Building a Shared and Sustainable Democracy in Israel
The Citizens' Accord Forum between Jews and Arabs in Israel
CAF conducts activities that promote civic engagement, encourage active citizenship, and inspire members of the public to play an active role in formulating policies that affect their daily lives and their future.
This is CAF's first long-term goal. We regard a shared society as a tangible expression of an ideal democracy in which citizens from all sectors and strata of society take responsibility for shaping a common public space, and work together to solve social and civic problems.
We have been working to create dialogue and civic action groups of Jews and Arabs across the country, in cooperation with civic and community organizations, including groups of ultra-Orthodox and Arab participants, among them a group of ultra-Orthodox Jewish women and religious Arab women.
Along with dialogue groups we conduct public learning and dialogue events and conferences on various issues of civil concern with the participation of citizens from all segments of Israeli society. The annual Jaffa Convention, begun in 2005, is CAF’s flagship program. In addition to the annual gathering, which serves as the main platform for discussion of Jewish-Arab relations, the Jaffa Convention consists of roundtable events and conferences on specific issues held throughout the year.
Civic Engagement
Current projects
The Jaffa Convention, first held in 2005, is the main forum in Israel where Arab and Jewish citizens from across the political and religious spectrum come together to confront the most pressing issues facing Israeli society and the relationship between Arab and Jewish populations. Each year, more than 1,000 people attend the conference, among them, legislators, academics, activists and members of the general public. The conference aims to present studies, analyze data and exchange views and to influence Calls to Action to address tangible social and civic issues.
Deliberative Dialogue & Joint Civic Action program, inaugurated in 2012, engages citizens in an exchange of ideas about a particular issue in their local community and wider society, with the aim of formulating and promoting practical solutions. CAF currently facilitates more than a dozen dialogue and civic action groups comprised of Jews and Arabs. A number of the groups are specialized based upon a particular population segment, such as academics and specialists on land and soil issues, Arabs and Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union, religious Arab and ultra-Orthodox women, and many others.