Our Vision Collot Ba'Negev (Voices in the Negev) is a pluralistic organization for studies, encounters and education. Its activities promote democracy and equality and diminish any discrimination, be it based on nationality, ethnicity, economic status, gender, religion, etc.

"Collot Ba'Negev" is an NGO which was founded in 1995 as a pluralistic school for studying, meeting and educating in the Negev. It was founded to fill a much needed gap for a profound, unifying discourse between the individual and society: between the personal sphere and the communal sphere, between the social act and the political act, and between various conflicting population groups.

Over the years, "Collot Ba'Negev" has evolved into a leading force in the field of group facilitators' training, specializing in an environment of conflict and multiculturalism. In 2006, “Collot Ba'Negev” founded its school for group facilitators, endorsed by Sapir Academic College.

Israel's southern periphery suffers from a lack of proper employment, faltering cities with large immigrant communities, mass departure of young people, a complex local politics and an ongoing security threat from the Gaza Strip. The result is a region faced with many conflicts and challenges – to the inhabitants and to those wishing to lead and instigate change.

"Collot Ba'Negev" believes that creating change in a person's own self circle of being can generate a significant change his/her communal circle. Through its unique system of group facilitating training, the organization plants many seeds of change throughout the Negev, leading to a different, more advanced social discourse.

Our Main Objectives

1. To empower the participants– leaders of NGOs and social organizations – in the personal, group, professional, communal, cultural and national aspects and to give them tools for group facilitating through a method of “Identity Journeys”, developed in “Collot Ba’Negev”, through a school for group facilitators. The school holds four courses:

• Group facilitators for Peace – a bi-national group, emphasizing the Jewish-Arab conflict.
• Group facilitators for Multiculturalism – emphasizing the integration of the Ethiopian community in Israeli society.
• Group facilitators for Jewish-Social leadership – emphasizing pluralistic encounters, with religious and non-religious people.
• Group facilitators for personal and social empowerment – emphasizing the relationship between the individual and society.

The school accepts participants from all over Israel – people who are social leaders, managers of NGOs and social organizations, who apply to the course in order to receive practical tools for leading and instigating processes of social change.

Upon completing the course, the graduates receive an official diploma from Sapir Academic College and "Collot Ba'Negev", becoming certified group facilitators.

2. To develop and promote local leadership, groups and individuals, who are committed to improve society. This includes:

• Establishing and conducting groups of university students for leadership and social involvement in the southern towns.
• Establishing and conducting groups committed to social activities.
• Establishing and conducting local and ethnic groups committed to promote their local communities.

3. To conduct encounters between groups in conflict with the aim to promote dialogue in the Israeli society. This includes:

• Facilitation of conflict groups.
• Facilitation of encounter groups and culturally pluralistic groups.

Our experience

“Collot Ba’Negev” is an organization which obtained significant knowledge and experience over the years in operating groups and training leaders in Israeli society’s points of conflict, which included about 3,000 adult participants. The variety of the groups included:

• Various ethnic origins: groups of participants from Ethiopia, Caucasus, Beduins, Buchara Jews, Former Soviet Union.
• Variety of ages: University students, young adults, mixed ages.
• Focus of activities: social change, social leadership, cultural studies, facilitators’ training groups.
• Encounter groups: religious and secular Jews, Jews and Arabs, Political Left and Right wing.

Responses to our work

The following are some examples of the responses we get from participants in our various groups:

• “The workshop strengthened my sense of social commitment”.
• “In the workshop I learned the meaning of specific work for the community”.
• “The workshop broadened my cultural horizons and connected me to the Jewish culture”.
• “The workshop made me proud of my origins and strengthened my connection to the Israeli culture and society”.
• “I had the opportunity to enter a dialogue with “the other” that otherwise I never would have met”.
• “The workshop increased my personal abilities and individual power”.
• “The workshop strengthened my connections to other people and other communities”.

Partners

The Joseph S. & Caroline Gruss Fund, Joint Israel, Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services, Social Involvement Unit of Dean of Students at Sapir College, Young Centers in the cities Ofakim, Kyriat Gat, Kyriat Ma'lachi, Sderot, Dimona, Netivot, Ruhama, Wizo, Ministry for Development of the Negev and Galilee, Ministry of Security, Bank Hapoalim, AJEEC, Shatil, Hatid Bamidbar and Sapir Academic College.

Sapir College is the largest public college in Israel, and it grants “Collot Ba’Negev” the recognition and academic supervision necessary to maintain a high professional level through its courses. Sapir College also issues the certified diploma for the graduates of the courses.