Sari Bashi

2006

Sari Bashi

Gisha

http://www.gisha.org

Tel Aviv, Israel

Community Improvement & Economic Development

The Bold Idea:

Gisha will promote long-term development of Palestinian society by changing Israeli policies to facilitate the free movement of people and goods necessary to invest in human and economic resources. Gisha, whose name in Hebrew means "access," will bring the claims and narratives of Palestinian institutions and individuals before Israeli courts (through litigation) and before Israeli public opinion (through public information), to demonstrate the common Israeli-Palestinian interest in allowing young people to develop the skills they need to build a peaceful, prosperous society. Intense and daily travel restrictions, imposed by Israel since its occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, have stunted the ability of 3.4 million Palestinians to achieve education, training, and economic development, particularly in Gaza. Each year, millions of dollars invested in Palestinian development projects are wasted because of travel restrictions that prevent people from accessing them. Gisha's model aims to help people in a region of conflict change the way they consider their interests and obligations vis-a-vis their neighbors, and realize the risks posed by blocking their neighbors' ability to develop.

Biography:

An Israeli citizen who grew up in the U.S., Sari's work is motivated by a commitment to her Palestinian neighbors and a desire to see Israel live up to its democratic ideals. Sari is a former journalist and a Yale Law School-trained human rights lawyer, licensed in Israel and New York, who clerked in Israel's Supreme Court and worked with human rights NGOs before founding Gisha.

Moment of Obligation: Why did you want to create your new organization?
The motivation came in a series of "moments," beginning eight years ago when, as a journalist covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I witnessed restrictions on freedom that blocked the development of civilian life and undermined, rather than enhanced, security. It was painful to watch conflict destroy positive, healthy growth – a student unable to get to class, a farmer unable to get his goods to the market – in ways that jeopardized the future of all concerned. A colleague and I began designing a modest project that grew. It was only in retrospect (and recently) that I realized that we had created something new that has tremendous possibility.

Gall to Think Big: What has given you the ability to take on deeply entrenched social problems?
I spent a lot of time learning the skills I thought I would need to advocate on behalf of human rights, and those skills are the foundation of my work with Gisha. But I learned from others that improvisation and risk-taking are critical to any effective plan for social change. Founding Gisha required me to tolerate and eventually to embrace uncertainty as a critical element of change.

New and Untested: Describe what’s innovative about your new work.
Gisha presses Israeli judges, policy-makers, and members of the public to respect the rights of their Palestinian neighbors to engage in long-term development, even in the midst of perpetual "emergency." Facilitating the conditions for investment in a society's human and economic resources brings the emergency to an end more quickly and supports the healthy social infrastructure necessary for peace and prosperity. Gisha insists that engaging in educational and economic growth is not a luxury of peacetime but rather a right whose protection advances the common interest of neighbors and rivals.

Seeing Possibilities: What do you believe are the most important qualities to do social change work?
Determination, patience, and humility. The second quality is one that I struggle with, but I think that if you believe in your goals and methods, it is easier to weather the frequent periods in which you won't see obvious results. Sometimes you need to do your work because it is the only thing you can do, trusting that it will make a difference over time.

Which musical artists/albums get you going?
Tori Amos, Tim McGraw, Billie Holiday, Corinne Alal, Meatloaf, Bob Marley.

What books do you recommend (pleasure, work, and anything in between)?
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, Kites by Romain Gary, The Book of Internal Grammar by David Grossman, A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway.

Which websites do you visit often (work and/or personal)?

• haaretz.co.il
• aljazeera.com
• pandora.com
• court.gov.il

Any last words, thoughts or advice to other social change leaders?
Difficult as it often is, doing work that has meaning to you is a privilege.