'Young Ambassadors' stand with Shalev
Photo: Naama Shefi
Haifa high schoolers boost Israel's image in US
As part of 'Young Ambassadors' program, students from Reali School in Haifa trained by UN Ambassador Shalev, consulate in New York ahead of meetings at public schools and Jewish communities in Boston area
Twenty-three 10th grade students from the Hebrew Reali School in Haifa joined Israel’s
public diplomacy efforts last week as part of the “Young Ambassadors” program.
The goal of the program, unique to the Reali School, is to train a new generation of ambassadors who, because of their youth, can speak as equals to their peers as well as to adults. Students participating in the program go through preparatory exercises—including media workshops, public speaking, and English—and, at the end of a year’s preparation, head out to practice what they have learned in class.
At the end of last week, the students landed in the United States and underwent a quick workshop in diplomacy at the United Nations with Israeli ambassador Gavriela Shalev. They continued to a media workshop with David Saranga, consul for media and public relations in New York, where they learned about the Brand Israel project, which aims to remind the world that Israel "is more than just about conflict."
Armed with this newly-acquired information, the students will go to public schools and Jewish communities in the Boston area, where each is slated to give a number of speeches. They will not be asked the easiest questions, but the Reali School and the Foreign Ministry are convinced these are the best ambassadors the young generation has to offer.
“Each of these students who will take the stage is an ambassador of Israel, whether or not he or she has a diplomatic passport," Saranga said. "Public diplomacy is a task that diplomats perform in an official capacity, but which requires presenting the real Israel in order to succeed. There is no one better suited for that challenge than these students.”
Maya Nitzki, a 10th-grader taking part in the public diplomacy mission said, “Seeing how people deal with Israel on a daily basis in places like the United Nations and television studios made it even clearer that Israel is a central topic in the international discussion. Public diplomacy that addresses the not-so-simple situation in which we find ourselves is absolutely critical.”
Ron Kitri, principal of the Reali School said, “This is a groundbreaking project that aims to present the world, with all the inherent dilemmas and challenges, to our students. Our cooperation with important bodies like the Israeli Foreign Ministry is encouraging and provides an incentive for the future.”
