2015-05-04

One of our primary functions and aims here at I’lam is the training and education of the Palestinian community in Israel (PCI) in the field of media. Targeting both media practitioners and members of the public, we lead initiatives that seek to address deficits in Arab media and leadership in Israel by raising awareness in the PCI of the ability of the media to be a driving force for the positive development of society, and to strengthen their understanding and skills in this field.
The benefits of such a mission are clear: a strong and participative media encourages democratic values such as freedom of speech and expression, social respect, and freedom of the press. Through our training and educational projects, I’lam hopes to integrate such values into society, including the education system, to raise awareness of the significant role that the PCI and the Arab media have to play in shaping public opinion and policy.
But the leadership deficit in the PCI is just as important and in need of being addressed as media issues. This month I’lam begins the first phase of a new project, entitled Future Leaders of the Palestinian community in Israel. This represents a broadening of I’lam’s operations as it moves beyond classical media to include leadership and civil society issues. The project aims to cultivate leadership skills and promote adequate representation among young people in the PCI, both in the media and in wider society. The project, supported by the Hans Seidel Foundation, will deliver a wide range of structured activities, supported by mentorship and campaign programs, to empower young people in marginalized communities and address the deficit in leadership and representation of the PCI.
Phase I of the project entails the recruitment of 16 young people from the Arab community, who have some experience already in advocacy, community or social services. Divided into four groups of four, these young people will then engage in a series of training workshops and leadership ‘challenges’ throughout the rest of the year. The training will cover leadership patterns, styles and challenges, representation, and how to identify and develop personal strengths. Each training session will be attended by a community leader – such as an MK or other elected official – who can share their own experiences and challenges, and provide the project participants with an opportunity to engage and network with current leaders and be exposed to their styles of leadership.
Later in the year, following the training, the groups of young people will take part in five challenges, in which they can apply their training and further develop their leadership knowledge and abilities. These challenges will include, among other things, the development and delivery of presentations on issues faced by communities in Israel; and a mock election, in which participant groups will run in a mock election at a local school by campaigning, debating, and using creativity to promote their respective platforms. Between each challenge, the groups will reunite to discuss their experiences with each other and with a Jury, comprised of I’lam’s own General Director Amal Jamal, and two community leaders representing the PCI.
The experiences of the project’s participants will be documented throughout the training and challenges by a camera team, who will post the videos to a specially created YouTube channel. Once the challenges are complete, the resulting videos will be compiled into one complete campaign video, to encourage other young people in the PCI to learn about and participate in democratic activities, representative roles, and positions of leadership. They will also be able to use the free and easily accessible Leadership Toolkit, a new I’lam publication based on the training provided in this project, including research and best practices in the area of leadership. In these ways, the benefits of the project and the reach of I’lam’s leadership training will be able to spread to a much wider audience.
Interviews for recruitment have taken place, and training has already begun. Look out for more information on this project on our website as it continues throughout the year.