Since its establishment, Israelis have been required by law to enlist in the army, leading to Israel having one of the strongest armies in the world to date. Since 1967, millions of Palestinians have been under occupation and conflicts with neighboring countries such as Lebanon, Syria and Iran have intensified. In the last decade, more than 100 people have been imprisoned for refusing to enlist, enacting a progressive democratic view that opposes and challenges the Israeli occupation. The not-for-profit organization Social TV aims to make their stories heard.
Israeli NGO provides a platform for social activists against Israeli occupation
Israel
ACTION • Israeli NGO provides a platform for social activists against Israeli occupation
In the last decade, more than 100 people have been imprisoned for refusing to enlist, enacting a progressive democratic view that opposes and challenges the Israeli occupation. The not-for-profit organization Social TV aims to make their stories heard.
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Action
Video-based activism
Established in 2006, Israel Social TV is a non-profit independent media organization promoting social change. Their online archive contains over 4.000 video reports and studio programs in Hebrew, most of which are translated into English, reaching about 200.000 people per month. Whereas written text does not always “change the hearts and minds of people,” visual documentation is an alternative way to promote human rights and bring about social change in Israel, according to the organization.
Social TV criticizes the existing social order in Israel and its militaristic, chauvinist agenda which promotes solutions based on power through an “us and them” discourse. The organization focuses on the plurality of people living in Israel and their environment to oppose the state’s nationalism, commercial interests and political agendas. Social TV promotes a society in which the media plays an active role in social change and provides a platform for groups whose voices are not heard, promoting equality, social justice and solidarity. To do this, Social TV engages in video-based activism (e.g. documenting demonstrations), producing videos on socio-political issues, and offering training programs for social activists to learn to produce independent content.
Opposing the obligation to enlist
Social TV now aims to help visualize the multitude of challenges to Israeli occupation, increasing their outreach. This is often done by refusing to enlist in the army, by which more than 100 people have been incarcerated in the last decade. One of the aims is to record personal interviews with young people in preparation for their decision to refuse to enlist in the army, accompanied by documenting demonstrations in support of those who refuse to enlist on the day of their enlistment. The organization especially aims to reach young people between 16 and 18, who are facing obligatory army recruitment. Het Actiefonds supports Social TV in producing, editing and translating their video-based activism to oppose the illegitimate Israeli occupation.
For more information, click here to see the website of Social TV.
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