A YEAR IN REVIEW

A year has passed since the formal declaration of the unification of World Habonim and Anach (Ichud Hanoar Hachalutzi) which led to the establishment of the world movement "Ichud Habonim." But one year is too short a period for a full summing-up. We are only at the beginning of our basic work, and it is a little difficult to DC objective. Nevertheless we will try to review the achievements of the year, bearing in mind the limitations of time and objectivity.

We must bear in mind that the great physical and psychological distance which separates our chaverim abroad from those of us in Israel does not enable a success we may achieve here to be reflected automatically in the Diaspora; a certain time lapse has to ensue in order to see the fruit of our labors reflected in the national movements.

I see three things as our main achievements: (1) the removal of the psychological barriers separating the different sections of the movement and the creation of a feeling of one movement while preserving the objective differences between the movements; (2) the crystallization of a large body of movement graduates in Israel who concern themselves with the movement's problems; (3) the increase of the movement's strength, influence, and independence.

During the many years we worked separately, many chaverim feared a unification; for they were influenced by the small, artificial, unimportant differences stemming from different organizational frameworks, from life in different settlements, and from lack of contact in different spheres of movement activity. This past year, which gave us the possibility of close contact and cooperation in a common framework, has enabled us to examine these differences and to remove a large part of them from our agenda. We have succeeded in overcoming, to a great extent, the differences in background and in creating a feeling of true cooperation among the various sections of our movement working towards a common goal.

The differences in approach and attitude have been objectively examined; the artificial ones have been removed, but the deep differences which do exist between the local movements have been preserved. The differences stemming from the idiosyncrasy of each local community, from the real tradition of each movement, which help increase the strength of the local movements—these we have retained and fostered.

A basis for our work has been the belief that the independence of the youth movement must be our guiding light, that it can only help us in our work, and that it will grow with the preservation of the specific character of each national movement. Today, after this period of experiment, we can say that we have succeeded in creating among the various parts of the movement in Israel and among the active chaverim of our settlements a feeling of common fate, of common aim, of one movement. We were able to find the golden mean between the creation of a strong center in Israel free of artificial differences and the preservation of the valid differences.

Advisory committees for the various local movements were established in Israel to help advise the secretariat as to the needs of the respective movements. This step has justified itself, and these committees have become valuable instruments in helping to understand the specific problems of the national movements and in crystallizing a common approach in a world-movement framework.

Inherent in the character of the chalutz movement is the constant aliya, during the course of the years, of the movement leadership and older members. This brings to Israel a source of manpower which strengthens both our settlements and the world movement.

The real strength of a world movement can be examined in the way in which it concentrates, crystallizes, and exploits rationally the great force of movement graduates in Israel. This is particularly difficult for us, a movement consisting of people from all over the world and from different generations.

We tried, this year, to bring movement problems and decisions to as large a body as possible of movement graduates in our settlements. Through the various institutions and bodies of the world movement —the secretariat, the national advisory committees, the publications and educational committees, the committees on budget and personnel —and through constant:, personal contact, we tried to bring these graduates closer to the movement; and we can say, with some measure of satisfaction, that our (efforts were not in vain. The removal of the psychological barriers which divided us enabled the development of a feeling of cooperation, the results of which can be perceived in the growing number of responsible chaverim who actively participate in important discussions and decisions.

We have mobilized a large number of shlichim; and today we have forty-nine of them in all parts of the world. Except for a few exceptional cases, we have filled the complete quota of shlichim for every country, something which has not happened in our movement since the end of World War II. In order to finance this tremendous undertaking, we have mobilized large sums of money, something we could do only through the creation of a strong, united body. A group of able chaverim was assigned to work in the world office; this manpower was also mobilized only because of a united movement. The extent of our influence has increased in all the bodies and institutions with which our movement has to deal. We constitute today a vital factor in the departments of the Jewish Agency dealing with youth affairs, and our opinion carries weight in the kiblnttz movement, as well.

I want to emphasize that the increased help given us has not detracted from our independence; on the contrary, it has increased it. We based the establishment of Ichud Habonim on the principle of youth-movement independence, both ideological and practical. Only through our added strength have we been able to reduce our dependence upon others and increase the quality of our work, our influence, and our independence, which are the bases of an educational movement.

Dov ZAMIR, Bror Chayil, 1959