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Shalom Magazine for the Alumni of MASHAV Training Courses is

published by Haigud Society for Transfer of Technology.

Haigud, a government company and non-profit organization, serves

as the financial and administrative arm of MASHAV, and functions as a

professional unit to assist in the implementation of MASHAV activities.

MASHAVIsrael’s Agency for International

Development Cooperation

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

State of Israel

CONTENTS

1 FROM THE DESK OF THE HEAD OF MASHAVHAIM DIVON

3 THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS – IMPLICATIONS FOR WOMEN MCTC’S 26TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR WOMEN LEADERS

MAZAL RENFORD AND YVONNE LIPMAN

11 ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE TRILATERAL COOPERATION PROJECT ISRAEL-GERMANY-ETHIOPIA

RONIT GOLOVATY

14 EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT THE EDUCATOR AS A LEADER AND AGENT FOR SOCIAL CHANGE YUDITH ROSENTHAL AND EYAL BLOCH

17 MUNICIPAL STRATEGIC PLANNING UNITS A TOOL FOR ADDRESSING STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES

AT LOCAL LEVEL

BERNARD OBERA AND YOSSI OFFER

21 DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES FOR REAL-WORLD CHALLENGES

ABBY LUTMAN AND CLIVE LIPCHIN

25 A PARTNERSHIP FOR PROMOTING PUBLIC SAFETY SUZANNE GUY GOICHMAN

27 INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION AN ONGOING COMMITMENT

ILAN FLUSS

29 SHALOM CLUBS

31 MASHAV NEWS

39 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

MASHAV - ISRAEL’S AGENCY FOR

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION

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At the Millennium Summit in September 2000 world leaders adopted the

UN Millennium Declaration, committing their nations to a new global

partnership to reduce extreme poverty and aiming to achieve the Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

The MDGs are the most broadly supported, comprehensive and specific

development goals the world has ever agreed upon. These eight time-bound

goals provide concrete targets for tackling extreme poverty in its many

dimensions. They include goals and targets on income poverty, hunger, maternal

and child mortality, disease, inadequate shelter, gender inequality, environmental

degradation and forming a global partnership for development.

The UN Millennium Declaration and the MDGs are an important point of

reference for MASHAV, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation.

Through MASHAV, Israel shares with the world its accumulated knowledge and

new technologies to confront and overcome these challenges, helping others to

look for innovative solutions to pressing development problems.

As the world moves forward in the 21st Century sustainable development can be

perceived as a global effort for protecting and enhancing the quality of life within

ever–decreasing environmental limits. Sustainable development is about meeting

the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to

meet their own needs.

Head of MASHAV Ambassador Haim Divon and The Food and Agriculture

Organization (FAO) of the United Nations Sub-regional Coordinator for Eastern

Africa, Mr. Mafa E. Chipeta, sign a Memorandum of Understanding in Addis Ababa

in July 2010, to promote technical collaboration and the development of capacity

building strategies in East Africa’s Sub-Region

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In more than 52 years, over 260,000 professionals from all over the world

have participated in MASHAV programs both in Israel and abroad. They have

become MASHAV’s ambassadors of goodwill, disseminating cooperation ideals and

objectives, expanding the knowledge they acquired, adapting it to the realities of

their own countries.

This issue of Shalom Magazine presents some of MASHAV’s efforts, through

its specialized training professional extensions, in promoting development

cooperation, human resources development and capacity building, towards the

2015 target date for reaching the Millennium Development Goals.

The challenges we face in reaching these goals are significant, yet we are proud

that we can contribute our expertise to make for thousands of people the difference

between a life of deprivation and suffering and a future of hope and opportunity.

Sincerely,

AMBASSADOR HAIM DIVON

Head of MASHAV

Israel’s Agency for International

Development Cooperation

2

At the official opening of the International Conference of Women Leaders on

“The Global Financial Crisis – Implications for Women,” held at the Golda Meir

Mount Carmel International Training Center (MCTC)

2

MCTC’S 26TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR WOMEN LEADERS

MAZAL RENFORD AND YVONNE LIPMAN

Since its very beginnings in 1961, as a first international training center for women from

the developing world, The Golda Meir Mount Carmel International Training Center

(MCTC) established within the framework of MASHAV – Israel’s Agency for International

Development Cooperation – has been holding biennial International Conferences for Women

Leaders for women active in public life in the developing and industrialized countries, often

on topics which the United Nations has declared to be of current international concern.

In recent years these conferences have taken place in cooperation with renowned

international bodies, such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM), on

Migration and Gender Issues within the Millennium Development Goals (2005) or with the

Division for Women and Gender Equality, UNESCO, on Women’s Leadership for Sustainable Planning (2007).

In November 2009 the 26th conference in the series was held, together with MASHAV,

in cooperation with the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement

of Women (OSAGI) of the United Nations Secretariat, headed by United Nations Assistant

Secretary General, Rachel Mayanja.

