Valley of Springs

ABOUT THE VALLEY OF SPRINGS

The Valley of Springs is a regional council in the north east of Israel. It comprises of 24 different communities each with their own independent local council/decision-making structures. Some are kibbutzim (full cooperatives), others are villages (moshavim). The population is around 23,000.

The functions of the regional council are therefore similar in some ways to a county council which provides some shared services such as refuse collection, welfare services, education, and culture. The council is adjacent to the city of Beit Shean and some of the communities are just 2-3 kms from the border with Jordan.

The communities are overwhelmingly agricultural although some of the communities have small light industry, the employment opportunities are limited. Again, the arrival of the railway is a lever for more employment opportunities and inward migration.

The Valley of Springs, like the neighboring town Beit Shean, has great potential to increase employment options for residents and to attract new families. This is the focus of our work.

BTF IN THE VALLEY OF SPRINGS

TOURISM

Residents establish a Kurdish heritage center. A village of less than 500, now welcomes over 5,000 visitors.

DEMOGRAPHIC GROWTH

Small communities do big things to promote their community and attract new families.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

TIMEFRAME: 2010 – current.

INTERVENTION TYPE: Place-based.

MAIN PROGRAMS: Capacity building, developing partnerships, tourism, demographic growth.

INTERVENTION METHODS

Mentoring activists and Council professionals
Increasing interaction Council departments
Improving local capacities for maintaining change
Partnership development between residents, city council, national government
Developing proofs of concept in support of the council’s strategic goals