שתיל - שירותי תמיכה וייעוץ לקידום שינוי חברתי

Can the "big change" that happened November 4th in the U.S., happen in Israel as well? What can social change organizations do to best advance their agendas during an election season?

These questions have been the focus of SHATIL's Center for Policy Change as it gears up for Israel's 18th national elections, to be held February 10. In an effort to assist social change organizations that want to influence the election process and to promote civic responsibility, the Center has embarked on a number of actions:

• Publication and distribution of a new booklet for social organizations: What's in it for Us? A Took Kit for Promoting Social Change during the Elections is a practical guide for activity and involvement during and after the elections, including how to leverage the election period to advance one's agenda, how to get covered in the press, how to use the internet, legal limitations and more.
• A daily email newsletter listing relevant newspaper and internet articles sent out to a list of 200 organizations and individuals. The extensive survey includes headlines and links and is divided by categories such as politics, political analysis, society, economy, religion and more.
• The creation of a special election-related internet site (http://SHATIL.org.il/sites/elections2009) that will include the daily media survey, contact information for parties, officials and journalists, a platform for organizations to publicize petitions, the new election booklet in pdf format and a calendar of events.

A major workshop in the center of the country on how to utilize the election period to advance a social agenda is being planned for the end of December and SHATIL is checking the feasibility of conducting two local courses. A questionnaire has gone out to all organizations regarding their needs for election-related consulting, guidance and courses.

"Election season is a time for citizens to take responsibility, work for change and demand their rights," says SHATIL's Center for Policy Change Director Shimon Malka. "SHATIL is working to help citizens working for social change to maximize their impact during this critical period."