Degree Name
MA in Conflict Transformation
First Advisor
Jeff Unsicker
Abstract
The Batouf Valley: A Community Empowerment Project. This paper describes and analyzes an advocacy initiative of the Ahali Center for Community Development, an organization of Palestinians within Israel. The initiative focuses on empowering and advancing the water rights of Palestinian farmers in al-Batouf Valley (or Bet Netofa in Hebrew), an important cultural and agricultural area in the northern region of Israel known as Lower Galilee. The paper examines the historical context of exploitation by the Israeli government, the origins and work of the Ahali Center, the relevant policies and political actors, and the advocacy strategy and tactics used. The concluding sections present an evaluation of the effectiveness of the advocates’ tactics as well as draw lessons from my experience as an intern at Ahali for work in future campaigns. The primary methods for the collection of information and data were the analysis of Ahali documents, interviewing of staff and local Palestinian Israelis, and reflection on my experience working at Ahali.
Disciplines
Agricultural and Resource Economics | Environmental Policy | Inequality and Stratification | Natural Resources and Conservation | Natural Resources Management and Policy | Peace and Conflict Studies | Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation | Policy History, Theory, and Methods | Social Influence and Political Communication | Water Resource Management
Recommended Citation
Shettleroe, Melissa, "Identity In Crisis: Palestinian Israelis' Struggle For Social Justice Concerning Land and Water" (2010). Capstone Collection. 2378.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/capstones/2378