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Founder and Chair of the Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development, the forerunner of AJEEC -NISPED
Dr. Yehudah Paz immigrated from the United States to Israel in 1950 and was a co-founder of Kibbutz Kisufim in the Negev. For many years he headed the Central Union for Cooperative Initiative in Israel and was an active member of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA).
He received numerous international awards, including the Rochdale Award from the International Cooperation Alliance, and the Golden Dove of Peace Prize from the President of Italy.
Dr. Yehudah Paz passed away in 2013, leaving behind a lasting legacy of social change that continues to inspire AJEEC-NISPED’s mission.
Dr. Amal Elsana-Alh’jooj was born and grew up in Laqiya. She has a B.A. in Social Work from Ben Gurion University, an M.A. in Social Work, and a Ph.D. in Community Social Work from McGill University in Canada.
Current roles: Amal is the CEO of PLEDJ, an international organization which believes that the reduction of inequality and advancement of civil society and social justice are inseparable from community development and peace processes.
Past roles: In 2000, Amal joined the Negev Institute and established AJEEC in order to promote equal rights and empowerment within the Bedouin community and to foster shared society between Arabs and Jews in the Negev. Amal has been awarded numerous prizes, including the Einstein Prize for Exceptional Students and the Human Rights Prize from the New Israel Fund. She has also been included among the 101 most influential individuals in Israel, according to The Marker.
Born in Israel, the second generation of Holocaust survivors.
Married, a father of three sons and grandfather of nine.
Chair of the Board AJEEC NISPED, IsraAid Founder and Board member, Chair of the Board at Israel Academic College, Chair of the Board at Beit Zvi School of Performing Arts, Member of the Coop Europe Development Project Committee (CEDP), at the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA), and lecturer on international development
Deputy Mayor of Ramat-Gan, VP of Hevrat HaOvdim, Council Chairman at the Israel Center for Management. Project manager and lecturer at the Afro-Asian Institute of Labor, Economy, and Cooperation, Founding chairman of “Beit Emanuel”, a municipal informal education company, and Internal Auditor at Clalit Health Services. Director in numerous publicly-traded companies and Cooperatives. Participated in humanitarian aid work and sustainable development projects in many regions worldwide
Sustainable human-economic development is the main tool for resolving disputes, bringing peace, and achieving equality. This must be done through an engaging, involved cooperative approach, including external experts operating within a framework of tradition and local knowledge. All this must be done efficiently, stressing the pivotal role of people as partners, rather than aid recipients. I believe in building egalitarian, prosperous Cooperatives and societies working to promote peace and sustainable development, thereby contributing towards repairing our world
Resident of Laqiya, married and father of four.
Nassasra has a B.A. in Teaching and a M.S. in Public Administration and Policy from the Hebrew University.
Founder owner of the Tammam Entrepreneurship Group, a business group set up to bring about socio-economic change in the Bedouin society in the Negev. The Group owns the N.A. Afikim Company, Shorashim, Idan Hanegev Afikim Real estate, the Nazid Factory and more
One of the founders of the Metaylei Lahav Transport Company. Founder of Armonot Hanegev, a catering company which grew and renamed itself as Nazid, a catering company with a workforce comprised of 80% Bedouin women. Between 2013 and 2015, Nassasra held the education portfolio in the Laqiya municipality. In this capacity, he advanced projects aimed at employment for Bedouin women, set up the Tamar Center – a center working for the advancement of education in Bedouin society. He has promoted employment projects for people with disabilities and was one of the founders of Qudra – a network of Arab donors supporting the strengthening and development of Arabic society
Resident of Tel Aviv.
Mother of two sons and grandmother of five.
Maggie is a freelance consultant to social change organizations in Israel and in the United States. Member of the advisory board at Shatil and mentor to social entrepreneurs
Maggie was a member of Kibbutz Hulda for three decades. She has served on the executive committees of several NGO’s including the New Israel Fund, Yahel, and Women Waging Peace
When we work together to realize the potential of each and every individual in Israeli society, we will really be fit to be a light unto the Nations
Born in Netanya, resident of Omer. Mother of two, grandmother of three.