The topic preoccupying the world in that year was the catastrophic crisis threatening the

global financial system. Although such crises have been recurrent throughout the history of

the modern financial system, sometimes threatening near systemic failure, such as in the

developing countries’ debt crisis of the 1980s and the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s,

this one seemed more severe and even more alarming than previous ones.

Although this crisis had originated in the developed regions of the world and had its initial

impact in these same regions, it was bound to have a severe impact on the economies of

developing regions as well. Indeed its unprecedented magnitude and scope posed a very

real threat to the world’s poorest people, of which women account for the great majority,

and consequently also to efforts at poverty reduction and to achieving the United Nations

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). As poverty eradication and advancement of the

socio-economic status of women are MCTC’s very statement of purpose, this topic came close

to our hearts.

The Global Financial Crisis – Implications for Women Conference was designed “to examine

the gender dimensions and implications of the financial crisis.” For, as the concept paper

prepared by OSAGI explained, in many parts of the world the demand for home-care had

been increased by the large numbers of people affected by HIV and AIDS, and this demand

still had to be met despite the crisis. Implications for the gender division of labor had also

to be discussed. In addition, the Conference addressed the specific role played by the

UN and other major international organizations in ensuring a gender-sensitive response to

the crisis.

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THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS – IMPLICATIONS FOR WOMEN

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To rise to this challenging agenda, a powerful and

enthusiastic group of 51 high-level leaders and experts

from 29 countries and eight international organizations

attended the Conference. The delegates, predominantly

women, included government ministers from Benin,

Burkina Faso, Kenya, Ghana, Panama, Peru and Latvia, the

First Lady of Ethiopia, parliamentarians, experts from the

academic, legal, scientific and business world and senior

officials from international, intergovernmental and non-

governmental organizations, including the UN specialized

agencies UNESCO, UNIDO, INSTRAW and UNECE.

Early on in the debate, Rachel Mayanja sent a strong

message to the delegates: “…It is about time that we took

things into our own hands. We should not sit back and let

others decide for us. How are we going to do that? What are

we going to do? What messages are we going to send to all of

those who have taken upon themselves the responsibility to

decide for us, the responsibility to mess up our world and the

responsibility to complicate our lives and those of our family

members, our children, and our community? … We are the

decision makers for today and for tomorrow, and when we

finish we are going to send a loud and a strong message to

everybody …. We need to decide for ourselves what is good

for us during this very complicated situation globally.”

Rising to this challenge, government ministers and

representatives of international organizations alike discussed

the impact of the situation on their national economies

and on the international community, in terms of the MDGs

and gender sensitivity. Other delegates demonstrated their

countries’ micro-achievements – developed because of

women’s special vulnerability to the global financial crisis.

We were honored too by the presence of United NationsAssistant Secretary General on Economic Development,Prof. Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Dept. of Economic andSocial Affairs (DESA). As Keynote Lecturer at the OpeningCeremony, he shared the top table with OSAGI Head RachelMayanja, Gila Gamliel, Israel’s Deputy Minister for theAdvancement of Women at the Prime Minister’s Office, andAmbassador Haim Divon, Head of MASHAV.

”We are living in very unusual times” ... when “our fates are intertwined now more than ever” was Prof. Sundaram’s view of the gloomy global economic situation. His information that in Chinese, “Crisis” means “Opportunity” and his admission that “it is very important to bring the gender question centrally into dealing with the crisis which we are experiencing now,” were reflected in the presentations and debates that followed in the plenary sessions of the next few days.

Speakers showed how the current crisis could – and did– provide an opportunity – whether for financial growth,social welfare or education. Marie-Therese Drabo-Keita,Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy and Financein charge of budget, Burkina Faso, was one of severalwomen delegates, experts in economic affairs, who stressedthat “women are less inclined to take risks” and also that

UN Assistant Secretary General,

Ms. Rachel Mayanja, Head of the Office of

the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and

Advancement of Women (OSAGI) of the

UN Secretariat

UN Assistant Secretary General on Economic Development,

Prof. Jomo Kwame Sundaram (DESA)

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women’s returns on investment (which are much lessexpensive than men’s) are higher.

Dr. Ranjana Kumari, Director of the Centre for Social Research in New Delhi, India, offered some “Reflections from India”, where women are already part of the solution to the economic crisis. She described some of the strategies that women in India, 92% of whom are in the informal sector, are finding to access credit and gain employment, in order to survive. Getting women better access to credit is crucial, and Dr. Kumari outlined India’s

“self-help” group program.

Tala Abu-Taha, General Manager of VARCC-ArabianCommunications, Jordan, told everyone that “In the longterm, the crisis is an opportunity for governments, privatesectors and nonprofit organizations to practice “smarteconomics” and to turn the global crisis into an opportunityfor women.”

The same point was underscored by Dr. SergeiZelenev, Acting Director of UN INSTRAW (United NationsInternational Research and Training Institute for theAdvancement of Women): “As a market, women representthe largest commercial opportunity in the word. Globallythey control, according to some estimates, about $20trillion in annual consumer spending, yet many of them, asconsumers, feel vastly under-served.”

