Givat Haviva was founded in 1949 as the national education centre of the Kibbutz Artzi Movement, a federation of 83 kibbutzim throughout Israel. Their overriding goals are to educate for peace, democracy, coexistence and social solidarity; to resist racism and all forms of discrimination; and to foster greater understanding between different groups in Israeli society and among nations. Givat Haviva is a dynamic institute which conducts seminars and workshops, hosts conferences, and offers formal and informal educational programmes for adults and children in a broad range of professional and academic fields.

Programmes include academic and professional courses; empowerment seminars for Jewish and Arab women and for municipal leaders; dialogue and encounter groups; inter-organisational partnerships; educational curricula and research; joint Jewish-Arab athletic and arts programmes for youth (football camps, sailing teams, photography project). Every year, 25,000 Israeli Jews and Arabs and youth and adults from scores of different countries participate in the Institute’s courses, lectures, seminars and tours of the region.

Givat Haviva also boasts a Peace Library that houses Israel’s largest collection of Hebrew, Arabic and English documents, articles and press clippings relating to the State’s Palestinians and Arab citizens.