Heart of a Nation's International Changemaker Academy
This year, Heart of a Nation will launch an International Changemaker Academy for young American, Israeli, and Palestinian change makers interested in improving the political cultures of their respective societies.
The following article first appeared in 2022.
Young People Need to Reinvent Politics
by Ofri Ilany
December 31, 2022
"When I talk to people 40 and under about politics, the common response is a sigh. One such friend told me he was currently occupied with “other issues,” and didn’t have the mental capacity to deal with politics. Another said she was making every effort to repress the whole subject.
Many people see emigrating from Israel or retreating into their own private bubbles as reasonable alternatives to political activism. It’s easier to imagine life in another country than to take to the streets…
"If an effective protest movement of young people does take shape, it won’t be conducted according to the rules of prior, scarred protest movements. One way or another, young people – whether Jews or Palestinians – will need to reinvent politics. They will need to create a new language that also takes one’s personal fragility into consideration…
"Darkness gathers quickly and seeps into unconscious levels. In an environment that’s becoming bleak and violent, this means one should not compromise one’s moral standards or become inured to the suffering one sees among others.
"We have to wake up to a painful reality and respond to its call. Ultimately, dark and regressive politics needs to wake up to the 21st century. Being realistic means understanding that we live in an era of artificial intelligence and nuclear fusion, of mindfulness and psychedelic drugs.
One can only move forward, toward the future."
About Heart of a Nation
Empowering the next generation of American, Israeli, and Palestinian change-makers to embrace better, together.
אנחנו מכנסים הוגים מובילים, פעילים חברתיים, ומחוללי שינוי לעתיד, אמריקאים, ישראלים ופלסטינאים, המחויבים לשיפור החברות שלהם.
نحن أمريكيون وإسرائيليون وفلسطينيون نبني ونكوّن روابط من أجل التعلم والتفكير والمشاركة معًا حتى نشجع الحلول التقدمية بشأن القضايا التي تهمنا جميعًا.