Infusing Civics Education with Democratic and Human Rights Values

In recent months, ACRI launched a new program for Arab and Jewish middle school civics teachers, highlighting the importance of human rights and civic engagement in democratic societies. Civics teachers exert enormous influence on their students by teaching them about the processes of Israel’s democracy as well as individuals’ potential to effect change as proactive citizens. As such, the content of the workshops includes: human rights theory; principles of democracy and equality in Israeli society; and exploring human rights issues as they arise in current events. ACRI made a special effort to target schools in Israel’s periphery, where students – and entire communities – often suffer from acute discrimination based on nationality, ethnicity, and socio-economic class. Workshops took place in various Arab and Jewish communities throughout the country such as Akko and Kiryat Gat.