In Be'er-Sheba, "the Capital of the Negev" (the southern desert
area of Israel), the Jewish and Bedouin populations live as neighbors, meeting
at work, while shopping, or in the streets. Yet despite their physical proximity,
the 250,000 Jews and 80,000 Bedouins of this region have practically no social
or personal contact.
The Bedouin of the Negev face many problems, some general, some
specific to their population even compared to the urban and rural Arab population
of Israel. There has been much upheaval in their community during the last
two decades including: concentration in several small towns, very low standards
of living, isolation from the rest of the Israeli population (even the Arab
sector), and alienation from the Jewish environment. All of these factors
make joint activity and social meetings between young Bedouins and Jews an
important and even vital goal. Is is it possible? Our answer is YES. There
are a variety of reactions to the above mentioned problems among Bedouin
youth. Some move toward Islam, some try to assimilate and hide their identities,
some resort to crime and drugs, some adopt extreme nationalist views. On
the other hand, the majority of the youngsters search for a way to form healthy
relationships with their Jewish neighbors in order to integrate into the
country's society and receive legitimacy without forfeiting their self-respect,
unique culture or national identity. At the same time it is important for
Jewish youth to make acquaintances with their Bedouin neighbors, to learn
their culture and to find a way to cooperate with them on the basis of mutual
respect.
Re'ut-Sadaka (Friendship) Youth Organization is a suitable framework
making such contacts possible and serving as a bridge between Bedouin and
Jewish youth in the Be'er-Sheba region. Two youth group are already active
in the region. One in Be'er-Sheba and another group in Lehavim-Rahat, Jewish
and Arab communities both about 20 kilometers north of Be'er-Sheba.
Weekly meetings of youth groups, each with 15-25 youngsters, led by two counselors - a Bedouin and a Jew. These meetings continue for the length of the school year. They include a structured educational process in which the youngsters of the two widely different cultures get to know each other personally and culturally. They visit each other, discuss values and explore social and political problems of Israel. Once every six weeks an additional weekend seminar or tour is offered.
All group leaders undergo a training seminar and receive guidance all year long from the educational experts of the organization. Additionally, Re'ut-Sadaka employs a project director who serves as an educational advisor and monitors the group leaders' performance.
In-depth training for peaceful coexistence and cooperation for the benefit of the society in which they live for 80-100 young Bedouins and Jews from the Negev. Since members often stay in the group for two or even three years, the results of the education are far reaching. The "graduates" of these groups have a strong influence on the surrounding society as these members go on to join social and educational activities in their own communities. They are the real young leaders of their peoples.
The problem of long distance travel is even more acute for the members of the youth groups. They are scattered all around the Be'er-Sheba region, some traveling as far as 35 kilometers to come to weekly meetings. This transportation is quite expensive and thus the organization subsidizes 50% of their travel costs.