Getting to know your Contacts-Part 2

I did hear from the Director of the ICRI, and I was so happy and couldn't believe how quickly I heard back from him regarding the Bedouin community of the Negev, here is what he wrote:


Dear Shira, thank you very much for the request for assistance with Bedouin families in the Negev. In order to proceed with a decision on assisting those communities on children's issues, we will need the following:

A.) A telephone call with you discuss the core issues related to this work. I am happy to have us pay for the call if you will provide a phone number and the best day and time to contact you within the next week or so.
B.) If we are to move forward with a project we must have a letter from a local agency or individuals in the communities to be served, inviting us to collaborate with them on improving conditions for children. Our core values are that we never go where we are not formally invited in.
C.) It should be known to the communities requesting our involvement that we are not a funding agency, but rather a capacity building, program development agency that will partner with the local community to identify and raise outside funds together for the project, if funds are not already identified.
D.) If we are to move forward with the development of a collaborative project, after conducting due diligence and developing a draft summary proposed program plan, that proposed plan will be presented to our Board for review and approval.
E.) Only after our Board reviews and approves the request can a project commence.

I hope that this information clarifies our process. Please provide us with a call in number so that we can complete step A) in our process. I look forward to your reply.

All the best, Ken Jaffe

I am hoping to work with Prof. Abu Rabia and the Negev Coexistence Forum and their Resource Coordinator to try to go forward with this proposal. I feel nervous about this, but I feel like if I can help facilitate the people who can implement a program that will positively impact children, then I have a responsibility to try. I still haven't spoken with Mr. Jaffe, but I spent time studying the website of the ICRI in order to learn more about the projects they have worked on throughout the world. Also, I studied what grants the Negev Coexistence Forum has received such as a grant called "Children of Peace," in order to find out what possibilities exist. The one idea I have had so far is the concept of a huge tent which would basically be a mobile preschool. Perhaps they could get people on the ground to help donate toys, bikes, and markers, pencils and school items and the ICRI could help train teachers or help implement these programs. Also, if a particular location is chosen to house this new tent-preschool, then perhaps we could get some other agencies in Israel to help donate food or clothing items. I also watched some videos on youtube about the life of Bedouin children, and I noticed that the children like to play all the time and have invented their own forms of swing sets, toys and dolls. I also thought about the possibility of having a battery operated cd/tape player and instruments and maybe even a battery operated television set where children would get a chance to watch Sesame Street in Hebrew or Arabic as well as some other educational tools. When I do talk to Mr. Jaffe, I am going to ask him what type of programs could be feasible for this location and environment and also speak with Prof. Abu Rabia about his ideas. The essence of my idea is create a space dedicated to giving Bedouin children access to early childhood education opportunities that may not exist in the area where they live.

ICRI Projects

I have been examining the website of the International Child Resource Institute:http://www.icrichild.org
It states on their website, "Since ICRI was founded in 1981, we have developed or operated over 300 programs in over 50 countries. Our experience spans six continents and a wide range of subject matters, and we have particular expertise in the areas of early childhood care and education, children’s rights, empowerment of women and girls, maternal/child health, and grassroots community development."
I have contacted the Director of ICRI in the hopes that they may consider an early-childhood project working with Bedouin children in unrecognized villages. I still have not heard back, but I will tell you all when I do hear back from them. Some interesting projects they have worked on include developing a network of support centers in Brazil called the "Brazil Street Children Project." Also, in Yugoslavia they coordinated a network of over 300 grassroots organizations working to assist displaced families in a project called the "Former Yugoslavia Capacity Building Project."
They also have many US projects, including "Project Commotion" which is a non-profit based in San Francisco which supports all children ages 0-18 from under-served families of children with special needs through the use of sensory experiences, movement and play. Their website is http://www.projectcommotion.org/.

International Contacts

As this international contacts  project has evolved, I have gone from studying children in Israel, to studying Bedouin children in the Negev. I studied a project called "Parents as Partners," which "was developed by AJEEC – The Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation. It is one of the organization’s first projects to deal with early childhood. It is an informal program for the education and development of young children in Arab Bedouin society that is culturally adapted to the needs of that society and implemented by Arab Bedouin mothers. The project was conducted in unrecognized villages." 

        

So far, I have made contact with the advocacy coordinator of the Coexistence Forum, here is part of what she wrote me, "Hi Shira- First of all, you are now signed up for English updates. I wanted to let you know how happy Haia was to hear you again, and how excited she is that you are still passionate about this cause. I am currently the advocacy coordinator at the Coexistence Forum, so I would be very happy to be in touch with you to see what work can be done from St. Louis. An awareness raising article is a fantastic idea. Please let me know if there is any information that I can help you find. I would suggest checking out this page on our website: http://www.dukium.org/eng/?page_id=866. There are quite a few in depth reports written by the NCF, and others, in recent years. If you explore the website there are many other sources of information and reporting about the situation in the Negev. We also have a brand new facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/NegevCoexistenceForum. One very helpful (and easy!) thing that you can do is like the page and share it with your friends.  Please let me know if you have any more questions." Now that I feel that I am really involved with this cause again, I am excited to start working on an article for the Forum. I have sent an email to Prof. Rabia, a very well-known and respected Bedouin anthropologist, to find out more about Bedouin children. I plan to focus my article on Bedouin children living in the Negev. I am really looking forward to hearing from him and continuing work on this article, I will keep you all updated on my progress!

