Shatil

Shatil ("seedling" in Hebrew) was established by the New Israel Fund in 1982 to strengthen civil society in Israel. Since then, Shatil has grown into the primary agent for social change in Israel, promoting a society based on social, economic and environmental justice, human and civil rights and cultural and religious pluralism. Shatil advances this vision by empowering organizations, initiating social change projects and influencing policy on its own and in partnership with like-minded civil society organizations, public institutions, businesses, the media, academia and the arts. Shatil empowers disadvantaged communities to improve their lives by effecting long-term social change. It reaches out to constituencies on the economic and geographic periphery, maximizing their strength by cultivating new leadership and skills and by initiating and facilitating strategic coalitions. Shatil's unique role is to influence processes and policies by bringing together and strengthening all who share the vision of a just and equitable society. Shatil's' work strengthens Israel's democracy by increasing citizen involvement in the processes of government and the quest for equality and social justice.