The 25-member Winnipeg Federation Mission arrived in Israel on October 21st under leadership of Joel and Faye Lazer. The group visited The Interdisciplinary Centre (IDC) in Herzliya, where they were warmly received and were given a tour, which included the Asper Institute for New Media Diplomacy.
In 2007, The Asper Foundation dedicated the Asper Institute for New Media Diplomacy at The IDC, one the leading and most prestigious academic institutions in Israel today. Supported by a $1.7 million donation by The Asper Foundation, the Asper Institute focuses on the study and use of new media technologies in telling Israel's story to the world. The unique capabilities of these technologies allow innovative depiction of Israel from new and different perspectives. The Asper Institute also provides workshops on creating effective new media advocacy campaigns and works with students in producing video, audio and written content about various aspects of life in Israel for use in new media channels such as the blogosphere, virtual worlds, social networks, computer games, pod casts and more. One of these successful initiatives is NoCamels.com, the world’s leading news website on Israeli innovation which covers the latest and most cutting-edge innovations, startups, technological breakthroughs, medical discoveries, environmental advances and more.