Argentinean MP Beatriz Rojkés de Alperovich spoke ofconnections between tackling the poor condition of herstate’s basic infrastructure and seeing improvements inmother and child health.

On the social activist front, Pierina Correa Delgado,President of the “Abriendo Caminos Foundation” in Ecuador,declared: “We women, as agents of change, had to takethe message into our own hands,” proudly describing someof the projects her Foundation uses to empower women,making them realize they are capable of providing fortheir families; promoting gender equality and empoweringwomen to fight back against sexual violence and stoppingthe spread of AIDS. Less vulnerability results in lessdomestic violence and lower levels of HIV and child labor.

As for girls’ education, UNESCO speaker S. Gulser Corat, Director of the Division for Gender Equality, Bureau of Strategic Planning, gave a sense of great urgency to the current crisis and its implications for women: “The time is right,” she told the audience, “to heed the wake-up call of the present crisis and work towards translating our commitment to education and gender equality into practice with a renewed sense of urgency. It is one battle that we cannot lose.”

Two other contributors from international organizations

were Susan Bartolo, Chef de Cabinet and Secretary of the

Commission, UNECE, who made a presentation giving the

overall picture of the difficult financial situation in the

ECE region, while Doris Hribernigg, Focal Point, Human

Security Coordination at UNIDO, emphatically illustrated

how “Economic empowerment of women is crucial and

has a significant positive impact on sustained economic

growth.”

The “loud and strong message” referred to by Rachel

Mayanja in the opening stages of the Conference came

in the shape of The Haifa Declaration, which emerged

from the discussions during the Conference (see box).

Its proposals to countries, governments, international

organizations and individuals regarding the gender

perspective of the financial crisis were drawn up to ensure,

that in fact, not only in Chinese, “Crisis” can really mean

“Opportunity ”.

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The

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We, women and men and international organizations, who participated in the

Conference-Expert Meeting on “The Global Financial Crisis – Implications for Women”,

co-organized by the Golda Meir Mount Carmel International Training Center (MCTC),

Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation (MASHAV), and the Office of

the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI) of the United

Nations Secretariat, hereby note with deep concern that the current global financial and

economic crisis has had major repercussions on women and girls in all regions of the

world.

We reaffirm the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of the 1995 UN Fourth

World Conference on Women, the UN Millennium Declaration (2000); UN Security

Council Resolution 1325 (2000); the Monterrey Consensus on Financing Development,

Mexico (2002), the World Summit Outcome Document, 2005, and the Doha Statement to

Strengthen the Global Partnership for Financing for Development, 2008.

We express our deep appreciation to MASHAV, MCTC and OSAGI on this initiative to

highlight the impact of the financial crisis on women.

We are concerned that the crisis is having serious socio-economic consequences for

women, especially in poor countries, with higher infant mortality and morbidity; more

girls are being taken out of school, and some are turning to the sex trade. Many women

have declining incomes, even as they struggle to make ends meet, caring also for family

members.

While recognizing the negative effects, we also recognize that the crisis presents

opportunities to learn important lessons, and to address the vulnerability of women in

national economies.

In this context we strongly emphasize the role of women as important agents of change

and urge their full involvement in efforts to stimulate national economies to ensure long-

term recovery.

As countries put economic stimulus packages and other measures in place to resuscitate

their economies, it is important to note that ultimately the beneficiaries of those policies

are the people, not solely the banks and other financial institutions that often receive

these packages. By factoring in the needs of people, especially those of women and

girls, we stand a better chance of achieving not just Millennium Development Goal #3

that specifically addresses the situation of women, but also all the other internationally

agreed development goals.

We emphasize that even where women’s participation in the labor market has not yet

been significantly affected by the financial crisis, their lack of adequate social protection

leaves them highly vulnerable. Many women work in the informal economy. Few can

rely on social security or other forms of unemployment insurance. Furthermore, since

6 7

women do not live in isolation, but with their husbands, brothers, fathers, sons and other

male family members and companions, they share the consequences of the poverty and

suffering that arise from the effect of the crisis on men. The care-giving role of women,

including in the context of HIV/AIDS, also places them in an even more vulnerable

situation.

Recognizing that many women rely on transfer incomes, especially from family members

who migrate abroad, we express deep concern about the downturn in remittances which

has been reported in some countries in the context of the financial crisis.

We affirm our commitment to women and girls and resolve to use every opportunity

to ensure that adequate safeguards are in place to mitigate the effects of the crisis on

women and girls.

We agree to work together to ensure that adequate data are available on the impact

of the crisis on women and to make sure that women have better access to information

and to improvements in infrastructure and services, as well as social protection systems,

especially essential in times of economic crisis and recession.

