Additional crisis management programs to reduce violence and prevent additional conflict:

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1. Supporting Educational Teams: The ongoing political-security crisis has given rise to unrest within organizations promoting a shared society, resulting in organizational crises throughout the nation. Feelings of fear and uncertainty must be addressed in order for civil society organization teams to be able to move forward in protecting shared living and democracy in the educational system. Givat Haviva will provide a safe and supportive space for educational teams from approximately 11 organizations to engage in a process of reconciliation, healing, and strengthening during a dedicated study day at Givat Haviva. Subsequently, Givat Haviva will offer consulting services to 5 of the 11 organizations, with each organization benefiting from 4 meetings.

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2. Promoting Arab Employment: The current political-security crisis has wide-ranging economic implications for both employers and employees, particularly Arab workers. To address these challenges, Givat Haviva, in collaboration with The Joint (Joint Distribution Committee), will conduct a learning day for representatives from around 40 organizations, senior officials, and CEOs. The focus will be on addressing the role of employers during this crisis, providing recommendations, and equipping them with tools to enhance resilience and facilitate greater integration of Arab workers in the labor market. Givat Haviva will continue to offer ongoing support and consultation to 10 organizations and businesses in this regard.

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3. Preparing Students for Higher Education During Wartime: In response to the ongoing conflict, Givat Haviva is taking proactive steps to prepare students for higher education. The Rowad program, founded on the initiative of the Council of Higher Education, provides extensive services for young people entering academic studies. They have turned to Givat Haviva to provide on-line sessions on Understanding Israeli Culture and Society with the opening of the academic year.

 

This includes: 

• Online sessions on Understanding Israeli Culture and Society for Arab students entering academic studies, with a team consisting of one Jewish and one Arab senior staff member. The aim is to mitigate potential conflicts on campuses by fostering understanding and empathy during these challenging times. 

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• Additionally, Givat Haviva will host bi-national encounters for Jewish and Arab university/college students, designed for more mature students and featuring intensive and substantive dialogue sessions addressing the controversial issues at the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Givat Haviva will conduct these sessions at 5 academic institutions.

 

4. Professional Capacity Programming and Consultation for Jewish Arab Educators: The backbone of civil society work is the core group of educators and facilitators engaged in civil society work are pivotal agents of change, reaching out to both Jewish and Arab teachers and youth. Their role is particularly challenging during these trying times, as they encounter new and complex situations in the classroom arising from the ever-evolving social and political landscape, as well as the unique backgrounds of each student. Educators and facilitators require an environment where they can receive support and assistance from their peers. The scale of current events has the potential to reshape the dynamics between young Jews and Arabs, and proactive measures are needed to prevent negative consequences.

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• Shared Society Educators Training: This initiative will involve 80 Jewish and Arab educators and administrators, providing capacity-building tools while creating a support network for teachers to apply the skills and attitudes they acquire in their schools and classrooms. Many Jewish and Arab schools have reached out to Givat Haviva for assistance, as their staff, while qualified to educate their students, often lack experience and training in the field of Jewish-Arab conflict. In many cases, the teachers themselves are in need of support.  The problems are different in the two sectors, yet both groups are facing dilemmas that are growing each day. The initiative will begin with uni-national work in the Teachers' Lounge of each school, separately, with a 30-hour course conducted in 6 Jewish and 6 Arab schools.

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• Support for the Educators of the Hebrew Language Enrichment Program: As schools reopened, Givat Haviva's Jewish Hebrew-speaking teachers returned to provide spoken Hebrew lessons in Arab schools. However, the current situation has left many educators apprehensive and fearful, in need of support. Givat Haviva's project team is providing weekly professional Zoom meetings and daily individual support to approximately 80 educators in 47 junior high schools.

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• Professional Facilitators Training Course: Recognizing the shortage of qualified facilitators in the field, Givat Haviva, in collaboration with the Magid Institute and academic support from aChord (a Center of Social Psychology for Social Change at Hebrew University), has developed a course for group facilitators. This course focuses on dialogue among youth and directly addresses the needs of Givat Haviva and other organizations in the field. Participants will receive a recognized professional training certificate, consisting of 120 academic hours, and opportunities to practice and refine their skills in Jewish-Arab encounters.