Encounters in Times of Crises." This initiative is tailored to address the heightened tensions and divisions among Jewish and Arab youth for schools who seek our expertise in assisting their pupils to address the current situation, but are not yet ready for a joint encounter. Our program provides a safe space for both Jewish and Arab youth to engage in dialogue and reflection amidst time of crisis. Participants confront fears, prejudices, and emotions through uni-national (single sector) workshops, fostering understanding and solidarity. Initially, the youth meet with a facilitator from their own sector. As the workshop progresses, they are given the opportunity to prepare questions “to the other side.” The facilitator then proceeded to answer their questions. A Face-to-Face meeting with a facilitator from the 'other side' promotes: An open dialogue; Understanding the processes taking place on the 'other side’; Opening emotional and cognitive channels to internalize alternative knowledge to what is usually heard; a message of hope for a future of shared life. Programming 2024-2025: 300 Youth
Children Teaching Children is a two-year civics study and encounter program integrated into the formal and informal curriculum in Arab and Jewish middle schools. Participants are guided in grappling with complex issues of national and individual identity, community life, and conflicting narratives in a shared land. Uni-national sessions are held once a week for two hours, such that approximately 25 uni-national CTC sessions are held each year. After several weeks of uni-national sessions, the participating classes begin a series of three bi-national encounters with their partner class. Programming 2023-2024: 9 Pairs, 540 Youth
The Partnership and Belonging program was born from the 22-year success story of our encounter programs. The resulting experience helped us see that middle school students struggle with questions of identity and belonging in a divided society. Thanks to our facilitators’ expertise, we designed a program that introduces the children in a more playful, less intense way, in a familiar environment to the diversity of Israeli society, the different narratives, and the issue of (in) equality and discrimination. There are six sessions in total. In the uni-national session, they explore their identity, feelings, and stereotypes towards the other side, laying the foundation for the following bi-national interpersonal encounter at Givat Haviva. The next two sessions will deepen the encounter as participants visit each other’s schools and are exposed to each other’s realities of life. The last meeting at Givat Haviva will help the children process the encounters and their experience of getting to know peers from the other side of society. This last session will also address their role in fighting the creation of harmful stereotypes. Programming 2023-2024: 7 Pairs, 550 Youth
Face-to-Face is an encounter program consisting of a series of workshops designed to create a greater understanding of one another, reduce feelings of fear and hatred, and forge a preliminary basis for the formation of a joint future based on mutual respect. The program is designed for older, more advanced high school students, and the encounters include intensive and substantive dialogue sessions that don't shy away from the controversial topics at the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The heart of the program is an encounter in the form of a two-day intensive seminar composed of interactive workshops for mixed groups with joint facilitation (a Jewish facilitator and an Arab facilitator for each group). It also includes a joint cultural evening and social activities. Before the encounter, the students undergo a uni-national preparation process in their respective schools. Following the encounter, the students participate in a workshop to process the experience. The teachers themselves participate in a half-day preparatory program in the school and a mini-workshop during the students’ encounter. Programming 2024-2025: 700 Youth