Dear Friends,
We are thrilled to share with you the news that EcoPeace Middle East was selected to receive the 2018 Stanford Bright Award. This annual $100,000 award recognizes exceptional contributions to global sustainability and is given to an organization in one of 10 rotating regions each year. EcoPeace’s Co-Founders, Gidon Bromberg and Munqeth Mehyar, will receive the award on October 4th at Stanford University. They will also have the opportunity to present on EcoPeace’s important work and will participate in a panel discussion on “Peacebuilding through Environmental Conservation.” followed by a reception. We invite anyone who will be in the Palo Alto area to attend but RSVPs are required. For more information and to RSVP, please visit the event website.
Please see the link below for more information on the award.
We would also like to wish all our readers celebrating Rosh Hashanah a happy and sweet New Year!
LAST CHANCE TO APPLY: WATER SECURITY WORKSHOP
EcoPeace will hold the first of its kind Workshop on Middle East Water Security and Environmental Peacebuilding, which will take place from 10 to 15 December in Jordan, with the possibility to continue on a 2 day trip in Israel/Palestine, on 16-17 December. Participation is open to civil society organizations based outside of Jordan, Palestine and Israel, especially those working in conflict areas, and limited space is also available for individuals from academia, think tanks, development agencies and foundations interested in our unique methodology. Civil society organizations coming from conflict areas may be eligible for financial support. The workshop will create opportunities for an exchange of experiences and capacity building and will allow participants to gain a deeper understanding of the complexities and best practices of environmental peacebuilding with a special focus on fostering dialogue and cooperation on the protection, equitable and sustainable use of water and environmental resources.
Deadline for applications is September 30th, Space is limited. Visit our website for more information.
The EcoPeace Program on Water Security is supported by the Bosch Foundation
EcoPeace participates in World Water Week 2018
EcoPeace Middle East participated in this year’s World Water Week and presented at two sessions on the 28th and 30th of August. The first session was titled “MENA Focus – Building Resilience to Shocks and Protracted Crisis” in which EcoPeace’s Jordanian Director Ms. Yana Abu Taleb presented on how civil society can play a major role in the sustainable management of water resources in times of conflict, and gave examples on how EcoPeace’s projects and initiatives are designed to overcome the vicious cycle between conflict and water scarcity.
In the second session Ms. Abu Taleb presented EcoPeace’s regional master Plan for the sustainable development in The Jordan Valley. The overall focus of the session was on political drivers for sustainable ecosystems and building peace.
Israeli Teachers Participate in Intensive Course on Water Diplomacy
On August 19-20th, 24 high school teachers from the Ministry of Education’s Diplomacy and International Communication major attended the beginning of an intensive course on water diplomacy with tours led by EcoPeace co-director Gidon Bromberg and tour leaders Nadav Tal and Sigal Sprukt. The course prepares teachers for a unit in their curriculum on Conflict Transformation through the Lens of Environmental Issues.
During the training in Ein Gedi, teachers were exposed to the material for this unit and learned about the pressing environmental challenges first hand. From witnessing the demise of the Jordan River’s flow to the shock of the Dead Sea’s diminishing state and seeing the damage of sink holes- teachers left the study days motivated. As one of the lead diplomacy teachers said, “Our new connection with EcoPeace will enable our students to learn how to work together to reach solutions for serious problems -solutions which we already know will be mutually beneficial! They will be using their diplomacy skills in the real world.”
Cross Border Young Adult’s Event
As part of the Good Water Neighbors project EcoPeace held the Cross Border Young Adult’s seminar at the Sharhabil Bin Hassneh EcoPark, From the 9th to the 11th of August. The 3 day series of workshops was attended by young people from Jordan, Israel and Palestine. The workshop included a presentation on the shared water resources of Jordan, Palestine and Israel, with a focus on the Jordan River and the Dead Sea. This was followed by a day of field visits to sites along the Jordan river and Dead Sea in order for participants to see first hand the issues that exist there. The workshop ended on the third day with group discussion on possible solutions for the future as well as reflections on what changes they could help co-create in their own societies.
The Good Water Neighbors (GWN) project is supported by the Swedish International Development Agency and USAID CMM West Bank / Gaza.
New Grey Water System installed at the Sharhabil Bin Hassneh EcoPark
The Sharhabil Bin Hassneh EcoPark is taking another step forward toward the use of environmentally friendly technology. A new grey water system has been installed to serve three of the park’s cabins in recycling grey water to be used in landscaping irrigation. The system will be used as a demonstration to encourage local community members to install it in their own houses. The system will demonstrate two main benefits; first, It will provide a source of water to irrigate the garden and second, use of the system will reduce fresh water consumption and wastewater volume that is usually discharged into unsanitary cesspits. The Jordan valley is currently suffering from the overflow of unsanitary cesspits.
Publication of Report on the Status of the Hebron-Besor-Wadi Gaza Basin
With the crisis of water and sanitation, especially in Gaza, remaining an issue of hightened concern, the release of a new report on this subject could not be more timely. The report presents the current state of the freshwater and wastewater conditions in the Hebron-Besor-Wadi Gaza Basin. Current challenges and risks to water security, public health, and environment are highlighted with further exploration of impacts within the context of gender. The report discusses the regional impact on the environment and resulting public health issues that need to be urgently addressed. For the full report see here
Activities conducted in the Hebron/Negev/Basin are supported by the Government of Canada.
EcoPeace Presents at “course on Science Diplomacy” organized by The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
EcoPeace International Affairs Manager, Giulia Giordano, lectured on “Environmental Diplomacy in the Middle East” at the “Course on Science Diplomacy”, organized by The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), from 20 to 24 August 2018 in Trieste, Italy. The course discussed the growing role of science and technology in international relations. As the majority of challenges facing society today have a transboundary, international, or global context, science and technology are becoming more embedded in the foreign policies and international relations of nations. Giulia Giordano spoke about the role that cooperation over natural resources can play in fostering dialogue and regional integration in the Middle East.