'Adva Center' is a non-partisan, action-oriented
Israeli
policy analysis center.
Adva is the
Hebrew word for ripple.
It was founded in
1991 by activists from three
social movements: the movement for equality for
Mizrahi Jews, the
feminist movement, and the movement for equal rights for
Arab citizens. The director of the center is Barbara Svirski and its chairman is
Yossi Dahan.
Role
The heart of the work of Adva Center is advocacy for policy changes that favor
disadvantaged groups in Israel. This is done by offering consultations for
advocacy organizations, Cabinet members and
legslators; by organizing coalitions for social change; by testifying at public forums and giving media interviews; and by an extensive popular education program that brings progressive
social ideas to a wide variety of audiences, from cleaning workers to senior executives. In addition, Adva Center operates a
hotline for
health rights, targeted at low-
income persons, in conjunction with Israel
Physicians for
Human Rights-Israel.
The head of the work of Adva Center is policy analysis. Much of this work is done in the framework of the ''National
Budget Analysis Program'', under which the draft budget is analyzed annually in real time for its implications for disadvantaged social groups in particular and israeli society in general; an annual workshop is conducted for
legislators right at the
Knesset; and budget workshops are organized for civil society organizations throughout Israel. Another dimension of this work is reflected in the policy analysis published in various issues of ''The Israel Equality Monitor'' and annual updates on educational achievements, wages and tax policy.
This part of the Adva program provides the underpining not only for the advocacy and popular education work of the Adva Center, but also for the advocacy work of a wide variety of other social
justice organizations in Israel.
In recognition of the work of the Adva Center, Dr. Shlomo Swirski, academic director, was awarded the Naftaly Prize in
Economics and
Social Science for
2005 by the municipality of
Tel-Aviv-
Jaffa. In
2006, the Adva Center was the recipient of the
Emile Grinsweig award for
human rights work, bestowed by the Israel Associations for
Human Rights.
External links
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Adva Center site in english
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Adva Center site in Hebrew
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Adva Center site in Arabic
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Adva Center:Social Services budgets eroded since 2001 by Ruth Sinai, Haaretz newspaper
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Report: Employees without rights in Israel by Miri Chason from Ynet