Accordingly we hereby call upon Member States:

(a) To ensure that the needs and priorities of women and girls are specifically addressed

in policies and interventions to address the crisis;

(b) To mobilize political will and determination in favor of increased representation of

women in all sectors;

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(c) To encourage the full engagement of women in decision-making on how to ensure

economic recovery in the context of the financial crisis. In this regard, women in all

their capacities and realities must be engaged, whether as heads of households,

workers, home makers, care givers, persons with disabilities; youth and older

persons, rich, poor, employed or unemployed;

(d) To affirm our conviction that providing opportunities for the education, particularly

providing universal mandatory primary schooling for all girls and boys, as well as

training and health care of girls and women, remains a potent tool for empowerment

and for shielding them from current and future crises;

(e) To ensure that support is available to the small-scale enterprises that are often run

by women and on which the survival and welfare of many depend;

(f) To engage with women’s groups and other members of civil society who work at the

grassroots level, to ensure that the diverse groups of women, who are most affected

by the crisis, especially the rural poor, women and girls with disabilities, and the

elderly receive the help they need for both their short and long-term needs;

(g) To promote women’s full and equal participation in the labour market, through

relevant education programs including technical and vocational training;

(h) To comply with international commitments and multilateral environmental

agreements, particularly in the areas of transfer of technology, capacity building,

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provision of new and additional financial resources through efficient and effective

mechanisms, and ensure that these benefit women;

(i) To design guarantee schemes and incentives for financial institutions promoting

women’s access to credit and entrepreneurship;

(j) To increase health and education budgets and expand allowances and subsidies in

education and health, linked to accountability through health checks for women and

children;

(k) To enable follow-up, research and monitoring by peer review or by women’s

information centers at regional and national and local levels;

(l) To increase sex disaggregated data, leading to gender-sensitive employment

creation schemes and gender mainstreaming in the economy;

(m) To encourage public-private-civil society-media partnerships for women’s empowerment,

with strategic association between government, universities, civil society and the private

sector and strengthening of the legal framework;

(n) To work towards equal sharing of responsibilities through elimination of cultural

gender stereotypes.

We urge the implementation of approaches that enhance intergenerational and inter-

regional solidarity, recognizing that the most sustainable recovery processes must cut

across generational and geographic boundaries.

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We call on donor countries and international organizations:

to ensure that adequate resources are channeled towards support of the

empowerment of women to sustain them through the current crisis and

to promote their involvement in its resolution;

to ensure in the context of the Paris Agreement (2005) and the Accra

Declaration (2008) that gender equality and economic empowerment of

women receive priority attention within development planning.

We call on the United Nations, international financial institutions and

regional organizations:

to support Member States in their efforts to implement a gender-

mainstreaming strategy concerning all economic and financial

resources;

to create and widely disseminate information on lessons learned and

best practices in tackling the financial crisis and its implications for

women.

We urge all governments, policy makers, UN agencies, the international

community at large and the civil society to join us as we pledge our full

commitment to ensuring that women are at the center of actions that we

take in our countries and in our communities to address the consequences

of the global financial crisis.

Haifa, November 10, 2009

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TRILATERAL COOPERATION PROJECT ISRAEL-GERMANY-ETHIOPIA

ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE

RONIT GOLOVATY

The writer is a MASHAV agricultural development expert, currently stationed in Ethiopia. She holds a MSc. in Plant Protection from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a MSc. in Forestry and Land Use from Oxford University. She has been a member of the Trilateral Project Management Unit in Ethiopia since 2009.

Over 10 years ago, the United Nations embarked on an enormous challenge: to

tackle some of the world’s most significant problems related to, among others,

the eradication of poverty and hunger, education for all and equality. The Millennium

Development Goals were not a mere declaration. They are expressions of our common

humanity, our common vision for a better world. They provide a clear road map to help

those most in need.

MASHAV is committed to development. It shares with other countries Israeli know-how

and expertise in order to make a difference. The aspiration to excellence motivates the

best researchers and farmers from different nations to mobilize all their effort and energy

to develop new species, and to obtain crop yields of higher quality which contribute to the

health and welfare of every person.

One of the main crises the world is facing today is climate change and its impact on

agricultural activities and food production. The frequency of regular dry and wet periods

is declining. Extreme weather conditions such as droughts and flooding are increasing.

The variability of precipitation has increased, especially in the semi-arid regions that are

characterized by irregular rainfall. Two important strategies to mitigate the effects of climate

change are water management and making relevant technologies available to smallholder

farmers.

In Ethiopia, 80% of the population is engaged in agriculture, which is the country’s main

source of employment, revenue and export earnings. In times of climate change when

extreme weather conditions increase steadily, it becomes more and more important to

secure food production by assuring irrigation for farmers.

Agricultural development is a priority for the Ethiopian Government. This commitment is

being put into action through the Agricultural Development Led Industrialization (ADLI)

strategy adopted in 1992 which sets irrigation as a major pillar to increased food production

and food self-sufficiency for the country.

