Legal Entity
The Israel Arab Scouts youth movement is an independent and apolitical youth movement. It is active in most localities with Arab residents (Arab and mixed localities). It began its activities in 1999 and is the first youth movement in Arab society in Israel.
Youth Movement
The Israel Arab Scouts youth movement is a member of the Council of Youth Movements in Israel and is a youth movement open to both sexes, regardless of religion, socio-economic situation, skin color, community or locality. All the boys and girls, the counselors, Director General and the management team are members of the Israel Boy and Girl Scouts Federation and the World Organization of the Scout Movement.
Scouting as a Way of Life
The Israel Arab Scouts vision calls for implementing the principles of freedom, justice, peace and equality among youth, and sets an overarching goal: to educate individuals who will be humanists with integrity by internalizing and integrating values deriving from the scout’s good qualities and acting in the spirit of the scouts’ promise.
The central pillar of the youth movement’s education is cultivating loyalty to democratic values, the foundational basis of the State of Israel, without identifying with or belonging to a political party or wing, while opposing totalitarian regimes which reject these values.
The Israel Arab Scouts activities are based on the Baden-Powell scouting method. It emphasizes, among other things, activity in nature, practical work and preparing for a life of work. The members share in active social life in the chapters and the communities and remain devoted to the Scouts values, including helping others, tolerance and patience and genuine and respectful relations between people. It prepares its graduates for active and impactful life as residents in their localities, members of society and citizens of the State.
The position holders in the Israel Arab Scouts are educators, graduates of the youth movement. The mission of training and leadership in the chapters lies on the shoulders of the young counselors and coordinators, in the spirit of the movement’s worldview - youth guiding youth
A Leading Informal Education Framework
The Israel Arab Scouts youth movement is considered the largest informal educational framework in Arab society in Israel. For many adolescent boys and girls this is the only after-school educational-social framework. Many parents allow their daughters to take part in out of home activities and overnight camps exclusively within the framework of this youth movement.
Continuing Empowerment
The Israel Arab Scouts initiates a range of educational initiatives in various fields (among them: entrepreneurship, foundations of nature, photography, developing thinking) in addition to activity and participation, both structured and strategic, in national programs of the CYMI and other relevant entities in order to empower youth and prepare them to integrate into society as active and successful citizens. The youth movement conducts unique and innovative programs with universities and science and technology-rich frameworks, among them the “Smart Scouts” program from 4th grade, as well as special and exclusive scouts courses for advanced young counselors: the Eagle Course and the Tiger Course.
Youth with Disabilities
Israel Arab Scouts is proud to be an educational-social framework that enables activity for adolescent boys and girls with disabilities, defined according to the Ministry of Education as having special needs in a range of dominant disabilities, such as: hard of hearing, hard of seeing, learning disorders, mobility disability… and more. The integration of special needs persons with their friends in the youth movement’s shvatim (chapters) has become the only opportunity for the integration of persons with special needs into the community. Some have advanced to the rank of counselors of youth both with and without special needs.
Relationship with the Community
The Israel Arab Scouts educates its members to volunteer, implemented in the localities in which the youth movement has shvatim (chapters) or branches. Projects and programs with the various communities are operated with the participation of the members and counselors (for example: youth and senior citizens, distributing food and medicines to those in need, fun days for mothers, and cleaning roads and cemeteries). Scouting is very popular in Arab society, and the youth movement members take part in processions with choirs and varied musical instruments in localities, on holidays and in events, parties and enrichment activities for preschoolers, health symposia… and more.
Shared Life and Accepting the Other
The Israel Arab Scouts youth movement takes part in coexistence programs between Arab and Jewish members and counselors. It conducts processions, also in Jewish localities, on holidays and in public events. The youth movement participates in international programs and projects. It encourages and supports activities between its shevatim (chapters) from different communities and religions. Members of the movement’s management are also management members in the International Link of Orthodox Christian Scouts - DESMOS.
The Israel Arab Scouts youth movement cultivates among its members the Scouts principles and values, and particularly fosters the three components: cognitive, behavioral and emotional, in the three elements characterizing an individual’s health: mental health, physical health and mind health.
