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March 2018
Dear friend,

We are reaching out to you today as a member of our dedicated community of supporters to provide an update on what your generosity has made possible. We are also asking for your continued support so that we are able to do even more.

Givat Haviva's Shared Communities Program pairs neighboring Arab and Jewish municipalities to create cross-community partnerships that promote dialogue and reconciliation. Without personally visiting Israel, it's hard to fully understand the social and economic divides which separate its Jewish and Arab societies.

92% of Israelis reside in separate communities, and despite a handful of exceptions, 99.9% of Israeli children study in completely separate school systems.

 Since 2012, Shared Communities has been healing these divides. It fosters collaborative programming on cultural, economic, educational, and municipal themes that address mutual needs and mutual interests.
Givat Haviva believes that true engagement between the Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel means putting political debates on hold, and instead pursuing efforts to advance shared goals that will bring win/win results.

 The program currently involves ten paired Jewish and Arab municipalities representing approximately 200,000 people in the Wadi Ara region where community leaders and everyday citizens work together daily to advance and implement projects of mutual benefit.
Examples of these amazing collaborations include:

- Building a shared-use soccer stadium for sports and cultural events in
Meggido Junction
- Creating a new access road between Salame and Givat Oz
- Remediating the Wadi Misqa stream and designating it as an environmentally-protected open space
- Developing a shared industrial zone for the Zemer and Emek Hefer communities
This year our communities will become core components of the Israeli Interior Ministry’s new “clusters program” and serve as “best practice” models for adoption by communities throughout Israel.

The Center for Shared Society at Givat Haviva works tirelessly to bring us closer to the day when shared society and peace for all of Israel's citizens will be a reality. The Shared Communities program exemplifies how together, we are making significant strides toward that shared society. 
But further strides are possible only with your generous financial support. Please take a moment right now and help give these communities the strategic framework, resources, and expertise they need to ignite even more cooperation and more progress!
Be’Amal Wa’Salam,
B’Tikva Ve’Shalom,
With hope and peace,

Yaniv Sagee
CEO
Givat Haviva



Mohammad Darawshe
Director
Center for Equality and Shared Society
at Givat Haviva