Source: EU News

Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) organized a concert this week in the Palestinian village of Battir to raise awareness about the route of the Separation Barrier due to be built in this area of tremendous ecological and cultural significance to all the people of the region. The event was supported by the EU’s Partnership for Peace programme. Battir, a Palestinian village of the West Bank, is an exceptional example of terraced agricultural fields dating back 4,000 years, which is trying to obtain recognition as one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Site.

FoEME brought for the concert world renowned Israeli singer Noa (Ahinoam Nini) to perform and add her name to protect the site. Palestinian singers and dancers were also present. More than 300 Israelis and Palestinians, mostly local residents, attended the event. FoEME is an NGO that brings together Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli environmentalists who seek to protect their common environmental heritage. The concert was organized in the context of the Good Water Neighbours project, funded under the EU’s Partnership for Peace Programme, whose aim is to raise awareness of the shared water problems of Palestinians, Jordanians and Israelis.

For photos of the event, see: http://www.flickr.com/photos/45396204@N04/sets/72157632222098806/

For a video from the event, see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BekAsAeegsQ