Experiences of irrigation and water development in Ethiopia over the past five decades

suggested that several additional measures had to be taken to support farmer-managed

small-scale irrigation projects in order to achieve viable agricultural development in the

country and to improve food security. Since Ethiopian farmers are increasingly affected by

extreme weather conditions such as droughts and flooding, small-scale irrigation becomes a

major tool in adapting to climate change.

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In view of the importance and contribution of the irrigated agricultural sector in the national

economic development of the country The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia entered a

trilateral cooperation with the State of Israel and the Federal Republic of Germany on enhancing

irrigated agriculture in Ethiopia. Through this trilateral cooperation, Israel and Germany are

providing the necessary expertise and technical support to improve Ethiopian farmers’ capacities

to adapt to climate change and to ensure sustainable agricultural development. The project aims,

ultimately, to increase the income from irrigated agriculture.

The irrigation project is implemented within the Program for Sustainable Land Management

(SLM) in Ethiopia. The Natural Resources Management Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture

and Rural Development (MoARD) of Ethiopia is responsible for the project together with MASHAV,

through its professional affiliate CINADCO (the Center for International Agricultural Development

Cooperation), and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ).

The project is planned to be implemented in 12 sites in four Regional

States, namely Amhara, Oromiya, Tigray and SNNP Region. In these

regions, the land, soil and agro-ecological natural resource base,

if complemented with irrigation-water, would materially alter the

agricultural production system and help the farmers cope with climate

change events. The direct project beneficiaries are the regions’

subsistence farmers with small and medium sized farms. The main

objectives of the project are:

Expanding small-scale irrigation schemes in catchment area with sufficient

available water resources to enlarge vegetation cover during the dry seasons

and improve food production;

MASHAV irrigation expert,

Mr. Elisha Kenig, training in Debre Zeit

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Relating irrigation schemes to already-treated watersheds (water

and soil conservation measures in place, rehabilitation of erosion

gullies advanced) for improved and stable headwater management;

Introduction of water-saving irrigation techniques (improved water

conveyance and application) to increase water efficiency;

Concentration on farming of marketable products to generate a stable

income base for local farmers, and introduction of high-yielding crops;

Introduction of ways for using treated urban wastewater for irrigation.

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The major type of activities to be conducted in the framework of the project are conduction of

survey studies on the current situation of irrigated schemes in the four regions of the project and

assessment of physical and socio-economical needs and capacity gaps; training and capacity

building on water and crop management for all levels of the water management system and

users; rehabilitation of existing irrigation schemes and farmers’ training centers; and introduction

of new irrigation and cropping techniques.

This trilateral cooperation between MASHAV-GTZ-MoARD is an expression of sharing common

goals and values, and of special friendly relations between Ethiopia, Germany and Israel. It is a

unique example that shows that development is a partnership which unites us all.

Closing ceremony

of MASHAV-GTZ-

Ministry of Agriculture

(MoARD) training

in Ethiopia: (from left

to right) Mr. Sileshi

Getahun, Director of

Natural Resources

Management

Directorate at MoARD;

Mr. Alon Unfus Asif,

Deputy Chief of

Mission, Embassy of

Israel, Addis Ababa;

Ms. Ronit Golovaty,

MASHAV agricultural

development expert;

Dr. Eckart Bode,

GTZ-SLM, Director of

Operations

THE EDUCATOR AS A LEADER AND AGENT FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

YUDITH ROSENTHAL AND EYAL BLOCH

Yudith Rosenthal is the director of the Aharon Ofri International Training Center; Eyal Bloch, an educator, is cofounder of the Institute for Education Sustainable Development at the David Yellin Academic College of Education in Jerusalem.

As the first decade of the 21st century draws to a close, it is clear to all that we are

aat the height of an environmental crisis with extremely serious social, economic

and cultural implications. The problem of drinking water is widely expected to be one of

the most serious crises and water is already being called “the blue gold”. Awareness of

the crisis and the search for ways to solve it are no longer confined to restricted circles.

The issue is gradually occupying a significant place in every public debate, and it is this

debate that gave rise to the idea of sustainable development. The Copenhagen Conference

of December 2009 did not lead to international agreements on dealing with the crisis, but

notably, in the area of education an impressive document of understandings was created

at the UNESCO international conference held in March 2009 in Bonn, on Education for

Sustainable Development.

Sustainability is the capacity to meet the needs of the present world population without

impairing the ability of future generations to provide for themselves. An activity is defined

as a “sustainable activity” if it can be repeated again and again without having harmful

or irreversible effects on the environment and on society. Sustainable development means

what it says: it does not negate development but examines ways to allow development

while conserving our available resources and those of future generations. The idea of

sustainable development is innovative in that it does not examine only the mutual relations

between man and his physical environment (“environmental sciences”), but also the

relation between man’s well-being and social, cultural, ethical and economical components

of the environment in which he lives.

