With the eyes of the other - project overview
At best, Jews and Arabs in Israel live despite common citizenshipnext to each other, but hardly with each other or even for each other. This isolated from each otherLife begins in childhood. Arab and Jewish children mostly live indifferent neighborhoods and are enrolled in different schools. IfEven children hardly have the opportunity to get to know each otherPeople have little prospect of dealing directly with "the other" and latertrying to understand each other. In fact, among teenagers is thatsocial distance between Jews and Arabs is particularly great and correspondingly frequentand negative stereotypes and distrust are pronounced. Surveys among young peopleresult again and again pronounced values of distrust and "hatred" for each other and that,although or also because the respondents rarely met each otherand had the opportunity to communicate openly with each other. This is all the more worryingbecause these adolescents are the adults and thus also the eligible voters, political andeconomic leaders, teachers, and parents will be theirs, in turnShaping and educating the next generation.Breaking up these stereotypes and hostilities at a young age is therefore ofof paramount importance for the future of Israeli society. Fortunately, this is instill very possible for a young person's developmental stage. Often they are indirect orplayful approaches that are most likely to be successful here. Exemplary for aYouth exchange program that takes an artistic approach is Through Others' Eyes(With the eyes of the others). With the eyes of the other the photo workshop is called GivatHaviva offers Jewish-Israeli and Arab-Israeli youth the chance to meet the peopleto get to know behind the respective prejudices. The youngsters are constantly changing theirsPerspective, sometimes they are the object that is fixed by the camera, sometimes they are the subjectthe camera guides and determines the angle of view itself. This change of perspective isProgram: In the course of the workshop, the young people learn the world with the help of photographyknow the "other". This way they learn to put aside fear and stereotypes and recognize each other asto perceive equal partners in a joint project. Interacting withthe other participants, with the families and neighborhoods of the "other side" vchange attitudes towards each other. The young people see themselves as equaltrue with a right to opinion and identity, even if these differ from one's own.Empathy and patience for the other side are practiced in a playful way.