One for the Other
AJEEC-NISPED, an Arab-Jewish organization for social change, conducts programs in Arab society for all ages, from early childhood to the integration of young people into employment and higher education. The organization works to reduce gaps between Arab and Jewish society in Israel. "If there is anything that the events of October 7th taught us, it is that we are partners here in this country."
"If there is anything that the events of October 7th taught us, it is that we are partners here in this country." This is how our conversation began with Sliman Al-Amour, Co-CEO of AJEEC-NISPED , an Arab-Jewish organization for social change.
"Dozens of rockets have fallen in the Bedouin communities in the Negev since that Saturday, and because there's no protection in the unrecognized villages, already that morning the Bedouin society suffered six deaths. As a result, together with social organizations and the Arab Emergency Committee, we set up a situation room that provided a response to the entire Bedouin community in the Negev, and we achieved results quickly: placing portable protection units in the unrecognized villages, thousands of food baskets distributed to residents, response in the area of mental health care and first aid."
Co-CEO of AJEEC, Ilan Amit: "The war revealed the depth of the gaps between the Jews and the Arabs, that there is no Iron Dome system in their settlements, there are no shelters, and the Arab education system was also the first to be shut down and the last to be reopened. These days, the government is planning cuts in investments in the Arab sector, and we hope that these cuts won't pass so as not to set the Arab population back. We're doing everything we can to improve and promote Arab society for a better common future for all of us." Amit added: "AJEEC is the civil society organization that takes the largest steps towards reducing gaps, treating idle youth , and helping educate towards active, empowered citizenship."
Sliman: "This is not just another workplace. We come to see how we can help the community live better. We address social and economic development and know how to combine forces with partners such as government ministries and local authorities. Our goal is to build a more just, tolerant, and equal society. To promote the good life we must work together, in cooperation."
I come to you
On October 7th, the late Vivian Silver, one of the founders of AJEEC, a former Co -CEO of the organization and a member of its executive committee until her last day, was murdered in her home in Kibbutz Be'eri. Vivian believed in promoting a shared life based on an egalitarian and just society, and her vision is also that of AJEEC-NISPED which promotes this vision through its various activities and actions.
The meaning of the word "ajeec" in Arabic is "I come to you", and this is the principle that guides the organization.
About 200 staff members are employed at AJEEC, together with about 1,500 volunteers, of whom about 1,000 participate every year in gap year programs that serve as a bridge between high school graduation and integration into academic studies and employment. In addition, AJEEC operates a youth organization called "Shabibat AJEEC" ("Youth AJEEC"). This is the first and largest youth organization to emerge in Arab society that is recognized by the Ministry of Education, and it currently has over 8,100 participants .
AJEEC-NISPED, which began its activities in the Negev in 2000 and currently operates nationwide, employs a joint team of Arabs and Jews working together to create an equal common space, allowing Arabs and Jews to live together while preserving their identity and culture.
"The goal of the organization," says Sliman, "is to develop leadership and involvement of Arab youth and young adults, promote community development in the Arab-Bedouin community in the Negev, and promote a shared life for Arabs and Jews all over the country."
He adds that to successfully fulfill the objectives of the organization, "we run programs that cover the entire age spectrum, from early childhood to the integration of young people as adults into employment and higher education."
A key area of the organization's activity since its inception has been Arab-Jewish partnership, including educational programs for school children, teachers, and students all over the country, and the "Community Year" program, a joint volunteering year for young Jews and Arabs who have just finished 12th grade which is executed in partnership between AJEEC and the Scouts movement.
"The joint work of Arabs and Jews expresses the belief that there is a close connection between the improvement of the socio-economic situation of the communities and the resolution of the conflicts between them. Based on this belief, we work to promote the economic and social development of the Arab Bedouin community in the Negev, which is one of the main areas of activity of the organization since its inception," he says.
Hundreds of success stories
Ilan: "We work with young people from Arab society in a wide range of educational programs. Over ten thousand participants have already completed our programs in dozens of branches in the 35 Arab local authorities with which we work throughout the country. We work with the young people on leadership development and they receive tools for integrating into society and academia. This is a package that did not exist for the Arab population and we are bringing this innovation, with thousands of successful graduates already behind us."
Sliman: "The violence in Arab society occurs, among other reasons , because many young people don't integrate into educational frameworks, and then the criminal organizations draw them in. We see the direct connection between investing in young people, their integration into Israeli society, and the reduction of violence."
"We work with teenagers and young people because we believe that they're the main engine for achieving equality and advancing Arab society in Israel," notes Ilan and elaborates: "Along with Arab society as a whole, the young people face many challenges, including educational gaps, lack of infrastructure and services, employment challenges, rising violence, and more. Many of them are in a risk group."
Sliman: "We must remember that the education system in some Arab communities is weak, and we're strengthening it. Each of our gap year programs emphasizes a different area: volunteerism, leadership, Arab-Jewish partnership, preparation for high-tech and science studies, and preparation for the health professions. The success figures of graduates of our program speak for themselves: over 85% have integrated into the labor market and over 75% into academia (while the annual average for integration into employment for young people from Arab society is 55% and in higher education only 37%). This proves and reminds us how important our programming is and the degree to which our gap year programs succeed in influencing the future of young people in Arab society."
Ilan: "Thanks to AJEEC's strong partnerships with civil society organizations and dozens of Arab local authorities, we managed to reach many populations in Arab society who benefit from our programs, and thanks to our many supporters, we were able to increase the success rate of the integration of young people from Arab society into higher education and employment."
In collaboration with AJEEC-NISPED
