Last week the first Regional Mediation, Sulcha and Dialogue Based Leadership Training of Givat Haviva in cooperation with FES Israel was completed. The course is part of the Givat Haviva Shared Communities Program and included a series of 17 six-hour sessions followed by 50 hours of practicum work.
22 Jewish and Arab participants from the communities of Pardes Hanna-Karkur, Kfar Kara, Baka el Garbiyah, Menashe, Maale Iron, Megiddo, Emek Hefer and Zemer attended. During the course participants learned, exercised and cultivated conflict resolution mechanisms based on collaboration, dialogue and non-hierarchical decision-making. The participants were prepared to respond to disputes within a given community, but also to deal with issues that arise between communities in the region, particularly between neighboring Jewish and Arab communities. The course connected Mediation, Sulcha and Dialogue Based Leadership training so that both cultures contributed to the content of the course.
All participants presented their work and showed satisfaction and optimism regarding a successful implementation of the course contents in their communities.
