Main Projects of Hakeshet – 2004 - 2005
Presenting
Mizrahi Jewish and Arab Visual Art as a similar culture
This project brings together Arab and Jewish artists and displays their
work in numerous community centers throughout the country. The perspective taken is that Mizrahi and
Arab art and culture are a similar culture.
This perspective is very original in Israel and can serve as an
important pretext for learning to understand one another.
The project seeks to reach out to the wide Jewish
and Arab public at the grassroots level, in the cities and in the
periphery, and seeks to change the atmosphere of divergence by instead focusing
on the commonalities and similarities as a regional culture. From this, the Jewish and Arab populations
can begin to understand that they come from similar backgrounds, share the same
problems today, have both experienced similar discrimination and thus can learn
to relate as equals. The project consists of three main components: rotating
exhibitions, a catalogue and community involvement.
Hakeshet Forum is a series of meetings
regarding political, social, economical and cultural issues in the Israeli society.
The nature of these meetings is unique and handled in a way of discussions and
critical reading of chosen texts.
The goal of
the project is to create a platform for Hakeshet members and the general public
in which it will construct debates on deferent relevant issues – gender,
ethnicity, racism, democracy, equality etc.
The lecturers are experts
in their fields, some are active members of Hakeshet and others are quest
lecturers from other civil organizations and movements.
Conferences
The Keshet holds
conferences each year in a number of subjects that are on the Movement’s agenda
and pertain to Israeli society. The
participants of the conferences include Keshet activists, sympathizers and the
general public. They focus on social
problems, the economy, education and culture. The Keshet sees these conferences
as an important way to influence public opinion, change policies and as a means
to recruit new members.
Advancement of standards for civil equality and just
distribution of land use
The project aims to Initiate change and
introducing “standards for civil equality and just distribution of land use”
that will lead to a more democratic and equal society, based on equality and
just distribution among the different sectors of the population, to social
mobility, to egalitarian democracy, and to minimizing social and economic
differences between Jews and Arabs, new immigrants and veterans, center and
periphery of Israeli society.
The project
aims to reach economic strengthening of local authorities in the periphery of
the State of Israel, inhabited mainly by Jews, new immigrants and Arabs. This
economic strengthening will enable the local authorities in those towns and
villages to significantly improve the variety of public services provided by
them to the inhabitants (education, culture, health etc.). Such services,
especially raising the level of education and culture in the towns, are tools
for social mobility and a life buoy for populations that are in a very low
social-economic level, expanding and building industrial and commercial centers
in those towns will help find solutions to the severe unemployment problem and
provided many and varied jobs for the residents.
Coalition
Activity
In addition
to the ongoing activity of Hakeshet Hademocratit its members are key leaders in
a variety of organizations that deal with social issues such as land,
employment and unemployment, education, women rights, health and ad-hook
coalitions such as the coalition for the Feminist Conference and the Coalition
for the Activism Festival and more.
Rainbow of
Ideas - New Perspectives on Politics, Society and Culture – Hakeshet Book
Since its
inception about 8 years ago, Hakeshet has attracted a great deal of public
attention. The activities of the Keshet in the realms of social justice and
multiculturalism – and especially these concerning state lands and public
housing - have rendered it as one of the central political movements operating
within the boundaries of civil society in Israel. The influence of the Keshet
in this regard has become notably pronounced. Representatives of the Keshet
have been often invited to participate in public forums where social and
economic policies and reforms are articulated. They have been also sought after
regularly by the media to comment on social, economic and political affairs in
Israeli society. Over the years many newspapers reports and academic studies
have been produced, dealing with the Keshet, the rationales leading to its
establishment, activities, ideology and its basic principles. But until now the
Keshet itself has not produced its own account of itself. The book we intend to
edit is designed to accomplish this important task.
Employment
and Unemployment
It is well known that unemployment is one of the main
causes of poverty, and many unemployed women suffer tremendous difficulties in
searching for a job.
The main purpose of this project is to prevent the process
of decline into poverty
by providing support for the unemployed at all levels of
their employment search - to provide access and means to technological
assistance such as
computers, printers, fax machines and the Internet and to
establish a system where unemployed women can use the various means
involved in job search, exchange information, and become exposed to the maximum
number of job offers that are on the
market.