Education for sustainable development deals with creating the behavioral and conscious

change required in order to adapt our lifestyle to the new environmental reality, for both our

well-being and that of future generations; this through the development of environmental

literacy, social and ethical sensitivity and civic commitment. Education for sustainable

development is fundamentally interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary. It refers to many

fields of knowledge, methods of reflection and activity, and ways of life at the individual and

community level. “Sustainable communities” are expected to create social and economic

systems that conserve the quality of the environmental and natural infrastructures in which

they exist and will exist for a long time.

The discussion of the questions of “what is sustainable development” and “what is

education for sustainable development” is dynamic and complex. There is a consensus

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that social change is vital given the dimensions of the environmental, social and economic

crisis that we face. Moreover, it is also agreed that every change begins with education.

A contemplation of the harsh reality leads to the realization that the role of the teacher

and educator must be redefined as an agent of sustainable social change. In recent years,

at the Institute for Education for Sustainable Development at the David Yellin Academic

College of Education in Jerusalem and at the Aharon Ofri International Training Center, we

have developed models, tools and courses that promote social and educational sustainable

development for the community, enabling teachers and social activists to become generators

of change.

The variety of topics developed is extensive and diversified, from increased efficiency in the

fields of energy and water; vandalism; project monitoring and follow-up; and conservation

and development of human and biological diversity in the urban environment, to the art

of monitoring a program where the physically disabled give courses and workshops to

professionals in the field and to companions of disabled people to train them for work with

disabled people.

The policy guiding all the activity is that when members of disadvantaged population

groups are given the tools and the correct approach, they change from a target population

to a community with a mission, from consumers of services and contributions to originators

of activities, resources and solutions.

IMPLEMENTATION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN SCHOOLS

Educational programs for sustainable development are derived from the documents of

international agreements signed in recent years, for instance “Agenda 21” (a comprehensive

plan of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by UN organizations, governments

and major groups in every area in which human beings impact on the environment), and

Enhancing

environmental

awareness via

educational actions:

Participants in the

course on Youth

Leadership at

the Aharon Ofri

International Training

Center experience

organic farming and

construction of

environmentally friendly

“mud huts” at the

Re’ut ecological farm

in Meggido

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Lifelong learning: the students must acquire the basis

and the ability for lifelong learning. Such learning

will prepare them for life in the community and in the

workplace.

Equality: fairness and equality are concepts that every

student expects; even though they are self-evident, they

are not always expressed in the distribution of the school

resources and in daily administration. These values

constitute the basis for a feeling of well-being and

growth of individuals and communities.

Aspiring for peace: its manifestation in the school can

be expressed in the way in which conflicts are resolved.

Sustainable development is located at the point where

the environment, the economy and society converge. The

education system is also at this junction. Consequently,

the education system is responsible for constituting the

vanguard to lead and orientate the world trend in favor

of sustainable development. This is the aspiration at the

theoretical level. In reality, experience shows that one of

the problems arising with the introduction of new subjects

is the difficulty of the formal systems in accepting them. All

the schools need to commence a process of learning and

internalization. The reason for this is simple: we have no

alternative. Sustainable development is crucial. It imposes

itself upon us because we are responsible for securing the

future of our children.

Environmentally

friendly “mud huts”

the international community’s strategy that Israel helped

to formulate. In all these, the discernible viewpoint is that

development of values for protection of the environment is

no longer just one more subject out of the school curriculum,

but rather a vital organizing principle of contemporary

education. Therefore an innovative school model is required

for its implementation based on a multidisciplinary

combination of the contents of all the fields of study, in

both formal and informal frameworks, and with emphasis

on the field of knowledge and educational events that

lead to dealing with the subject in the school and in the

environment.

Decisions of the Ministry of Education in Israel led to the

drafting of principles of study and action for integration

of the concept of sustainable development into the study

program, including social and environmental literacy and

extracurricular study as a pedagogic strategy.

BASIC VALUES IN EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Respect for the environment: including people – it is

essential for this basic value to be imprinted in the entire

running of the school.

Democracy: principles such as the ability to influence,

to take responsibility and to participate are essential for

the advancement of sustainable development in the

school. This value must be implemented amongst all

those attending the school.

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A TOOL FOR ADDRESSING STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES

AT LOCAL LEVEL

BERNARD OBERA AND YOSSI OFFER

Bernard Obera is a Social Sector Specialist at Millennium Cities Initiative (MCI) in Kisumu. Yossi Offer is the Director of Training at the Weitz Center for Development Studies.

Development takes place at the local level. Central governments have an

important role in setting overall policies, in creating conditions enabling legal

and administrative frameworks, and in mobilizing resources. However, the development

arena is the local level, where all stakeholders – residents, local organizations, central

government officials, international organizations, business sector, civil society and others

– come together. The local government is the primary institutional presence and has the

power to mobilize and channel development actions

Yet, in many developing countries, the weakness of local governments is a key challenge

in managing development processes. In recent years, due to decentralization processes and

expectations of residents and stakeholders, local governments have had to broaden their

responsibilities. However, there are some issues that limit the abilities of local authorities to

lead and manage development processes: the government’s basic structure, the political and

organizational culture, and the fact that local authorities tend to focus on service delivery.

