Student Dialogue Programs

We live in one of the most diverse societies in the world, and we have the opportunity to have a meaningful and positive encounter with the ‘other’ – those outside our cultural, religious and ethnic circles. At Mabat, we have developed process-oriented dialogue courses, for developing and acquiring tools for life and work in multicultural spaces, alongside a meaningful, positive and enriching encounter with the ‘other’.

Participating in our programs will give you the opportunity to participate in meaningful encounters that address the problem of intercultural discourse on three levels

Personal awareness and growth

Intergroup dialogue and reconciliation

Community activism

The curriculum operates in a progressive manner: Participants learn to identify their own personal and cultural identities and then learn to establish trust and understanding, reconcile conflicting narratives, and learn strategies for peaceful conflict resolution. By the time students reach the weeks of Israeli Remembrance Day and Independence Day/Nakba Day, they are able to speak about the most painful historical, political and social schisms in a constructive manner.

Mabat carries out Intercultural Process Workshops at Israeli institutions of higher education. Local colleges are essentially a microcosm of the greater society, boasting religious and ethnic diversity, but suffering from rampant prejudice and division, particularly between Jewish and Arab citizens. For many students, university is the first – and often the last – place where they meet the “other” on equal footing. Yet, students have little opportunity to engage with peers from other groups and, more importantly, lack the skills to do so in a respectful, understanding and positive manner.

In the coming years, Mabat hopes to launch Intercultural Process workshops beyond the college campus, expanding this initiative to additional frameworks, such as hospitals, sports teams and more.

“Each one of us is a part of the puzzle. An Israeli society wouldn't exist without different nationalities, ethnicities, a wonderful veriety of food and music...All these form a tapestry of beauty which—if we are able to see stripped of stigmas—we could create peace”

“With time we became friends and the connections between us strengthened even though we've been in the same class for a year, however I didn't get to know them before. The workshop helped us get to know one another and learn to love and accept the other despite our differences”

“I became aware of the difficulties individuals from the Arab community were facing in my department, which caused me to raise the issue among my close friends in order to increase awareness and tolerance for each other. “

“The formation of my identity is one of the most important things that I learned, and has greatly impacted me when I used to think about my place in this country, and how others identify me. I came to the conclusion that I can be an Arab-Israeli who can have a say in my country, and my role is just as important as those in the ‘Jewish sector”

“I am happy to realize that as the years pass I am beginning to learn about who I am in a more precise way, and on top of that, I can accept and even love those who are different from me”

“I learned that I identify myself with a large number of identities. I was not even aware of some of these identities until the moment we were asked to write about our identity matrix”

Our key partners today

Haifa University – Nine-year partnership. Specific programs include an accredited two-year Arab-Jewish community leadership course, in which nearly 50 students students lead community projects, such as the home concert series Positive, and volunteer with other community initiatives.

Kinneret College on the Sea of Galilee – Accredited “Israeli Society” course, including academic instruction and process workshops; Yearlong intercultural process workshops for dormitory residents.

Ruppin Academic Center inEmek Hefer – Semester-long intercultural process workshops for students

Beit Berl College – Yearlong intercultural process workshops for students, led in part by program alumni who aid in project coordination and facilitation.

Azrieli College of Engineering in Jerusalem – Semester-long intercultural process workshops for students.