At SHATIL's conference marking the one-year anniversary of the second Lebanon War, activists and community members urged the Israeli government to assume social responsibility in the North.

MK Dov Hanin blamed the government's worldview for the neglect of weakened populations and urged citizens to protest loud and clear: "Our government has been following a policy of disengagement and I am not talking about Gaza," he told the assembly of concerned citizens. "I am talking about disengagement from the periphery, not only the geographic periphery but the social periphery as well, such as the underprivileged in the heart of Tel Aviv. This policy of disengagement is not due to evil intentions or inability or lack of insight. It is due to a world outlook which says that we must take care of the strong in society; the strong are the engine which drives society forward."

The conference was held to mark the one-year anniversary of the war and to sum up a year of activity. In opening the conference, SHATIL Director Rachel Liel emphasized the importance of civil society's role in ensuring the government does not shirk its responsibility to its citizens. She noted that the opening of SHATIL's new office in Rosh Pina is a reflection of the organizations commitment to strengthening civil society in the Northern periphery. In addition, SHATIL established the North Star Forum, a broad-based coalition of 50 social change organizations that promotes the needs of Northern Israel's war victims. The Forum monitors the rehabilitation of the North including issues such as governmental allocations, hazardous material storage, and psychological care for post-trauma victims while promoting a more socially responsible economic agenda. Other speakers included Reserve Major General Uzi Dayan, who reviewed the lack of citizens' protection in Sderot, and Deputy Mayor of Haifa Shmuel Gelberht, who discussed economic issues in Haifa.

Representatives of civil society organizations spoke to the specific problems faced by the groups they represent, including war victims who still have not received compensation, the difficulties facing the handicapped in times of emergency and the unique hardships faced by women during the war.