The academia department works in three channels:
During the last decade, the academic arena in Israel has become a shared space of great social importance. Thousands of men and women each year enter the gates of a campus in Israel. For many of them, the campus is where they experience their first real encounter with social groups other than their own. The relations between students from different groups – Arabs, ultra-Orthodox, Israelis of Ethiopian origin, secular or traditional people, and so on – form an immensely important social opportunity, placing the campus as a key arena for promoting and improving relations between different groups in Israel.
Because the student population frequently changes, the academia department works with administrators, faculty and staff who meet with students year after year and shape the experience of intergroup encounter on campus. Our work is targeted to influence the various campus populations, including academic staff, administrative staff, security personnel and university management, as well as organizational structures.
Research
Research in social psychology over several decades has provided extensive knowledge on how national conflicts shape the consciousness of citizens and especially on how this consciousness impedes progress toward potential solutions. At the same time, an important academic field has emerged in recent years that develops science-based interventions aimed both at changing perceptions and positions regarding conflicts and at motivating action seeking to end the conflict and bring peace between nations. Alongside the global knowledge that this field has produced, a great deal of knowledge has accumulated specific to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The work addressing peace and reconciliation at aChord is based on this body of knowledge. We undertake additional research to deepen our understanding of the perceptions and positions of different groups in the Israeli public and how to influence these positions regarding peace and reconciliation. We use a variety of research methodologies, including focus groups, large-scale surveys, field studies, and experimental research.
On the ground
We aim to influence positions, perceptions, and emotions prevalent in the Israeli public regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, by translating innovative academic knowledge into action in the field.
Through consultation, accompaniment, training, and development, we help actors in the field integrate knowledge and tools from social psychology in their efforts to promote ending the conflict and achieving peace. We believe that ongoing work with civil society organizations, with media organizations, and with change agents on social media will help change perceptions and positions and build narratives promoting support for peace and reinforcing the belief that peace and reconciliation between the two peoples are attainable.
Public Department
