- Israel

Special International Course On The Israeli Migration Experience

With nearly 200 million migrants worldwide, migration has become a leading issue on the global agenda. Given Israel's extensive experience in dealing with migration issues in a relatively short time, it has become a "migration laboratory" of sorts, contributing much information to the global discussions. Recognizing the value of this experience to other countries facing similar challenges, JDC founded The Center for International Migration and Integration (CIMI) in 1999 to facilitate the sharing of good practices in migration and integration between Israel and the international community.

The need for sharing knowledge in this area on a global level has brought together professionals from countries as culturally diverse as Kazakhstan, Tanzania, Thailand and Ecuador for the third international course on Migration and Integration for Development: From Policy to Practice, being held in Israel from March 11-28. Some 28 participants from 19 countries in Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, are taking part in the course—a partnership between CIMI and the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Center for International Development (Mashav).

For two and a half weeks, the participants will see, hear and experience different aspects of the Israeli migration experience, from the first integration steps in an absorption center to gainful employment and social integration into Israeli society. Given the scope of global migration, many countries today are seeking ways to maintain contact with their communities abroad, and there are lessons to be learned from Israel's experience with Diaspora communities, as well. Throughout the course, participants have been encouraged to consider how the Israeli experience might be translated to their own contexts and are being given the opportunity to develop their own model projects. Among the experts of note, special guest speaker at the course is Ms. Michelle Klein-Solomon, Director of the Migration Policy, Research and Communications Department at the International Organization for Migration.

The participants come from around the world with a genuine interest in learning about Israel as a country, no less than in benefiting from Israel's experience in migration and sharing their own experience. "Exceptional professionals attend our CIMI courses because they feel that there is knowledge to be gained which can contribute to their professional growth and development," observes Danny Pins. A tremendous success of these workshops is that participants meet their counterparts who are facing similar challenges in other countries and have a unique opportunity to work together on potential solutions both during the course and when they return home.

The course follows on the footsteps of the Conference: The Meanings of Migration and Integration: Effective Practices from American, Jewish, and Israeli Perspectives, held in November 2006. Special guest speaker at the conference was Commissioner Alfonso Aguilar, chair of the U.S. Task Force on Migration. CIMI will host Mr. Aguilar and other task force members in Israel in August 2007.

March 2007