EcoPeace Directors in the News and Abroad

EcoPeace’s Jordan director Ms. Yana Abu Taleb visited Washington DC in the beginning of January. During her visit she had the opportunity to be hosted by the law firm of Barnes & Thornburg and meet with many friends of EcoPeace and to present our work to potential supporters and partners. We look forward to building on the new relationships built during Ms. Abu Taleb’s time in Washington.

Also this month EcoPeace’s Palestinian and Israeli directors were quoted for an article by “the UK Independent” about the dire water and sanitation situation in Gaza and how it is jeopardizing security in both Gaza and Israel. See here for the full article

EcoPeace Leads High Level Tours in January

EcoPeace’s Israeli Director led a tour for the US Consulate General along with representatives from USAID and the US Embassy. The tour focused on issues of the water and sanitation crisis in Gaza and its crossborder implications.
EcoPeace’s Jordan office led a tour to the Jordan Valley for several German Organizations including the German Embassy, GIZ, BGR and KfW. The tour focused on the cross-border water issues and the EcoPeace master plan to develop the Jordan Valley.
Representatives from SIDA and the Swedish Consulate in Jerusalem Visit EcoPeace

Representatives from SIDA and the Swedish Consulate General in Jerusalem visited the Tel-Aviv and Ramallah offices of EcoPeace this month. During their visit they had the opportunity to receive updates on our Good Water Neighbors project from EcoPeace staff. They toured areas of the Jordan Valley in Palestine and met with high level government and private sector stakeholders to discuss potential future cooperation with EcoPeace on the Water Energy Nexus (WEN) and the Jordan Valley Master Plan.
Third Seed Teachers Meeting in Ramallah

The third seed teachers’ meeting was held on January 20th in Ramallah. Experts Dr. Subhi Hamdan and Dr. Wahid Jubran gave important presentations on draft environmental lessons plans being developed. The teachers had the opportunity to give feedback and recommendations were provided at the end of the session.

Series of Meetings in Jordan Valley Bring History to Life

This month EcoPeace Israel office completed a series of meetings with senior residents in the Jordan Valley. The residents were asked to record their memories of the Jordan River as it used to be and also to bring old photographs to the meetings. The campaign was able to obtain many photos showing how wide and encompassing the Jordan River once was as part of a broader campaign to rehabilitate the river. For a short video (in Hebrew) with testimony from some of the residents see here. To see more amazing old photos of the Jordan River check out our Hebrew Facebook page.

The above activities are part of the Good Water Neighbors (GWN) project which is supported by the Swedish International Development Agency.

Water Diplomacy and Environmental Peacebuilding Course for Hands of Peace Alumni Continues in Jordan

Palestinian and Israeli Hands of Peace Alumni dove deep into regional water issues in a three day seminar at SHE EcoPark in Jordan. The Alumni experienced training in project management, online campaigning and advocacy, learned about the Jordanian ecosystem, and investigated their local water resources. The unique collaboration between Hands of Peace and EcoPeace continues, as participants are now implementing their experience and working hard on water awareness projects in Palestine and Israel.
GNF Visit and Stakeholder Meeting

EcoPeace Middle East Jordan office hosted representatives from the Global Nature Fund (GNF), EcoPeace’s German counterpart in a project to install solar panels at “Tal Al Mantah” wastewater treatment plant and to create a green filter/constructed wetland at the SHE Park. As part of the visit EcoPeace organized a stakeholder meeting in the Deir Alla municipality to explain the project and enhance cooperation and awareness between the local and higher levels of government. The meeting included the mayors of Deir Alla, Pella, their heads of engineering, representatives from the Water Authority of Jordan and the Jordan Valley Authority. For a more in depth perspective on the visit see our latest blog post here.

The above activity is part of our Decentralized solar energy supply for a WWTP in Jordan project which is mainly funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and supported also by the Wilo Foundation

EcoPeace’s Director in Palestine Meets with Students from Columbia University and the J Street Policymakers Delegation

Mrs. Nada Majdalani, EcoPeace’s Director in Palestine, met with a group of students from Columbia University and spoke to them about sustainable development in Palestine; achievements, plans and challenges under occupation, opportunities for regional cooperation and fair sharing of resources for the creation of an independent Palestinian state and for peace and prosperity in the region.
Later in the month Mrs. Majdalani met with J Street’s delegation of foreign policy makers and professionals in Ramallah addressing the question of “What can the US do to have a better understanding of Palestinian interests, needs, and positions?” Ms. Majdalani focused on water and climate security and EcoPeace’s regional approach in increasing efforts to address regional interests and concerns.