Young Adult Networks

I’m Ben. I was born and raised in Be’er Sheva, the largest city in Israel’s Negev region, considered “underprivileged” with a negative image. In Be’er Sheva, I established a community network of 1,000 young adults, creating sustainable change within the city’s fabric. In 2018, the “Network” was awarded the Zusman-JDC prize, Israel’s most prestigious social change award. It was the same model for which we were selected by the Obama Foundation to participate in their fellowship program.

I have a BA in Cognitive Sciences and Linguistics from Ben Gurion University of the Negev and an MA in International Development from Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and I interned with KRMEF, a Nepalese organization that empowers local disadvantaged communities. In Nepal, I led a monthly community cleanup tradition and a social travel agency.

I continue to co-lead the Network, translating the model nationwide to other peripheral cities.

The Western world is a lonely place, especially within cities. Young adults from geo-social urban peripheries migrate towards central cities or suburbs. This weakens human capital and financial stability, increasing inequality between populations.

Those who stay behind crave community life and better social services. Over the past decade, many have become self-organized as intentional communities that act to develop their surroundings. 

The Network is an innovative model for young adults who construct urban socially-involved communities. Such communities can only be achieved by fostering a connection between people and their surroundings. This model offers a solution for young adults who wish to live in the city while carving out their own lifestyle. When a city retains a substantial cohort of young, idealistic residents who work together with the municipality, it closes gaps between the center and the periphery and empowers additional residents to become involved in their surroundings. 

Israel’s Negev region suffers from a low socioeconomic status with a 15% unemployment rate in comparison to 3-4% in the country’s center. Talented residents from the South leave their homes to look for quality employment, and those who remain behind fall behind, creating a cycle of poverty and stagnation for the entire region.  

There exists a vicious cycle where young people in Israel feel that peripheral cities cannot offer them employment, culture and community life. When cities lack a young driving force who contribute to their local environment, the entire city lags behind. This, in turn, keeps resources and additional residents out of periphery areas.

The key to getting young people to stay is to encourage them to become active residents, to make municipalities realize their positive impact on life in these cities, and to bridge these two together.

The Network strives to create a sense of belonging and to serve as a blank canvas on which these young adults can implement initiatives to fulfill their own potential as well as the city’s. With fifty percent of the world’s population residing in cities (UN, 2017), focusing on solutions for cities means helping a critical mass of people in the world. 

The Network is composed of 150-1,000+ young people linked together through social, cultural, and vocational outlets such as a newsletter, social media platforms, weekly events, and social businesses. This model was built to appeal to educated Israeli millennials, fulfilling their needs for community and meaning while offering flexibility as they build their careers. These networks foster a truly bottom-up approach, as members utilize the network to find partners in creating new services and executing activities they feel will improve the quality of life for themselves and their peers.  

These networks foster urban renewal, social entrepreneurship, and community service, rebranding the periphery as vibrant and full of possibility and making it the natural choice for Israel’s aspiring young leaders.

The pilot Network in Be’er Sheva quickly found success through providing local young adults a platform for their ideas and initiatives and has firmly established itself as an urban pillar. It is welcomed by the Be’er Sheva municipality, and the mayor has often shown his support by attending events, funding activities, and bringing Network members to the decision-makers’ table. The model has been replicated to two additional towns in Israel’s south and is being replicated to three additional towns across Israel.

The past 30 years have given birth to SINK/DINK (Single/Double Income, No Kids), a brand new life-stage. In the past, most individuals reached early adulthood as parents with a relatively clear future. These days, for the first time in history, young adults face major decisions regarding many aspects of life, such as their primary source of income (which may differ substantially from their chosen path of higher education), preferred lifestyle, the essence and character of intimate relationships, etc. This facilitated a major change in the characteristics of this life-stage, in which 20- and 30-year-olds are geographically mobile, less conclusive regarding careers, and in search of alternative lifestyles.

Nevertheless, this new shift has yet to be internalized by authorities and translated into practical applications. 

The Network specializes in this life-stage and takes care of the daily needs of SINK/DINKs that are not currently addressed by municipalities (active citizenship, human interaction with similar people, the search for a life partner, acquiring meaning by changing reality, a sense of belonging) while leveraging the unique resources that it has to offer (increased leisure time, a desire for wide systemic change, attraction to alternatives and nonconformism, increased flexibility). 

