EcoPeace in the Media
August 31, 2021, Drought diplomacy helps boost Israel-Jordan ties, France 24
August 21, 2021, Jordan EcoPark’s new green water filter, Khaleej Times
August 6, 2021, Transboundary Cooperation between India and Pakistan worth a try,
Greater Kashmir, by Dr. Rajan Kotru & Dr. Rafi Ahmad
Bottom Up Education
Regional
Regional Youth Trustees Event 
As part of our flagship Good Water Neighbours program, EcoPeace Middle East conducted a 3 day regional Youth Trustees camp from August 10-12. Participants experienced several national and regional activities that focussed on building their environmental leadership skills. These kinds of trainings aim to introduce concepts of water security, the water-food-energy nexus, climate change, and possible solutions. In addition, training helps students develop negotiation and mediation skills.
This unique opportunity to bring together students from across the region to study the complex scientific concepts of climate change and water security, and the ‘blue peace index’ as a tool for water management. Participating youth were given the opportunity to experience the Water-Food-Energy Nexus in action by tours, field work and experiencing life in an eco-park – using solar energy, gray water systems and irrigation. Negotiation Skills are taught in order to develop strong ties among the participants; create a supportive, inclusive environment, and to enable them to build a joint identity as a regional environmental leadership group. Students were also introduced to the what and the how of project building and implementation, thereby building the foundations for their year-long program. Selected students will participate in a Trustees delegation to EcoPeace’s Regional Conference to engage with the decision makers in late 2021. Students will participate in EcoPeace Alumni activities and will be offered local and international opportunities.
Regional Young Professionals Event
Image c/o Roy Kimhi
From August 24–27, EcoPeace held the first regional Young Professionals training for the current cohort, a hybrid event on account of corona restrictions, with 51 participants from Jordan, Palestine and Israel.
Participants had the opportunity to meet and interact with their counterparts virtually, enjoyed guest speakers on key topics, like the future of the Middle East in terms of technology, sociology and diplomacy, and there was a case simulation designed by PATHWAYS Institute for Negotiation Education. The group shared experiences and identified points of connection which will help build successful cross-border projects with the support of EcoPeace staff acting as mentors. Their projects will be reviewed and submitted on November 5, during the second regional water diplomacy training.
Israel
National Teacher Training
Over 4 days, 24 Israeli teachers came together for national teacher training in Israel. This was an opportunity to experience 5 EcoPeace tours from which they will choose for their students for the coming year. The program was led by EcoPeace education staff members, Sigal Sprukt and Nadav Tal, with facilitation from educator Sara Dayan.
“…this seminar has been life changing for me, since I have never taken the time before to dwell on these urgent topics. I am kind of ashamed that my eco consciousness has not been developed enough before but now I am more than certain that I will not only become more aware but I will also become much more proactive. I know that I will be enthusiastic to come to all my classes, English and Diplomacy, and make them see what I have learnt, trying to educate them to be concerned, proactive people.” Anonymous
Palestine
Tomorrow’s Leaders Neighbor Path Tours to the Jordan Valley 
In Gaza, 45 females and 5 males (total 50 participants) visited the new waste water treatment plant in Al Fukhari area and the landfill site to learn about the solid waste management and environmental challenges in Gaza.
Finally, 18 young participants visited the new waste water treatment plant in Hebron. They had the chance to learn more about this amazing project from the project’s engineer, who confirmed that this plant will take an effective part in solving the wastewater issues, and the stone cutting & slurry problem, that is considered as one of the main industries in the area.
National Teacher TrainingFrom August 12-14, eight Palestinian teachers who were part of our previous national training in Palestine, enjoyed further training to develop their methodologies and skills. Ultimately this group will support the EcoPeace education team in training new teachers and promoting environmental education at different EcoPeace events.
