A.M.A.L. - The Association for the Promotion of Spoken Arabi...

The Association for the Promotion of Spoken Arabic aims to make knowledge of Arabic and Arab culture more accessible to non Arabic speaking Israelis. Its vision is a more tolerant and open minded Israeli society in which the Arabic language is taught as a language of peace and not as a language of war and in which Arabic is used to build bridges of mutual respect and understanding. A.M.A.L's directors and staff see themselves as citizens of a modern liberal society, in which Arabic and Hebrew can coexist side by side in peace. They believe that Jews that don't speak Arabic in Israel should be the exception, not the rule. A.M.A.L. is the Hebrew acronym for "Spoken Arabic for All". The program aims to replace the popularly accepted equation, Arabic=Arabs=terrorists, with a new equation, Arabic=Arabs=people. In this case, the people are regular everyday Arab students, future doctors, lawyers and engineers, reaching out to young Israeli Jews, with the hope of changing perceptions and uprooting stereotypes. A.M.A.L's program makes the linguistic leap a bit easier, by having it done at a young age, with the help of young native speakers that the pupils can relate to. The linguistic bridge in turn makes the formation of intercultural relationships easier, by shortening the psychological distance between the Hebrew speaking center and the Arabic speaking periphery. The A.M.A.L. project is operated (directed and managed) by a small team of volunteers. Currently, 17 students receive scholarships, for 4 hours a week of teaching in the schools. A.M.A.L is currently working with 500 elementary school pupils in 6 schools in the Tel-Aviv-Jaffa area. In the coming years the organization hopes to refine and broaden its operations, so as to reach as many communities as possible.