Peripheral cities often serve as their countries’ backwaters. The communities who live there are marginalized members of society: elderly citizens, immigrants, and impoverished families. Those who are able to leave do so, causing municipalities and governments to allocate resources elsewhere. The Network empowers local residents to speak up for themselves and makes a difference while bringing in fresh, new faces who work together to make the city a better place for everyone. They specifically target struggling neighborhoods and do not seclude themselves in new areas in order for everyone to enjoy a vibrant, high-quality city life.  

My passion for sustainability led me to establish a Facebook group for people in Southern Israel who were interested in giving away objects, such as clothing or furniture, for free. The group eventually progressed into an exchange of advice and knowledge, as well as material objects, leading to a 350-participant event dedicated to these exchanges in real life.

Along with three other friends, we then started initiating regular events based on participation. We didn’t want them to become consumerist events, rather we wanted each person who attended to contribute an element of content. The idea was to serve as a platform for as many people as possible. This increased their feeling of belonging, not just to the event, but to the location. In 2015, we officially launched the Network and decided to focus our initial efforts on the “Bet” neighborhood, one of the poorest and most underserved areas of Be’er Sheva. We established a number of social enterprises, organized “placemaking” events in commercial centers, parks, schools, and libraries in order to make them accessible to all.

Be’er Sheva has gone through a tremendous transformation over the past few years, and I am so proud when I see how the Network has brought people together, creating new initiatives and partnerships that have truly helped the city become a better place for all of its residents. We believe in the power that young people possess to change the world, and although our generation is often labelled as spoiled, lazy, and imcompetent, these stereotypes could not be any further from the truth. Our generation does not take anything at face value, we speak up when we sense injustice, and we leave no stone unturned in our quest for happiness. 

Young people have been the driving force behind every major revolution around the world, and the Network has the potential to partake and inspire a new era of social change, where nobody gets left behind and everyone has the power to change his or her destiny. The Network truly embodies our value of doing good for others while doing good for yourself, and I could not be prouder to be a part of this revolution. 

My vast experience with communities in Israel and around the world makes me a good middle man for this project. I am a big dreamer, but I have both feet firmly planted on the ground and I don’t let ideas hang in the air; when I see their potential, I put them into action. I have made many friendships and partnerships through different sectors and communities throughout the city, and I love connecting them with each other in order to bring new initiatives to the light. 

The fact that I myself am originally from Be’er Sheva and not an “outsider” has made many people feel more at ease around me, and they are more open to my ideas. This is another factor that makes me good at what I do. 

Eretz-Ir, the umbrella organization under which the Network works, also realized my potential and hired me, not only to manage the Network in a paid position, but also as the coordinator of their own network of 54 communities that are spread throughout Israel’s periphery, and the person in charge of replicating the Network Model. Most of these 54 communities are families who come from a variety of religions, faiths, and lifestyles, and they differ from the Young Adults Networks. However, my vast expertise and skills in community establishment, cultivation, and management, enable me to help all types of communities flourish. 

Like every organization around the world, the Network has been struggling to overcome the disastrous effects of the coronavirus pandemic. As governmental restrictions went into effect in March, we were suddenly faced with the challenge of maintaining the community’s strong bonds without meeting physically. That is when I realized that we had an opportunity to become a key player in the citywide resilience efforts. 

We created digital solutions to help communities calm their fears and create a sense of solidarity and stability, as we are all home-bound and required to avoid unnecessary outings. We provided guidance in order to address community needs such as locating individuals who have been quarantined and assisting them. 

We then proceeded to map out the needs of elderly residents in the Bet neighborhood, checking in on lonely neighbors and running errands for those who couldn’t leave their houses. We organized food packages and a toy drive for families who needed additional assistance, as well as a patrol of volunteers who went through the city’s neighborhoods, spreading joy and positive energy through music and dancing, us staying down on the street and residents coming out to enjoy with us on their balconies or in their yards.

On the heels of the Corona pandemic, one of the Network’s flagship projects, our communal carpentry workshop, was compelled to move from its previous independent location to the building of a local school in order to keep rental fees down. 

