The projects of A New Way, from kindergarten to high school, are aimed at instilling the idea of the coexistence of Jews and Arabs in an atmosphere of understanding and mutual respect, both at the school and in the community.

The basic assumption is that pupils who participate in the project undergo a process of change due to the very fact of the intensive meetings with 'the other', and that as a result will be able to spread the idea of coexistence both at the school and in the community. We hope that the success of these meetings in both communities will strengthen the recognition of the possibility of coexistence, of good neighborly relations,  and of mutual respect as equal citizens and partners.

1. High schools and elementary schools -- 'Leadership in a multicultural society'

Description of the project

The projects bring together two classes, one from an Arab and one from a Jewish school, for a series of seven meetings throughout the school year, over a period lasting from one to two years. The meetings are held at the schools and during term time. The project is bilingual and run in mixed groups. By means of drama workshops, music, art, and sports the pupils acquire skills of leadership in addition to social and cultural skills such as respect for 'the other', friendship, and openness. In order to widen the circles and their influence, A New Way holds workshops for the entire teaching staff, and also holds meetings between the parents of the two groups in the framework of an experiential evening workshop held for parents and pupils.

 

The project involves the  communities, and the heads of the communities and of the educational administration, as well as volunteers and parents.  The involvement of these groups enables widening the circles of influence, and the organized transfer and instilling of the project in the school and in the community ensures continuity also after A New Way will step aside.

The framework of the project

- A unicultural preparatory workshop at each school in order to match expectations
- Explaining the project to the teachers
- 5-6 joint meetings of the pupils
- A parent-pupil meeting (evening)
- A workshop for the teachers at each school

Pupils' meetings

These are held in the morning and last for about 3 hours. The meetings are held at the schools and each time a different school hosts them. The activity takes place in small groups of 17 pupils. Each group is lead by a Jewish or an Arab instructor. The facilitators and drama instructors have had specialized training in multicultural group leadership in the framework of the projects run by A New Way.

At every meeting drama activities are included and lead to a process of conceptualization and a group discussion of various issues connected with leadership in a multicultural setting. Twice a year bonding activities are held outside the schools: challenging outdoor workshops develop leadership, trust, and group solidarity.

Parents' meeting

A parents' meeting is held once a year, and during that time the participants attend a workshop on interpersonal intercultural relations, and the pupils work separately with the instructors of  A New Way. The evening closes with joint activity of the pupils and the parents. The workshop enables the parents to talk openly and to to tell about the process undergone by their children, and to experience a discussion on an equal basis on matters of common interest to both sides. From our experience, parents who have attended a successful meeting with parents from the other culture provide support for their children, and no less important, for the school staff, the teachers, and the administration.

Workshops for teachers

A meeting for exposure to the project: at the beginning there is a meeting of the entire staffroom to present the aims and ways of working in order to involve the staff in participation, support, and the accompaniment of the teachers and pupils involved.

In addition there is a unicultural workshop for the staffroom -- a dialogue between the groups in a multifaceted society with an emphasis on the coexistence of Jews and Arabs, and meetings of the staffrooms of the two schools to get to know each other and work out possible ways of cooperation.

2. Schools for special education

Background

The Neve Sha'anan school in Jaffa and the  Broshim, Masada, and Tkuma schools in Tel Aviv are schools for special education. These are Jewish schools which took in Arab pupils who were referred by placement committees, as there are no special education schools in the area for the Arab population. Today over one third of the pupils at these schools are Arabs, meaning that these schools have a multicultural population. This has an influence on all aspects of the school curriculum, on the contents and educational messages, on the language used, and on the interaction between pupils and between pupils and the teachers. This situation complicates the day-to-day life at the school and presents the staff with many dilemmas. The project enables the school to try out a model of coexistence which recognizes the special and the cultural  differences, and gives them expression as well as to the elements in common. This activity strengthens each pupil individually and emphasizes the unique, in order to develop his ability to recognize 'the other', and at a more advanced stage to understand the  'other', the one from another culture.

