The Jaffa Convention intends "to call to action", but will it?

The 4th Jaffa Convention - Call to Action Convention 2008- 2009

As usual, the Jaffa convention will take place in Jaffa (of course only in Hebrew, the language of the "masters") at the Arab Jewish community center. The community center has a misleading name, as it doesn't really serve the local community very well. But that is another story.

A very long list of serious subjects have been crammed into a short time table, which will necessarily lead to shallowness, to not really facing the issues at hand. And perhaps that is the idea behind this conference: ticking subjects off the list instead of a serious in-depth discourse leading to practical results.

The day-long discussions will take place on Thursday, December 18, at the Arab Jewish Center in Jaffa, 109 Kedem St., Jaffa, between 9:30- 18:00

Among the topics that will be discussed:

1. The status of Arab culture in Israel

• The culture of Arab society and its place in Israel’s fabric of shared life
• Talking Artists – personal perspectives
• Call to Action – Establishing an official day to salute Arabic language and culture in Israel

The fact that the discourse takes place in Hebrew and not in Arabic says it all....

2. Education for Coexistence

The Jaffa Convention, in cooperation with The Abraham Fund, hosts the members of the public committee established by the Ministry of Education to formulate policy on the subject.

"Education for coexistence – Is it feasible?"

Coexistence? A term all too easily used without giving much thought to what it really implies. And once one start to think what it implies, is it wished for? In what sense? Or are there better models? Other modes of thought? Other multi-cultural options?

3. Calls to Action! –Discussions with Government officials and progress reports on last year’s Calls to Action :

• Establishing a government association to preserve neglected Muslim Sites
• A change in budgeting Social services for Arab Citizens – changing requirements for matching funds
• A practical effort to improve treatment of Arab citizens at Ben-Gurion Airport and other border crossings
• The emerging Constitution and the Arabs in Israel
• Emergency Preparedness of Arab townships in Northern Israel
• f. Mixed cities – Government recognition of the position of mixed cities and their special status
• The Arabic Language Academy – a year of activities
• “Brown signposts” - Tourist designation for Arab Sites and tourism of Arab locales.

4. The Jaffa Convention and the 2009 Knesset elections :

• Is there a political "right" and "left" un Jewish perspectives of the Arab minorities
• What is the gender perspective on the conflict resolution?

A political discussion following the new series “Blue Identity Card” Parallel to the day-long discussions – an exhibition of books’ films’ arts and crafts

Musical interludes – “Voices of Peace” choir of the Arab Jewish Center in Jaffa.