Dialogue, Conflict Resolution, and Change: Arab-Jewish Encounters in Israel

CHAPTER 8. PERCEPTION OF SUCCESS AND IMPACTS OF THE ENCOUNTER MODELS

10 Perception of Success and Impacts of the Encounter Models WHAT IS SUCCESS? In an attempt to examine their macro perspectives, intervenors had difficulties responding when asked: What is success? Some began by listing ways in which they felt the encounter had been successful; others admitted that they had not thought about this issue before. Such confusion was not correlated with the interviewee's program affiliation, nationality, or professional role. In each program, at least one intervenor defines success as the fact that the program continues to exist despite the tough political climate in the region. One intervenor explained such a notion by arguing that intervenors focused on the immediate needs and concerns rather than outcomes. In that sense, surviving the political reality and bringing the participants together becomes an accomplishment by itself. Nevertheless, at least one intervenor from each program defined success as producing "changes on an individual and not on the collective group or mass level," that is, changes in attitudes of participants toward each other on a personal level. These changes included: (a) Raising self-awareness. (b) Strengthening democratic perceptions and behaviors. (c) Increasing interest in Arabjewish relations. (d) Improving Arab-Jewish relations. (e) Raising awareness of the conflict situation and its complexity. (f) Changing attitudes of participants toward each other. (g) Suggesting practical implications (i.e., behavioral changes) based on the perceptional changes. (h) Reducing tension, fear, and alienation. 115 Perception of Success and Impacts of the En counter Modelszyxwvutsrqponmlkj 116 (i) Learning through a meaningful experience of conflict, (j) Being convinced of the value of living together, (k) Learning to live together in conflict. (1) Knowing more about the other culture, (m) Increasing communication and dialogue. These individual changes were usually viewed in one of the two approaches. Conflict-oriented intervenors defined success as teaching participants to "live with conflict" and to "understand conflict complexity" (such intervenors were associated with programs NS and VL). In the cultural and personal acquaintance approach, intervenors more emphasized improving Arab-Jewish relations; reducing fears; and educating for dialogue, communication , and living together (such intervenors were associated with programs GH, UFD, MA, and BH). In all programs, success is a perceptional change with the hope that this success in changing perceptions can be translated into practical individual behaviors. Some intervenors stressed their belief that participants should apply what they had learned through the encounter or the program to their profession (especially teachers). Those intervenors described their frustration with the fact that their programs do not produce this effect on the participants. They even do not expect the participants (teachers) to implement what they learn in their classes. There were no substantial differences in terms of the intervenors' affiliation as Arabs and Jews in their macro perception of success, except the fact that two Arab intervenors stated the need for changes in participants ' actual behavior after taking part in an encounter or a program. These intervenors expected a change in participants' political behavior: "I expect success to be reflected through acts such as a letter to the defense minister about the occupation in the West Bank and Gaza." The reason for the lack of differences between Arabs and Jews in their definition of success stems from the Arab intervenors' awareness, when defining success, of the limited effect that any of these programs can produce. However, this contradicts the fact that in their goals, Arab intervenors stated their intention to produce political changes in the participants' attitudes. When they described the potential success and impacts of their program, however, these intervenors returned to the realistic approach and presented a minimalist definition. Thus, in this part, both Arab and Jewish intervenors are aware of the limitation of the effects of their programs on the general conflict situation. A Jewish facilitator concludes the effect and role of such activity by saying: "This will make the general solution easier, but it is not a part of the needed political solution." Perception of Success and Impacts of the En counter Models 117 MEASURES AND CRITERIA OF SUCCESS There were no major differences between Arab and Jewish intervenors in the responses to the question of how to measure success of the encounter. Thus, the measures indicated by the intervenors in all the programs can be classified into four major categories: (1) Criteria related to interaction and experience: The fact that Arab and Jewish students are interacting and having a "good time" is, by itself, perceived...