The instructors adapt themselves as far as possible to the methods of work accepted in special education: they work in small groups, on a basis of case work and the gradual development of the tasks in question.

Description of the project

This project is run in the morning hours, as part of the yearly program of the school. Between two and three mixed classes at each school.participate. The activity takes place each week, on the same day throughout the year. The duration of the activity: every week each class has one and a half hours of drama or art. The activity is directed by two instructors, one Jewish and one Arab. These are professionals in the fields of drama  and art and have specialized in facilitating multicultural groups. Each group gives expression to its own cultural scene via drama or art. Through acting, painting, and work with materials expression is given to the contents and the events connected to the two cultures: artistic expression, literary texts, the mother tongue, and also to the holidays and family events. Meanwhile a readiness develops to accept the other group from a position of strength and confidence in one's own identity and culture.

The framework of the program

- A preparatory meeting for teachers
- A unicultural preparatory workshop for the pupils
- Thirty-three meetings for pupils during the school year: interpersonal and intercultural communication via drama and art
- Fifteen hours of advanced training courses for the school teachers
- A parent--pupil evening

3. Kindergartens

Description of the project

The annual project is destined for the children of kindergarten age, from two to four years old, both Jews and Arabs. The activity is held each week, on a fixed day throughout the year. In the framework of the project the children meet for joint activity in the fields of drama and plastic art. Through the project the children become aware of what they have in common and learn to accept each other. The promotion of values of tolerance and acceptance of the other must begin as early as possible and therefore the young age of the children is a great advantage. The work with the kindergarten teachers continues throughout the year and aims to support, to promote, and to instill multicultural values. The meetings are run by two instructors,one Arab and one Jewish, who explain and demonstrate the activity while adhering to the principle of bilingual instruction.

During the year at least two meetings are held  for parents, providing an opportunity to deepen the cultural contacts between the two communities, The meeting is lead by a team of experts and includes workshops on subjects relevant and common to the two communities.

4. A project of social engagement in the community -- Qalansuwa, 2011-2012

 

Background

This program is a unique and original initiative of A New Way and the non-profit organization Rasala, which joined together in order to establish, develop, and empower a group of young adults from the town of Qalansuwa in Samaria.

The common denominator linking the group members is the love of sport, and is centered round the formation of a local football team, which will develop and lead educational and social engagement parallel to the sports activities of the group.

 

Aims

In general, the program combines the aims of the non-profit Rasala, which works to advance sport and education in Qalansuwa, together with the aims of A New Way -- namely to promote and advance multiculturalism in Israel.

 

The specific aims of the program are:

-To form and consolidate a group of young people, aged 20 and above, from Qalansuwa

- To set up the group as a recognized football club which will be registered in the Israel Football League, and will participate in official games with other groups -- both Jewish and Arab

- To disseminate education and knowledge and to empower the team

- To provide the group educational and social knowledge and tools for working within the community

- To develop and to implement social initiatives by the members of the team

 

The rationale

The town of Qalansuwa has a population of some 20,000, of which over 60% are youth and young adults who lack empowering social activities. The town is crying out for a fresh and active young engagement which will assume responsibility and improve its image.

 

The education of the young people towards social engagement is essential and critical for a clean, healthy, educational and more stable town, and for a better society in Israel.

 

Sport in general and football in particular are recognized as educational and social tools which contribute to a more healthy and normative life. In addition to the sports framework the group will experience a process which will be lead by professional facilitators from the fields of drama and psychology and will be organized by A New Way.

Structure

- Twenty-five young people aged 20-22 from Qalansuwa, who have been meeting three times a week for sports activities including trainings, games, and organizing the group

- Ten sessions once a week of 3 academic hours – the sessions will deal with the issue of social engagement in the community lead by facilitators from A New Way.

- Opening meeting -- on 6/10/11