Prof. Dan Rabinovitz, professor at the department of sociology and anthropology at Tel-Aviv University, gave a lecture on Friday, November 24, to participants from two courses that the School for Peace is currently running. One a Change Agents for Environmental Justice Course for Arab and Jewish environmentalists. The other the third and last cycle of our Up & Coming Politicians as change agents program which we hold in cooperation with the Palestinian Center Inmaa (Ramallah), with funding from the EU. Prof. Rabinovitz’s lecture dealt with the relation between the rise of the Palestinian and Zionist national movements and environmental topics, among them sustainability.

The Up & Coming Politicians program and the Change Agents for Environmental Justice program are based on a unique dialogue method and a change agents models developed by the School for Peace. The aim of the Up & Coming Politicians program is to provide the next generation of Palestinian and Israeli politicians the tools and will to promote a sustainable peace between Israel and Palestine, and to improve and direct their skills towards making a positive, wide, long-term change in their society. While the environmental justice program brings together environmentalists, both Palestinian citizens of Israel and Jewish-Israelis, to examine environmental issues, raise awareness about current environmental discrimination and struggles, and create a deeper understanding of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. For the environmental justice program, participants where chosen based on their interest level and specialization in studies related to the environment, taking care to recruit an even number of Palestinians and Israelis, both citizens of Israel.

Participants for the politicians program were chosen by analyzing the current leadership in the government, in political parties, and civil society organizations. The School for Peace identified the people who will move in to key roles in politics and in the next decade. From these groups of student unions, periphery movements, media, nonprofits, unions, and local authorities, the School for Peace and Inmaa Center chose 120 participants to take part in this special program. For implementing this unique project, the School for Peace was awarded a grant by the EU Peacebuilding Initiative, and for supporting the projects which the participants will create. This program which began in 2016, is set to end by the end of the year 2018.