Head of the Martin Springer Center for Conflict Studies; member of the Council for Higher Education since 2016; head of the Committee for Increasing Accessibility to Israeli Academia among the Bedouin Community in Israel. In addition to her academic work, Prof. Sagi initiates, advises, supports, and guides projects on peace education and for increasing tolerance between groups in conflict
Worked as a psychologist for many years. At age 40 returned to academia and completed her MA and Ph.D. In her work at Ben Gurion University, she served as Head of the Education Department, managed the educational psychology program, established the program for conflict management and resolution and served as Commissioner for Sexual Harassment
My membership in the AJEEC Executive Committee is an important part of my social work. AJEEC plays an important role in Israeli society in general and in the Negev in particular. In view of the chaotic, violent reality we live in today, AJEEC is successful in promoting social initiatives and social change based on values of equality, tolerance and mutual respect. AJEEC personifies a dialog-based culture of listening, dialog and respectful partnership
Resident of Mevaseret Zion.
Married and father of three, with a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering and Computers from the Technion.
CEO of the Intel Jerusalem R&D Center. Manager of a global microchip development group
Manager of communications microchip development teams, head of a development team working on analog development of PCI-Express standards, hardware development engineer for silicon components at Digital Semiconductors (Jerusalem) and Duelco (Denmark). Formerly a member of the Managing Committee and Treasurer of the KESEM school, member of the Jerusalem Anthroposophist Schools NGO, coordinator of the Young Scientists program at the Science Museum on behalf of Intel, and spent a year teaching at the Givat Gonen School as part of the Young Entrepreneurs program
What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good. Seek peace, and pursue it
Born and raised in Kibbutz Maabarot, member of Kibbutz Yad Mordechai.
Father of three, grandfather of two.
Pensioner. Involved in an alternative currencies project
Managed the economic department in the Kibbutz HaArtsi for five years; managed Kibbutz Yad Mordechai’s apiary industry; served as chairman of hi-tech and biotech companies; chairman of the Council at Kibbutz Kramim, where he led the development of a cohabitation model for religious and secular people
The path to cohabitation is close familiarity and the ability to understand one another. When we succeed in doing this as a society, we will flourish
Resident of Rahat, actor, researcher, and creative artist with a B.A. in Humanities. Aldabasan is currently an M.A. student in Culture and Production.
Actor, theater teacher, and marketing manager for the Almahbash Theater, the first Arab theater established by and within the Arab society in the Negev. Manager of the Alwan Entertainment and Culture Company and Hebrew-to-Arabic translator of movies and series (Sand Storm, Baggage, etc.)
Founder and CEO of the Almahbash Theater and drama lecturer at the Kay College of Special Education teachers
My motto: “A happy person is a person that contributes to society
Bedouin doctor with a focus on spearheading efforts to improve the quality of life and social mobility of the Arab-Bedouin community of Israel. Yasmeen holds a B.Sc. in Medical Science, an M.D. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and is a current MC-MPA student at Harvard Kennedy School.
Yasmeen is a Bedouin doctor specializing in internal medicine and is the Founder and Executive Director of Rodaina, an NGO that aims to prevent genetic diseases in the Middle East, especially in the Bedouin community, by spearheading premarital genetic testing and matching. She serves on the board of directors of Project Wadi Attir, Yanabia, the Tamar Center, and AJEEC-NISPED; all of which are social projects and NGOs aiming to improve Bedouin lives in Israel
From 2020-21, Yasmeen acted as the Chief Resident of Internal Medicine at Soroka Medical Center, in charge of the hospital’s COVID response. She is the recipient of several awards including the 2007 Ramon Award for quality, leadership, and excellence, as well as being chosen to be on Forbes’ “30 under 30” list