Strategic planning – as a framework for action – is one of the significant tools that

enable local governments to cope with far-reaching responsibilities geared to promote

development. Strategic planning requires the integration of professional knowledge and

capacities, and the creation of organizational platforms. This enables local governments

to promote the best practices and manage the development process through harnessing

local resources, assets and opportunities to achieve strategic goals. In many cases, local

governments in developing countries lack these capacities and platforms. As a result,

development opportunities are missed and there are difficulties in leveraging external

initiatives for sustainable local development.

In the mid 1980s, a model was successfully established in Israel to assist local authorities

– the Municipal Strategic Planning Unit (MSPU). Units based on this model were designed to

lead and promote strategic planning processes, identify and create assets and opportunities

for development, and improve the work of local authorities.

MSPU PILOT IN KISUMU, KENYA

Based on preliminary discussions held with UN-Habitat, the Ministry of Local Government

and the Association of Local Authorities in Kenya, MASHAV – Israel’s Agency for International

MUNICIPAL STRATEGIC PLANNING UNITS

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Development Cooperation – and the Millennium Cities Initiative (MCI) collaborated on

adapting Israel’s MSPU concept to the needs of the Municipal Council of Kisumu (MCK),

a designated “Millennium City”. The Weitz Center for Development Studies in Rehovot

– a MASHAV professional affiliate and leading expert in local and regional development

– designed and is currently coordinating the program in full partnership with MCK.

With an estimated population of 427,000, Kisumu is Kenya’s third largest city, and serves

as a trading and transportation hub for the country’s Great Lakes region. It has one of

Kenya’s highest poverty levels and one of the worst set of health indicators; consequently,

its needs are significant. Kisumu was designated as the first Millennium City by the MCI in

January 2006. The Millennium Cities Initiative, a project of the Earth Institute, Columbia

University, assists sub-Saharan cities in their efforts to attain the Millennium Development

Goals by 2015, thereby helping them to overcome severe poverty.

Kisumu was selected to implement the MSPU pilot project due to its development potential

and given the fact that the promotion of the city is a priority of the Government of Kenya

and significant development partners. As part of the groundwork for the establishment of

the MSPU, professionals from Kisumu participated in capacity development programs in

Israel, and on-site interventions were conducted by Israeli experts to work with their local

colleagues on establishing and supporting the MSPU during the initial phases.

The development of the Municipal Strategic Planning Unit in Kisumu started with a

training program for the mid-level staff, the identification of their local challenges facing

the council and an agreement on the steps to be taken towards the formation of the unit.

The next steps were focused on identifying local assets and opportunities for development,

preparing a road map document defining the role of the MSPU and its working patterns, and

identifying and promoting pilot projects.

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The main functions of Kisumu’s MSPU are:

Acting as a local platform for leveraging external / internal initiatives and resources;

Focusing municipal efforts and capacities on actions that generate development for the

achievement of strategic goals;

Promoting crosscutting municipal actions and working patterns;

Adapting and creating municipal frameworks for integrated actions;

Creating learning opportunities.

The MSPU adapts flexible modes of operation – as initiator, supporter, facilitator and

promoter – within the different contexts. The types of its outputs are:

Identification of strategic opportunities/needs;

Developing concept papers/plans/strategies/action plans;

Developing frameworks and partnerships for implementation;

Formulating MOUs and organizational platforms for implementation;

Writing of proposals and resources mobilization;

Consensus building and channeling conflicts and challenges into common goals.

The Weitz Center for Development Studies is a global leader in the field of capacity building

for local and regional development. The Center’s work is dedicated to enhancing efforts of

international agencies, governments, communities, civil society and private sector organizations

to achieve social and economic sustainable changes.

The establishment of Kisumu’s MSPU reflects both MASHAV’s and the Weitz Center’s approach

to capacity building through adapting and modifying Israeli experience to the local arena and

integrating Israeli and local knowledge and experience to strengthen local government as owner

and leader of sustainable local development.

Bernard Obera and Yossi Offer

participated in the World Urban Forum 5 which was

held in Rio de Janeiro in March 2010. The World

Urban Forum has turned into the world’s premier conference

on cities. The Forum was established by the United Nations to

examine one of the most pressing problems facing the world

today: rapid urbanization and its impact on communities,

cities, economies, climate change and policies. It is projected

that in the next 50 years, two-thirds of the world population

will be living in towns and cities. A major challenge is to

minimize burgeoning poverty in cities, improve access of

the urban poor to basic facilities such as shelter, clean water

and sanitation, and to achieve environmentally friendly,

sustainable urban growth and development.

During the World Urban Forum, an agenda of events

and discussions brought to life ideas drawn from concept

documents presented by international specialists in each

of the strategic areas. The Israeli delegation successfully

hosted two professional sessions: the first a side event on

“Municipal Platforms for Local Strategic Development,” and

the second a training event on “How to leverage local assets

for strategic local development – Establishing an MSPU.”

