Conference On Promoting Opportunities For Arab Children And Youth In Israel

Nazareth - March 4-5 -- One out of every four Israeli children today is from the Arab community. As the numbers grow, so does awareness of the importance of understanding their special needs and issues as the basis for developing effective policies and services for them.

The need to address significant gaps between the realization of potential among Arab children and youth, and those of other communities in Israel was the subject that led Arab and Jewish professionals from the national and local levels to take part in the most comprehensive forum ever held concerning Israeli Arab children and youth.

The conference, "Utilizing Research to Promote Opportunities for Arab Children and Youth in Israel", was held under the auspices of the Nazareth Municipality and organized by the JDC-Brookdale Institute's Center for Children and Youth. It offered Arab and Jewish experts a unique opportunity to engage in a dialogue on some of the major trends and challenges regarding Arab children and youth in Israel.

Khaled Abu-Asbah, Senior Advisor to the Center for Children and Youth and chairman of the conference noted, "This conference is an outgrowth of a multi-year research program that began with intensive consultations among leading experts involved in these issues and has developed through a broad collaboration of individuals and organizations." Abu-Asbah emphasized, "This conference served as a model of cooperation among Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel in addressing address the urgent needs of Arab children in Israel."

The experts and service providers dealt with several important issues such as: creating a better partnership in policy development; enhancing opportunities for children with disabilities; maximizing youth potential through formal and informal education; preventing dropping out and disengagement among Arab youth; the challenge of identifying and caring for children at risk; and research as a basis for identifying needs and developing strategies for action.

At the conference, JDC-Brookdale's Center for Children and Youth presented data from its growing body of research on major educational, social, and health issues facing Arab children, youth, and their families. These studies reveal important information on the needs of these children, and indicate the extent to which needs are met through existing services. Two hundred fifty participants discussed the implications of these findings, especially with regard to their impact on setting priorities for policy and program development. New policy and program initiatives that point to what can be done will be presented and discussed.

The conference focused on several especially important issues:

Examples of successful partnerships in policy development between the Arab community and national policymakers
The shift from adapting programs developed for the Jewish community to the Arab community, to developing unique policies and programs with the Arab community that stem from their needs.
The Arab community as an innovator at the local level, whose innovations can benefit other communities throughout Israeli society
The implications for service development of dramatic social transition in the Arab community.
The importance of developing criteria for resource allocation at the national level, in order to assure more equitable distribution of resources

The conference was sponsored by the Marshall Weinberg Fund for International Collaboration at the JDC-Brookdale Institute.

About the Center for Children and Youth
The Center for Children and Youth was established in 1995 at the JDC-Brookdale Institute as a national resource to promote the well-being of Jewish and Arab children and youth through a program of research, dissemination of information and knowledge, consultation to policymakers and program developers in the field and leadership development.

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