A comparative study of Internet use in Israeli households revealed that the Arab segment of the population in Israel has the lowest household use of PCs and online services compared to the rest of the country. Moreover, Arab students exhibit the lowest proficiency in mathematics, science, and English language. Studies have established that children with limited or no access to computers and the Internet are less likely to do well in school and prosper in a world where PCs have become indispensable for social and economic advancement.
Israel President Shimon Peres approached Cisco with an idea for bridging the digital divide in his country by providing Internet access in two Galilean cities: Jewish Upper Nazareth and Arab Nazareth. Cisco is investing $2 million over two years to create these “twin digital cities,” half of the grant in products and half in cash. Launched during a visit to Israel by Cisco Chairman and CEO John Chambers in January 2008, the Digital Cities initiative aims to enhance relations between the two populations, while also promoting tourism and improving healthcare and education. In addition, the initiative helps train residents in the use of Internet technologies.
Progress So Far
Twenty Arab women are now participating in the Women’s Empowerment Program (WEP) and 20 Jewish women will soon enter the program. WEP helps unemployed women in Arab Nazareth and Jewish Upper Nazareth to enter the workforce for the first time or to make a career change. The women learn technology skills based on the Cisco Networking Academy’s IT Essentials courses, as well as “soft skills” such as writing resumes, searching for jobs online, creating presentations, and interviewing for a job. WEP is a partnership among the two municipalities, the JOINT organization, and the Israeli Employment Service.
Forty-four youths from the two cities participate in the Mediterranean Youth Technology Club (MYTecC), a regional educational initiative aimed at providing students aged 15 to 18 with job skills and a virtual community.
A tourism portal was launched to serve tourists before and during their visit. Tourist information kiosks were also erected in Nazareth.
A computer environment for the blind was established in a library in Nazareth.
English as a second language is now taught in Nazareth primary schools.
In collaboration with the Israeli Ministry of Education, 40 interactive whiteboards will be installed in 11 elementary schools. Two schools will be selected as model schools for demonstrating a fully interactive classroom environment.
In collaboration with the Israeli Ministry of Education, 20 Jewish and 20 Arab teachers were selected to form a focus group for special empowerment training. They will lead collaborative efforts to enrich the curriculum using the interactive whiteboards and other web 2.0 tools.
The Israeli Ministry of Education, the Nazareth municipality, and Cisco collaborated with the Snunit Internet-based learning organization at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to implement an online environment to support English teaching and education.
“We learn about things we never knew about before, everything about the Internet. It’s really interesting. Before this program, I had no contact with my Jewish neighbors. Now I have Jewish friends. It will affect my future. We need to live together, without wars and all that. We all get on well together here.”
—Sha’ed Bishara, an East Jerusalem 9th grader in the Digital Cities program
Quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle, August 13, 2008
Looking to the Future
Cisco voice, video, and data technology will be implemented in six schools in Arab Nazareth and another six schools in Jewish Upper Nazareth. Teachers will be trained in new educational methods and parents will be connected to the schools and educational resources.
A hospital research center using digital video conference technology will be established to serve the three hospitals in Nazareth.
Cisco will donate the network design and infrastructure for Tzofen, the first Israeli-Arab high-tech and R&D outsource center intended to promote equal opportunity and minimize inequality faced by the Arab citizens of Israel.
Cisco will install free wireless access in Nazareth along an avenue of shops and restaurants frequented by tourists and residents.
A Community Knowledge Center will open an Internet café in both towns.
As part of a partnership with One Global Economy (OGE), the initiative will launch the Nazareth Beehive, a citizenship resources portal, and train local citizens to take advantage of the portal using OGE’s Digital Connectors program.
