Eshnav

Eshnav (Hebrew: אשנ"ב, an acronym for "People for the Wise Use of the Internet" in memory of Eran Aderet) is an Israeli nonprofit association founded in 1999. Its stated mission is to raise public awareness of the positive and negative effects that internet use has on society and its values. The organization seeks to contribute to awareness of the problems of an internet without rules, to encourage users to take responsibility for their online behavior, and to help create a responsible internet community. According to the association's philosophy, wise and proper internet use should be achieved through agreements and education rather than through enforcement. Eshnav therefore emphasizes broad educational processes, public information activities, and cooperation with governmental bodies, business organizations, and third-sector entities. Eshnav was founded on the initiative of Dr. Avshalom Aderet to commemorate his son Eran Aderet, who experienced mental distress during his military service and took his own life in 1997. In retrospect, his father discovered that in the period preceding the suicide, Eran had spoken in forums and chats with people who displayed insensitivity by encouraging him to end his life and even instructing him how to do so. Following this discovery, Dr. Aderet decided to act so that the public would know about the dangers, temptations, and evil existing on the network, so that people would be cautious while surfing, protect their children and direct them to positive and especially safe online activity, and so that people in distress seeking help online would reach those who would support them rather than those who would drag them into the abyss. As a central tool for raising public awareness, Eshnav advocates informational activities such as lectures, training sessions, conferences, and seminars; signing the "Eshnav Charter for Wise Use of the Internet"; participation in public committees; development of content and models for community education processes; and professional consulting and training on request. Among its activities, the association established Sahar (Support and Listening on the Network), which was the first online support forum and later became an independent association; held conferences on issues related to the social implications of the internet; increased student awareness of safe surfing in schools, including a project with the IDF Computer Professions School and the Ministry of Education in which young soldiers speak with students "at eye level"; awarded the Eshnav Prize for the Entrepreneurial Teacher; partnered with the Ministry of Education on the "Educating for Wise Surfing" training kit distributed to all schools in Israel; lectured to parents in workplaces and community settings; participated in the National Safe Internet Day initiative with the Ministry of Education, Microsoft Israel, and other bodies; and partnered in the ethics committee discussions of the Israel Securities Authority, including an initiative to operate an "Eshnav Ethics Label" for websites. The association's activities are entirely volunteer-based, with thousands of children, teenagers, and parents participating each year.

Eshnav was founded in 1999 on the initiative of Dr. Avshalom Aderet, following the death of his son Eran Aderet. Eran had experienced mental distress during his military service and took his own life in 1997. In retrospect, his father discovered that in the period preceding the suicide, Eran had spoken in forums and chats with people who displayed insensitivity by encouraging him to end his life and even instructing him how to do so. Following this discovery, Dr. Aderet decided to act so that the public would know about the dangers, temptations, and evil existing on the network, so that people would be cautious while surfing, protect their children and direct them to positive and especially safe online activity, and so that people in distress seeking help online would reach those who would support them rather than those who would drag them into the abyss. The association was established as a nonprofit organization in Israel with the goal of increasing public awareness of the positive and negative effects that internet use has on society and its values. Eshnav seeks to contribute to raising awareness of the problems of an internet without rules, to encourage taking responsibility for its use, and to assist in creating a responsible internet community. According to the association's perception, wise and proper internet use will be achieved through agreements, not through enforcement. In light of this perception, the association believes that achieving the goal involves a process of education in the broad sense of the word. As a central tool for raising public awareness, Eshnav advocates informational activities such as lectures, training sessions, conferences, and seminars; signing the "Eshnav Charter for Wise Use of the Internet"; participation in public committees; development of content and models for community education processes; and professional consulting and training on request, all in cooperation with governmental bodies, business organizations, third-sector entities, and others. Among the association's activities: the establishment of Sahar (Support and Listening on the Network), which was the first online support forum and later moved to operate as an independent association, and which has already saved the lives of dozens of teenagers; holding conferences on issues related to the social implications, positive and negative, of the internet (for example, conferences on topics such as "The Impact of the Internet on Society," "The Internet's Contribution to the Community," "Legal Issues on the Internet," "Social Protest on the Network," and more); increasing student awareness in schools about safe surfing, including the operation of a project of soldier-instructors in cooperation with the IDF Computer Professions School and the Ministry of Education, in which young soldiers appear in schools and can speak with students "at eye level" and guide them on how to surf wisely and avoid the dangers of the network; awarding the Eshnav Prize for the Entrepreneurial Teacher, an annual competition for entrepreneurial teachers who developed activity on the topic of wise surfing, with a monetary prize for the winners (chosen in cooperation with the Ministry of Education); "Educating for Wise Surfing" - a partnership with the Ministry of Education in building a training kit for safe surfing to be distributed in all schools in Israel; lectures before parents in workplaces and other community settings to guide them on how to ensure their children surf safely on the network; participation in the National Safe Internet Day initiative with the Ministry of Education, Microsoft Israel, and with the assistance of a group of bodies from the business and government sectors; and ethics at the Israel Securities Authority - partnership in the deliberations of the ethics committee of the Israel Securities Authority, and an initiative to operate an "Eshnav Ethics Label" for websites. The association's activities, which are carried out entirely on a volunteer basis, involve thousands of participants each year - children, teenagers, and parents.

• 1999

  Eshnav is founded in Israel on the initiative of Dr. Avshalom Aderet to commemorate his son Eran.

• 1997

  Eran Aderet, son of Dr. Avshalom Aderet, takes his own life after experiencing mental distress during military service.

• Eshnav establishes Sahar (Support and Listening on the Network), the first online support forum, which later becomes an independent association.

• Eshnav holds conferences on topics such as the impact of the internet on society, the internet's contribution to the community, legal issues on the internet, and social protest on the network.

• Eshnav operates a project of soldier-instructors in cooperation with the IDF Computer Professions School and the Ministry of Education.

• Eshnav awards the Eshnav Prize for the Entrepreneurial Teacher in cooperation with the Ministry of Education.

• Eshnav partners with the Ministry of Education on the "Educating for Wise Surfing" training kit distributed to all schools in Israel.

• Eshnav participates in the National Safe Internet Day initiative with the Ministry of Education, Microsoft Israel, and other bodies.

• Eshnav partners in the ethics committee deliberations of the Israel Securities Authority and initiates an "Eshnav Ethics Label" for websites.

Nonprofit advocacy and education organization promoting wise, responsible, and safe internet use in Israel.

1. 1Eshnav on Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2אשנ"ב – Wikipedia (Hebrew)he.wikipedia.org