Inclusive, High and Sustainable Growth

The Need: fighting poverty through Inclusiveness

1. For the past four years, the Reut Institute has been promoting the ISRAEL 15 Vision, which calls for Israel to become one of the fifteen leading nations in terms of quality of life within 15 years. This vision rests on three mutually-reinforcing pillars: rapid economic growth, sustainable development and inclusiveness that reduce poverty and benefit all members of society.

2. The Reut Institute is a non-profit and non-partisan group with the mission of sustaining significant and substantive impact on the security and well-being of the State of Israel and the Jewish People. In this context, Reut seeks to bring about transformations in areas that are of critical importance hereto by engaging people in positions of authority, leadership or influence and offering them new and relevant visions and ways to pursue them.

3. In recent months, Reut has been developing a comprehensive approach for Israel's inclusiveness, focusing on fighting poverty and the growing income gaps in a way that synergizes and compounds with high and sustainable growth.

4. The current definition of poverty is based on on disposable income and creates a dichotomous distinction between poor households and non-poor households. As opposed to this definition, our approach relates to poverty as a multi-dimensional phenomenon requiring a systemic response which will address aspects such as food security, education and skills, access to education and health services and social connections.

5. Dealing with multi-dimensional poverty demands a "social contract" between the state institutions and civil society. The systemic response we suggest - the joint platforms approach - proposes principles and guidelines for response in the public sphere which are relevant to specific local needs. The response involves an integrated action of the public sector, NGO's and the private sector.

6. Reut works closely with the Ministry of Welfare as its main partner and also with other leading governmental and non-governmental groups to design this vision and the strategy for realizing it.