JordanSummit Event for Water Diplomacy StudentsIn northern Jordan, particularly in Ajloun and Jerash, tourism is on the rise. Therefore, it’s increasingly important to educate both locals and tourists on the importance of environmental protection – and where possible link these practices to the Sustainable Development Goals set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and intended to be achieved by the year 2030.
Under the patronage of the Director of the Department of Youth, the Director of the Department of Tourism in Ajloun, and in collaboration with Naseej, EcoPeace held its third national summit event and interactive guest lecture in Ajloun on August 14. Alumni Water Diplomacy students were invited to speak to the 24 Jordanian youth participants on Sustainable Development Goals, Tourism and Water as a nexus to ensure the socio-economic contribution of tourism to Ajloun inhabitants while maintaining existing resources. It was followed by a clean-up campaign at tourist hotspot “Ajloun Castle”, involving locals and tourists in the area.
Summit Event and Guest Lecture in Jerash Under the patronage of the Director of the Department of Agriculture, and the Director of the Department of Tourism, on August 4 Jordan held a national summit event and guest lecture in collaboration with the Rural Women Pioneers Association in Sakib, Jerash. The event hosted 34 participants, of which 30 were youth males and females from across Jerash Governorate. The event highlighted the need for green innovation and entrepreneurship in response to the environmental challenges on both national and regional levels, and in line with the national plan for economic recovery in Jordan due to the COVID-19 outbreak. One of EcoPeace’s Water Diplomacy students was invited to lead a discussion on possible ways to mitigate climate change. The youth guest lecture and summit was followed by a clean-up campaign of Dibeen forest reserve (Deers Nature reserve) to highlight the role of youth in community involvement.
Neighbor Path Tour with Jordan Centre for Civic Education Generously funded by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, on August 21 EcoPeace held a tour for the Women’s Voices program organized by Jordan Center for Civic Education. The tour started in Amman and continued north, taking in various water-related hotspots. The participating women also visited a home with a BMZ funded, EcoPeace installed, greywater harvesting system, demonstrating the potential gains of better water management. The tour ended at EcoPeace’s “Jordan EcoPark”.
The above activities are part of the Good Water Neighbors (GWN) project, which is generously supported by the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida).
KAS Tomorrow Leaders Activities Continue in Hebron
EcoPeace’s Tomorrow’s Leaders project group visited Hebron on August 21, 2021. The tour started at the Royal Factory, one of the leading Palestinian companies in the plastic industry. The factory’s products are examined in advanced laboratories; to ensure the suitability of products in the most extreme environmental conditions. The tour continued to the Hebron wastewater treatment plant, which aims to solve the problems resulting from the open flow of wastewater into the Wadi Al-Saman stream, which negatively affects the lives of more than 200,000 citizens in the south of Hebron governorate. The implementation of this project will also lead to stopping the continuation of Israeli deductions of approximately 30 million shekels annually from tax revenues in return for treating cross-border wastewater.The tour finished at the Hebron Chamber of Commerce and Industry and got acquainted with many locally made Palestinian products.
The Tomorrow’s Leaders project is funded by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in the Palestinian Territories.
Upcoming Public Events
Climate change: Entry point for regional peace in the wider Middle East?
Presented by The Clingendael Insititute / Planetary Security Initiative / EcoPeace
2 September, 16:00 – 17:00 CEST
Programme & SpeakersYana Abu Taleb, Director of EcoPeace Middle East – Jordan, on the EcoPeace approach to environmental peacebuildingRene Van Nes, Head of Division of Conflict Prevention and Mediation Support at European External Action Service Prof. Alon Tal, Member of the KnessetDr. Shaddad Attili, Advisor ranking Minister at the Negotiations Support Department – PLO / Former Water Minister
Followed by discussion and Q&A
The dialogue will be moderated by Louise van Schaik, Head of EU & Global Affairs Unit at the Clingendael Institute. Q&A session will be led by Tobias von Lossow, Research Fellow at the Clingendael Institute and PSI project leader.
Click here to register