Jewish World Watch

Overview

Jewish World Watch (JWW) is a non-profit organization founded by Valley Beth Shalom in 2004 based on Jewish experiences and values. Valley Beth Shalom is a synagogue in Los Angeles, California. JWW is a global coalition which includes schools, churches, individuals, communities and partner organizations.^[2] The organization's aim is to educate people about current genocides, advocate for the end or prevention of genocide and provide relief to those suffering from genocide. Their main concerns at the moment are the genocides occurring in Darfur and the eastern Congo. They have several projects going on right now to help provide the economic, education, health and safety needs of those in the areas mentioned above.^[3]

Mission Statement

It is the mission of Jewish World Watch to:
1. Educate target constituencies by developing appropriate materials and programs;
2. Advocate for policies to stop or prevent genocide and other atrocities through community organization and mobilization; and
3. Develop resources and allocate funds towards relief and development projects aimed at empowering and alleviation the suffering of survivors.^[5]

Governing Principles

Like most organizations the Jewish World Watch has a board that decides whether or not the actions of JWW follow the overall goal of the group. They have created a set of Governing principles which are listed on their website. ^[5] They are as follow:

1. All members of JWW have at least one member on the Governing Council and all members have one vote on the Governing Council.

2. Concerning the decision making of the Governing Council:

A. The Governing Council may delegate decision making to its Chair under the following circumstances: guiding the day to day operations of JWW.

B. In the event that a decision must be made under circumstances that will not allow for a full meeting of the Governing Council. These include but are not limited to, response to funders, response to the media and event related decisions.

C. The Governing Council will strive for consensus in all its decisions but if consensus cannot be reached then a vote of two thirds of those present is needed to make a decision.

3. The Synagogue Advisory Committee will identify the action priorities for JWW on an annual basis. At the request of any member of the Governing Council, the Governing Council will review its priorities prior to its annual review. The Synagogue Advisory Council will use the following criteria to guide its discussion of those priorities:

A. The need is generated by genocide or other similarly egregious abuse of human rights; B. there is an urgent need to respond;

C. there is an identifiable goal;

D. JWW can have a meaningful impact on the need;

E. it fulfills the mission of the JWW; and

F. JWW has sufficient resources to implement a meaningful response.

4. The Governing Council will identify the fundraising goals of JWW in conjunction with each action priority. Those fundraising goals will be determined and reviewed on a quarterly basis by the Governing Council. Among the considerations to be used by the Governing Council in both its determination of fundraising goals and its review of those goals are:

A.JWW can have a meaningful impact on the need;

B. JWW can link its fundraising efforts to its education efforts;

C. there is a strong likelihood of success in raising funds;

D. JWW can identify and implement multiple fundraising strategies to meet the goal; and

E. it advances the mission of the JWW.^[5]

Projects

JWW has local projects as well as projects that take place in conflicted areas. Their local projects consist of community events, political campaigns and opportunities for student participation. They have several projects to help provide economic, education, health and safety. A quick overview of the current on the ground projects:^[7]
Projects in Darufur:

• Little Ripples - Creates preschools for children ages 2-6. This ensures that children have someone watching them during the day and prepares them for higher education.
  
• Sister Schools - Schools in the United States raise funds to help build and restore school buildings, train teachers and provide students with school and sports equipment.
  
• Solar Cooker Project - Provides solar cookers for families in Darfur. Solar cookers decrease the need to leave refugee camps for firewood.
  

Projects in eastern Congo:

• Action Kivu - Provides educational opportunities to children in the South Kivu province. The program has an emphasis on empowering girls to receive an education.
  
• Animal Husbandry - 215 women learn the basics of animal husbandry: how to take care of their animals, how to enrich their soil with animal waste, how to market their products, etc.
  
• Chambucha Rape and Crisis Center - Provides health care to women and girls that have been raped.
  
• Generation Hope - Provides a tutoring program twice a week after school for children living in Goma.
  
• Home Away from Orphanage - Provides housing for 50 in-need children.
  
• Safe Motherhood Watch - Women run a business in which the profits go towards pre-natal and maternity care for women that need it.
  
• Sons of Congo - A program ran by men advocating for the fair treatment of women.
  
• The Tumaini Project at Maison Dorcas - Provides housing and support to women treated at Panzi Hospital that cannot return home after treatment.

Communication

JWW has several means of communicating their goals and programs. They have a Facebook page, Twitter account, Flickr account and several blogs. JWW plans events throughout the Southern United States. One southern California event is the "Walk to End Genocide" from April to May 2014. The walk is an opportunity to educate the public about genocides in Darfur and the eastern Congo. The events and dates differ from city to city.

References

<references> http://www.flickr.com/photos/36054082@N08/sets/72157632492696232/

<references> http://www.vbs.org/page.cfm?p=883 <references> http://www.jewishworldwatch.org/ <references> http://www.jewishworldwatch.org/about/our-mission <references> http://www.flickr.com/photos/36054082@N08/sets/72157634442589297/ <references> http://www.jewishworldwatch.org/projects/ontheground