The Regional Council for the Unrecognized Arab Villages in the Negev (RCUV) is a grassroot civil society organization and a democratically elected body, chosen to represent the Bedouin community of the of the unrecognized Arab villages of Israel. There are 120,000 people living in 45 unrecognized villages in the Negev. This population has been denied representation in the local authorities, through the policies of non-recognition. The primary goal of the RCUV is governmental recognition of the Arab Bedouin villages in the Negev. In addition, the RCUV’s mission is to lobby for services for the unrecognized villages, including education, public transportation, water supply, healthcare, and democratic representation. The RCUV initiates and implements development programs; lobbies for civil rights; and advocates for the needs of its constituency.