The Granot Center for encouragement of mutual responsibility was not established in a day, nor did the program for encouragement of social involvement – “For One Another” for encouragement of connecting communication among us all. Its goal was to act in various ways to change the social norms we are all part of, and it was born out of the realization that there has to be another way to live together.
Our first question was: where do we begin. We thought this was the easiest question, since there are so many fields in our lives that cry out for a new way of human relations. But surprisingly, this was actually a very difficult question, and only because there are so many difficult problems in our lives.
The reason we found ourselves uncertain was: which field is more important? Should we focus on driving politely? Or on thoughtful attitude toward elders and people with special needs? Or maybe decreasing alienation to your surroundings? And we haven’t touched the tip of the list. But we felt if we concentrated on one field, as all social organization do, how will that help changing the quality of society itself?
The Center’s Uniqueness
The answer came by itself the minute we looked away from the split picture to the whole picture, and from different social sectors to society as one whole unit. Then we immediately knew: we don’t have a lot of problems. We only have one, and it is the source of all our social ills: a reality of intolerance and lack of social responsibility.
Now it was all clear: there’s no use in talking about social change if you concentrate on one field or sector. The change has to apply over all fields and sectors at once. For instance, there is no point encouraging road tolerance if parents keep on maintaining violent communication at home.
And this is what differentiates Granot Center’s activity from the activities of many other organizations: Granot Center acts to change the social atmosphere of “Each for his own”, into a new social atmosphere of “For one another”: a connecting communication among all of us, and personal responsibility toward society by all of us.
Changing Direction
Our starting point is found in the idea that all of our problems, all unexceptionally, derive from the focus of each and every one of us on our own personal needs, and always at the expense of someone else or of the entire society. An atmosphere in which everyone raises their personal favor above the favor of the society is the platform on which all intolerant manifestations grow, and that is why it is the worst enemy of any relationship between people.
Therefore, social change has to apply on society as a whole: we all have to speak differently to one another and we all have to treat each other differently. Meaning, everyone’s relationship with everyone has to transfer to a new course of communication that does not include dismissal, condemnation and disrespect.
The goal is, therefore, to reach everybody, and the first circle we started acting in is relationships between couples, which are the most nuclear interpersonal encounter. Because couples who will be able to move from alienating communication to connecting communication, will doubtlessly change the way they communicate with their children, parents, broader families and friends – and then with anyone.
Another Way
The “For one another” is right for all kinds of relationships between people: couples’ relationships, children-parents relationships, collegial relationships and friendships. Tzvia Granot has been operating it for many years in her through personal meetings, couples’ sessions and group sessions, through the books she writes, through lectures and workshops and through thousands of articles she has been publishing for years on a daily basis.
Granot Center for connecting communication is a direct extension of all this activity and it portrays Tzvia Granot’s life’s work. It was established to make the “For one another” program accessible to anyone, and its destination is to offer anyone in our society an alternative way to look at things, an alternative way to feel toward things and an alternative way to do things.
Connecting communication is a goal we all share, but it takes an alarm clock to wake our society from its sleep, and to remark the map of relationship between us all. Granot Center has assumed the role of that alarm clock that will remind us all to start treating our reality with responsibility today, and promising a better social reality tomorrow.