Tensions between the two establishments began almost immediately and snowballed up to the point where the school’s management simply locked the door to the workshop and would not let its members enter the building, causing substantial aggravation, as well as loss of desperately needed revenue. 

I was called in to serve as a mediator, as I have a professional relationship with the school management and am close friends with the workshop leadership. I did my best to leave my own ego at home and truly focused on showing each side how this alleged setback can actually be a beautiful opportunity for everyone’s personal and professional growth. The students at the school can benefit from learning a new and enriching skill, while the workshop has a golden opportunity to appeal to a whole new demographic of students, parents, and faculty members. I am happy to report that my efforts have proven successful and that the two establishments continue to co-exist harmoniously. 

There are three factors that make our project innovative:

1. The Network has re-defined urban community life by enabling a large number of diverse residents to develop a communal mindset, a sense of belonging, and an opportunity to leave their unique mark on their surroundings that will improve their own quality of life. Our Networks are open and flexible, and the criteria to join them are very low. This allows virtually anyone to join according to their own schedule and interests, contributing towards a substantial positive change around the city.

2. Social sustainability: Connecting people is vital, yet not sufficient,for maintaining social sustainability. It can only be achieved by also fostering a connection between people and their surroundings. Our activities are rooted in “placemaking,” utilizing innovative elements within the public domain to improve it and enhance human interaction. In addition to physical elements, we emphasize activities within the public domain, such as commercial centers, parks, and libraries, in order to make them accessible to the entire city. 

3. Be’er Sheva’s Network caters to young adults who have graduated from college and leave for central Israel, as they feel that the city has no social life to offer them once they receive their diplomas. Their needs are largely ignored by municipalities, governments, and social organizations as they no longer fit the “students” category and do not yet fit the bill as “young families.” This SINK\DINK previously mentioned category can last 5-10 years, and the Network’s activities are geared specifically toward them. 

By harnessing the untapped potential and power of this new SINK/DINK demographic, we truly believe that change in many different spheres can be possible. 

As previously mentioned, this demographic has high social and geographical mobility, they are open thinkers who crave meaning and purpose in a nonconventional way, they are acutely aware consumers, and their timeframes are generally their own as they do not care for children or elderly parents. These factors are all key players in fueling a social revolution of any type, and the city of Be’er Sheva has already witnessed how a group like this can spearhead tremendous positive change within a short time frame. The municipality has partnered with us on several projects, infrastructure has improved around the city, and many young people have decided to remain in the city as a result of their participation in Network events and activities. Additionally, the very fact that the Network model has also established a similar network in the Southern town of Mizpe Ramon, with five more networks around Israel’s periphery in various stages of development, speaks volumes of its success and change capacity. 

The Network is actually composed of many smaller groups who share common interests, and eventually, evolve into their own support systems, such as local yoga instructors, artists, or job seekers. These groups manage and sustain themselves, and the Network serves as the best platform possible to enable them to thrive while simultaneously initiating social events and gatherings that foster additional connections and growth.

Our project currently serves 1,500 people. In one year, it will serve 2,500 people, and in five years, it will serve 12,000 people.

For the next year, our goals are:

1. To encourage a young, culture-driven, communal scene within the city of Be’er Sheva by hosting participant-led events

2. To strengthen local sustainable businesses

3. To use and improve the public domain around the city

4. To assist new Young Adult Networks all over Israel’s peripheral areas in their various stages of establishment and development based on the Be’er Sheva Network’s expertise

For the next five years, our goals are: 

1. To become one of the main reasons that young adults choose to live in Israel’s Southern region after they are no longer college students

2. To cultivate a productive lifestyle based on learning and human connections, creating local change

3. To push for a sustainable economy via communal support of local businesses

4. To encourage additional networking by becoming a platform for additional smaller groups or communities to thrive

5. To change or create innovative work mechanisms within local councils or municipalities that bridge the gaps between the public and civilian sectors

6. To create a replicable model to help similar communities around the globe to establish thriving and sustainable urban communities and through them resilient cities.

Like every other organization, the Network is struggling to overcome the disastrous effects of COVID-19 and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. An additional lockdown would mean fewer events, fewer new members, and reduced funding. 

