“If the role of civil society is to combat social inequities and injustices, a strong and active Palestinian-Israeli civil society is imperative to narrowing the gamut of gaps between Jews and Arabs.” —Mohanad Berekdar, Shatil Organizational Consultant
A crisis is engulfing the Arab-Israeli community. The statistics speak for themselves: almost 95% of Arab local authorities fall in Israel’s lowest socio-economic rankings; 70% of all murders in Israel take place in Arab-Israeli towns. Arab-Israelis are living in the shadow of years of discriminatory government policies and neglect, which is now exacerbated by the current government’s flagrantly racist policies and attitudes toward Palestinian citizens of Israel.
One lesser-known consequence of this crisis has been the weakening of Arab civil society. Not-for-profit organizations can help counter government neglect; but sadly right now more than half of the Arab-Israeli NGOs founded in the last two decades are no longer active.
This is why Shatil and NIF are launching a new, comprehensive three-year program called “Nasij نسيج” (“tapestry” in Arabic) with the explicit goal of strengthening Arab-Israeli civil society. The program will offer Shatil’s guidance and NIF grants to jumpstart NGOs and activists to foster stronger Arab civic leadership. Shatil’s track record in working with Arab organizations as well as NIF’s history seeding and nurturing major Arab-Israeli NGOs position NIF as a key resource for social change within this community – the natural address for this kind of game-changing initiative. Based on findings from field research conducted by an NIF taskforce and partners in the field, Shatil identified three target groups of organizations and activists at different points in their professional and organizational development: nascent initiatives that need acceleration, small or midsize organizations who need a push, and individuals who could benefit from leadership training and professional development.
The accelerator track will help 8-10 nascent initiatives sharpen their fundraising, media, financial, and organizational skills. The small or midsize organizational track will help 5-6 organizations which, according to Shatil organizational consultant Mohanad Berekdar, are “under-staffed, under-budgeted, and overwhelmed by their broad agendas, as they struggle to contend with ongoing emergencies.” Organizations in both tracks will benefit from Shatil training, consulting, and networking and, ultimately, will receive NIF grants when they meet their program objectives. The third track will offer a prestigious six-month leadership course for 15 young, qualified activists and social entrepreneurs that includes training, internships, and a study tour. Participants for all tracks must show that they can effect change and wield impact in Arab-Israeli society.
“We need to envelope organizations with multiple strategic reinforcements, so together they become a significant and effective voice in Israel’s political and civil arena,” said Mohanad.
Nasij aims to do just that.