About the Initiative
This initiative is comprised of two distinct elements as described below:
Leading Change for Impact in Israeli Society – An Offering of the Peres Academic Center
Developed by the Peres Academic Center and led by Israeli thought leaders, this program focuses on an in-depth familiarization with Israeli society and government and provides interventional tools to lead positive social change.
Anyone living in Israel and following the news is familiar with Israel and its challenges. But as in every field, superficial familiarization is insufficient. Impact requires knowledge of the core issues Israel is facing, and interventional tools for change.
For this reason, Leading Change for Impact in Israeli Society is comprised of four units:
- Israeli society, rifts, cohesiveness and challenges – Some view Israel as a country of diverse minorities, one in which the members of each group comprising society feels itself to be in an inferior position relative to the other sectors. This unit deals with the main axes of values within the Jewish population, the challenges of integrating the Arab community and the ultra-Orthodox community, the challenges and socio-economic tensions emerging from integrating the Arab and the Ultra-Orthodox communities, and the challenge of Israeli cohesiveness from a global perspective in the era of social networks.
- The state and its institutions – The factors of most significant impact on our lives here are the state and its institutions. Policies and the state’s power of implementation determine, to a great degree, our future. Therefore, understanding them in-depth from an internal point of view is a vital tool for the ability to influence them and the country’s future. This unit presents the Parliament, the government, the legal system and the security system, by people who led these systems for numerous years. In addition, the role of Israeli media and how it impacts public opinion and decision makers will be presented.
- Tools of impact -Various tools exist to lead positive social change. They are split into top-down activated tools, and grassroots / bottom-up tools. This unit exposes participants to possible ways of applying these tools, using people who do so as part of their lifestyles.
- Inspiring to change – The Israeli reality has over the years led many business leaders to enter social activism for the public good. Their chosen paths and the changes many led can serve as sources of inspiration. This unit enables participants to meet central figures from the Israeli business and social world, among them prominent philanthropists and social entrepreneurs
*This program includes 15 sessions in which renowned lecturers will share perspectives on Israeli society and interventional strategies in leadership and societal change.
The participating lecturers: Professor Avichai Mandelblit, Former Attorney General, Lt. Gen. (Res.) Aviv Kohavi, Former Chief of Staff, Dr. Nasreen Haddad Haj- Yahya, A Portland Foundation partner, Amit Segal, Israeli journalist and more.
Participants completing Leading Change for Impact in Israeli Society will earn a certificate of completion from the Peres Academic Center.
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Private Leadership and Negotiation for Public Good – An Offering of Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education
In January 2025 participants of the Peres Executive Initiative will spend one week at Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the U.S., attending the custom HKS Executive Education program Private Leadership and Negotiation for Public Good, developed and administered distinctly by HKS for this cohort. This program will focus on adaptive leadership, moral leadership, negotiation, and behavioral science and will be followed by a series of HKS faculty-led, interactive virtual sessions.
Participants completing Private Leadership and Negotiation for Public Good will earn a certificate of completion from Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education.
The program will be led by Christopher Robichaud (HKS Senior Lecturer in Ethics and Public Policy), Monica Giannone (Director of the HKS Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Collaboratory), and their faculty colleagues.
All program sessions will be conducted in and materials provided in English.
For more information on Private Leadership and Negotiation for Public Good, contact: [email protected]
The initiative partners
The initiative is in collaboration with The Menomadin Foundation and The Israeli Congress.
The Menomadin Foundation is an international Israeli-based impact fund established by businessman and philanthropist Haim Taib, following three decades of work dedicated to developing and strengthening countries in Africa. Led by CEO Dr. Merav Galili, the Foundation is committed to advance Israel’s social and economic resilience through integrating strategic philanthropic initiatives with impact investments, and by advancing national roadmaps in the fields of education, welfare, and community development. Website>>
The Israeli Congress is a civil society organization founded with the recognition that Israeli society faces historical challenges that require creative and innovative solutions. The organization believes that Israel can address deep social crises through bridge-building, fostering broad public dialogue, and promoting cooperation across different sectors. The Congress is committed to preserving Israel’s unity as a Jewish and democratic state, with a vision of a society where disagreements lead to growth and strengthening rather than division. The Israeli Congress is led by Attorney Ronen Aviani.
