Re'ut-Sadaka Jewish Arab Youth Movement for Peace, Israel

Re'ut-Sadaka was started in 1982 by a group of young Israeli Jews and Arabs between the ages of 14-18 years. Re'ut developed in response to the growing hatred, hostility and fear between the Palestinians and the Jews. The aim was to enable the two coexisting cultures in Israel to learn to live together through respecting what is different while building on what is common to them all. Some people recognised the need for peaceful coexistence and reacted to the growing hatred by showing their willingness to meet members of the other culture, to get to know them better and to learn to cooperate with them. Now there are 10 such groups scattered around the country.

Re'ut - which means friendship in both Hebrew and Arabic - aspires to the advancement of the Israeli/Palestinian peace and to the creation of a true democratic society in Israel. Many of the young members of Re'ut-Sadaka take part in and initiate public campaigns for democracy and against violations of human rights. They are working to achieve equal rights of personal and national expression and full equality for all citizens and residents of the state, regardless of their nationality, sex, community, religion, or beliefs that do not impair the fundamentals of democracy.

The Re'ut believe that the main work of the peace process must be done at the interpersonal level. They want to educate youth for a new era where they see the necessity of mutually respectful coexistence. Members of Re'ut Sadaka attempt to prepare themselves for life in a society that depends of the ability on their two people to learn to live together and cooperate in mutual respect and equality.

Re'ut realises that it takes a long time to change prejudices and stereotypes, to develop the ability to accept others as they are and to cooperate with them. But they take the first step towards this goal by bringing the young people of those cultures together. Re'ut operates by sponsoring meetings of Jewish and Arab secondary students who live in the same vicinity. Each initial meeting is guided by both an Arab and a Jewish counsellor. These meetings are followed up by further weekly meetings, seminars and trips where the students continue to meet and get to know each other on their own. In addition to the regular meetings and trips, the Re'ut maintain intensive activities during vacations from school where they partake in activities such as work camps in Jewish and Arab settlements, seminars, and youth get-togethers.

In order to fulfil the principles of coexistence the Re'ut run a program called "One Year of Your Life for Coexistence." In this program the Jewish students delay the start of their military service and the Arab students delay their personal plans so that they may live in a shared apartment for one year. Those on a year of service become counsellors to old Re'ut groups, form new ones and participate in volunteer work with their respective communities.