More than 30,000 young Arab women graduate from high school each year. In contrast to their Jewish counterparts, who enlist in the army, go on a year of service, national service or pre-military preparatory work, tens of thousands of young Arabs have no clear path and almost no options. Some will go out to work and help support the family, the best of whom will go to academia, but the vast majority will remain confused and wondering, looking for their way. Their challenge is particularly complex today in Arab society in Israel, which is in the process of transition, and whose integration into education and employment is growing, but is still significantly lower than average.

About 40% of high school graduates in Arab society will be defined as "inactive," tens of thousands of young people who get up in the morning (or rather, at noon) and do nothing; Not included in employment, vocational training or higher education. The more leisure time there is, the higher the crime rate, the violence and the crime rate, and the state and the authorities have to invest considerable effort and resources in eradicating these phenomena. This population is not currently receiving a satisfactory response. The existing models are not adapted to Arab society and are not a viable option for them, and fresh high school graduates do not have appropriate transitional frameworks in which they can integrate.

In Jewish society, there are models of national-civil service that are an acceptable substitute for military service among young women of religious background. These models are not tailored to the needs of Arab society in Israel and face opposition from its leadership. But looking inside, into society, implies models that will work, and successfully.

Ajik - The Negev Institute has been successfully holding a model of a year of civic volunteering for almost a decade, called "Talia" (pioneering), intended for young women and high school graduates from Arab society. During the year, the participants volunteer in their communities, and at the same time learn Hebrew, improve their matriculation, receive vocational and academic guidance, develop learning and personal skills and more. The program opens up new employment horizons, contributes to readiness for academic studies and the world of work. Data from the last decade show that more than 85% of the programme's graduates are integrated into academic studies and employment, twice the extent of the integration of their counterparts from Arab society who did not take part in such a year. The program is successful in localities such as Sakhnin, Ara-Arara, Nazareth, Shefar'am, Kfar Qassem, Rahat and more, and is also accepted by the political leadership of the Arab public.

A year of volunteering by young Arabs in the model we have led, is the way to encourage involvement and leadership in the community with legitimacy on the part of the Arab leadership. More than 400 participants from all over the country take part in the programs we lead each year, but that is not enough. The state should take responsibility, upgrade and distribute the model in all Arab authorities. Israel has a tremendous interest in investing in such programs, as they mean tens of thousands of young men and women are integrated into education and employment, across thousands of unemployed young people, some with considerable potential for violence.

Ariel Dalumi and Suleiman Al-Amor are co-directors of AJIC - Negev Institute