Another barrier for the next year is our dependency on external funding. Our resource development efforts have been relatively successful so far, but we strive to become a 100% self-sufficient organization.

Over the next five years, we anticipate two main barriers: 

1. Our pool of young activist adults who elect to remain in Be’er Sheva is largely homogenous. We feel that this can be problematic and has the potential to turn us into an elitist, detached organization. We need to make active efforts to appeal to new segments of the population who are less privileged and more connected to the current pulse of the city. 

2. Legal - our activities focus on the public domain, but who does it truly belong to? Does the final say actually belong to the residents or to the municipality? Can we morally and legally charge for activities when they take place in a public area?

COVID-19 is something that the entire world will have to get over together, and we take great comfort in the unity and connections that it has brought. During the first lockdown, we were able to create new virtual platforms that have proven to be very successful in offering content and creating a new online community for our members, and this knowledge will continue to be utilized and broadened if and when we are forced into another lockdown. This content includes an online platform where members can teach classes on a wide variety of subjects, as well as a municipal young adult survey to connect the municipality with the young adult population, a key player in times of crisis.

Our dependency on external funding can actually be a new opportunity in light of the crisis. Many are saying that the philanthropic world is going through major changes in face of the pandemic, and the fact that we are young adults who are technologically proficient and open to change can actually be an advantage when trying to raise funds in the near future.

We will work with legal and organizational counsellors and with the local municipality to reach some agreement on these important questions.

We partner with various local organizations from three sectors, among them the local municipality of Be’er Sheva. In 2009, we went through an in-depth process of creating work mechanisms with the municipality that provide the infrastructure for a continuous, collaborative impact on the city .

We partner with small businesses in neighborhood commercial centers that support the young adults’ scene and work to strengthen the local economy to bring more people to participate in events and activities taking place in the public sphere.

We partner with many civil society organizations, such as the local student union, co-living projects, additional intentional communities, and we connect to them by organizing participatory events, introducing new people to the Network, and by doing so, encourage active and committed citizenship.

We understand that becoming more and more independent is our number one priority, and therefore, we always look for additional self-revenue models. One of these models is the “Support the Network” campaign, which calls on residents to support in a small way by donating 25 shekels (about $7) each month or 300 shekels (about $85) a year to the ongoing activity of the Network and its initiatives. By the end of 2020, we hope to get to 200 ongoing donors and to make the Network as self-reliant as possible. To date, we have 40 donors. We are always looking to develop our social initiatives so as to include business models, as well, and generating income from existing business models.

In addition, the close work we do with the local municipalities makes it possible for them to understand the value of the Network and to support its participatory events in the city.

It is important to mention that each and every initiative (and its team) works on the basis of self-management, meaning the crew decides for itself members’ salaries (if the budget allows), recruitment, social model, business model, and so on.

Throughout the years, the Network has managed to establish various business models involving different initiatives, and through which, it enables the ongoing activity of the group: 

1. The Community Carpentry which provides a platform for its activists to create different workshops and courses; “open carpentry” time which invites every resident of the city to come and experience wood-working; and, the best of all, the carpentry became an expert in placemaking and provide place-making related services and products to the municipality itself and to many different organisations around the city.

2. In addition, the Network established a Lending Library of tools and equipment, which takes the product economy and changes it to be a service economy (why do you need to buy a drill when you can borrow one?), which became a second active business model.

3. Lastly, the Network and its leadership provide training on different kinds of subjects such as working with volunteers, digital community development, participatory event productions, and the Network model itself.

On top of these self-revenue models, the Network became well connected to different philanthropic foundations which support its ongoing activity, and from time to time, it provides services to the municipality or the government.

Our overall expected expenses for 2020 are around $270,000, which include:

1. Staff salaries (5 workers in part-time jobs)

2. Eight participatory events

3. Purchasing and maintenance of Lending Library equipment

4. Two weekend seminars

5. Monetary support for the initiatives (eight initiatives - the Lending Library, the Community Carpentry, the Food Forest, Painting The City, employment marathons, give-and-take classes, placemaking, House in the Park)

6. Welcoming new members

7. Seed money for new initiatives

8. Carpentry expenses (covered by its income, around $90,000)