                                       

I was so excited to hear from my Bedouin Studies Anthropology Professor, Aref Abu Rabia. Here is part of what he wrote, I also sent a picture of myself so he would remember me, since it has been 12 years since I studied abroad at Ben Gurion University in Israel.

Dear Shira,

Good to hear from you, I am very happy to hear news about you. Your picture and your baby are wonderful.

Since that time I travelled to USA for sabbatical year, Skidmore College and St. Thomas University Minnesota.

 

Now I am back in Israel, looking for next time to be there.

 

How are you, hope you are doing very well. Where are you living/studying.

 

Going back to your request:

I am sending you some papers, hope to help you, composing your paper.

We are trying to arrange some support for the education of the young generation, to facilitate there way to the university, and to prevent drop out.

 

Happy very much to hear you

salamat and shalom

Dear Shira,

 

thanks a lot for your message and information.

 

I have looked at your blog and enjoyed reading there.

 

Next Wednesday we have conference about the Bedouin I will send you some material.

 

Keep in touch and have a wonderful weekend.

 

Salamat

Bedouin Chidren

http://www.dukium.org

In addition to studying the International Child Resource Institute, I also chose to study the Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality. This was due in part to the fact that when I studied abroad during my junior year at Ben Gurion University in Israel, I did an internship with them, and fell in love with the cause of the Bedouin people living in Israel. The Forum was started in 1997 when according to their website, “a group of concerned Arab and Jewish residents of the Negev (the southern desert region of Israel) established the Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality to provide a framework for Jewish-Arab collaborative efforts in the struggle for civil equality and the advancement of mutual tolerance and coexistence. The Forum, also known as “Dukium” in Hebrew, is unique in being the only Arab-Jewish organization established in the Negev that remains focused solely on the specific problems confronting the Negev.” I am interested in becoming involved again in this important cause, the website goes on to say, “In the spirit of coexistence, Bedouin residents and Jewish volunteers worked together to provide piped water, nursery schools, access roads and rubbish removal systems in over a dozen villages.” I am especially interested in finding out more about the nursery schools which were established in these Bedouin communities, I believe this makes a huge difference to the children living in these impoverished villages, many of which don’t even have running water.

 During my time working for the Forum Coexistence in 2001, I helped work on a grant which brings together Jewish children and Bedouin children to celebrate holidays from their culture and spend time together playing and doing other activities.During my travel abroad while I worked for the Forum, I also attended classes on Social Justice and Equality. I also studied under one of the most famous Bedouin anthropologists named  Prof. Aref Abu-Rabia, where I learned about the Bedouin culture. The Bedouin people were the most kind, gracious, trustworthy and special people I have ever met. It only breaks my heart to see the struggles they endure, especially the children.

              
           International Child Resource Institute

                         http://www.icrichild.org/ 

According to the mission statement of the ICRI,"We are always open to collaborations with other organizations or partners interested in supporting early childhood care and education, children’s rights, empowerment of women and girls, maternal/child health, and grassroots community development. In certain circumstances, we are also able to offer fiscal sponsorship to emerging organizations that serve children and families." For example, they have a program called the "Daraja Early Care and Education Program" which helps to bring some of Africa's poorest children developmentally-appropriate early childhood education. The site mentions,” Our Watoto Wonder Bus is a mobile teacher training program that brings expert trainers and innovative materials to schools and child care centers in low-income areas. We provide intensive, on-site, side-by-side training and mentoring to teachers and administrators. We also work to provide educators with alternative approaches to teaching that engage children and provide an activity-driven learning environment." Currently, the International Child Resource Institute has projects in Kenya, Nepal, Ghana, Zimbabwe, India, Norway, Malaysia, and Chile. Their work in Europe is focused mainly on refugee and immigrant children, and has trained over 5000 teachers on practices which help children through developmentally appropriate practices. I am contacting the executive director of this organization on behalf of the Negev Coexistence Forum in the hopes that they may begin an international project to help Bedouin children and supporting their communities.

Establishing Professional Contacts

I am in the process of trying to make contact with at least two international early childhood educators. Because my mother is from Israel, I decided I will focus on early childhood education in Israel and I am in the process of making contact. So far, I have three contacts, none of which are early childhood educators, however, one is a female microbiology professor, another woman is a pharmacist, and the last is a retired teacher. I have sent emails and I am still waiting for a reply, however, I have had one phone conversation in order to try and learn more about early childhood education in Israel.