Kisumu and Israeli experts at the World Urban Forum in

Rio de Janeiro (from right to left): Yoel Siegel, Strategic Planning

Consultant; Bernard Obera; Yossi Offer; Israeli Ambassador to Kenya

Jacob Keidar; Amos Avgar, International Development Consultant

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DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES FOR REAL-WORLD CHALLENGES

ABBY LUTMAN AND CLIVE LIPCHIN

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The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies is the premier environmental teaching

and research program in the Middle East, preparing future Arab and Jewish leaders

to cooperatively solve the region’s environmental challenges. Located in the heart of Israel’s

Arava desert, on Kibbutz Ketura, the Arava Institute is a unique oasis of environmental

education, research and international cooperation. Students and researchers at the Arava

Institute explore a range of environmental issues from a regional, interdisciplinary perspective

while learning peace-building and leadership skills. The studies are international in scope,

with a student body comprised of Jordanians, Palestinians, Israelis and North Americans,

as well as other nationalities. The Arava Institute gives Jewish, Arab and other students and

researchers a unique opportunity to study and live together for an extended period of time;

building networks and understanding that will enable future cooperative work and activism

in the Middle East and beyond.

PROMOTING GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

According to leading international organizations, including the World Bank and the Food

and Policy Research Institute, agriculture continues to be, even in the 21st century, a critical

sector for ensuring sustainable development and poverty reduction throughout the world.

Unfortunately, due to poor and ineffective land management and agricultural techniques,

desertification of arable lands is contributing to food insecurity and malnutrition in many

developing countries, particularly in Africa and Asia. Today there are over 920 million people

facing food insecurity, many of whom rely on agriculture as their main source of income.

Imparting knowledge and practical solutions to combating desertification is a key to

significantly improving the lives of countless citizens around the globe. The Arava Institute

has been at the forefront of developing solutions to desertification and related issues through

the many years of research in sustainable development and dry land agriculture. The Arava

desert is one of the harshest environments in the world with an average of only 25 mm of

rainfall per year. Yet, despite this aridity, Israeli innovations in agriculture, irrigation and soil

and water management has enabled agriculture to thrive in the Arava. The Arava Institute

has led the way in many research and development programs such as the identification of

desert-adapted species for cultivation. Much of this research has been conducted jointly

with colleagues on the Jordanian side of the Arava valley. Drawing on its many years of

experience in the field the Arava Institute is now sharing its expertise with other countries

facing similar challenges.

It is precisely this experience that stood behind the MASHAV 2009 program at the Arava

Institute for Environmental Studies, an effort conducted in partnership with the United Nations

Department of Economic and Social Affairs. As a world leader in research, development and

22

implementation of strategies for mitigating desertification,

Israel, through organizations such as the Arava Institute,

actively fulfills a responsibility to share the knowledge and

skills it possesses to alleviate the suffering of hundreds of

millions of impoverished individuals.

The MASHAV program gathered together 17 professionals employed in the fields of research, education, and policy making. Together, they focused on problems of desertification and drought as well as the interrelated issues of land, agriculture and rural development. These professionals, with diverse backgrounds in agro-forestry, conservation and endangered plant species, desertification mitigation, land reclamation and sustainable agriculture, traveled to Israel from their homes in Brazil, China, Kenya, India, Nigeria and Samoa, to benefit from the extensive expertise on sustainable agriculture in arid climates developed at the Arava Institute.

The training was spearheaded by the Arava Institute’s Center for Sustainable Agriculture, which is directed by Dr. Elaine Solowey, and which works collaboratively with Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and other research institutions in the area. The Center is a regional and international leader in the fields of desert and sustainable agriculture and houses a variety of research programs in desert agriculture, medicinal plants, crop genetics, and efficient irrigation and bio-fuel programs.

The training in the program aimed to impart practical

methods for reversing trends of soil degradation, including

hydrological strategies and information on native and desert-adapted plant species. With the twin goals of promoting methods for improving both food security and economic opportunity, the joint MASHAV-Arava Institute program improved participants’ knowledge base with the ultimate hope of improving the capacity of each participant’s home country to develop and apply necessary

strategies to mitigate desertification.

The program specifically sought to:

Improve the participants’ knowledge of established strategies and policies to combat desertification;

Improve the capacity of the participants’ home country to develop and effectively apply relevant strategies; and

Provide participants with expert advice on specific questions they may have regarding use of their native plants, as well as the utilization of imported species.

In addition, the training program utilized the extensive expertise of sustainable agriculture in arid climates, developed over many years at the Arava Institute, to present a variety of desertification mitigation strategies and alternative agricultural practices appropriate to semi-arid and arid regions. To best meet the participants’ expectations of learning practical solutions to actual problems, lectures covered topics about endangered and locally extinct plants, plant domestication, water-thrifty perennials, carbon sequestration, plant sources of ethanol, and policy aspects of desertification control.

22

The Arava Institute also coordinated field trips to active research sites to supplement

the lecture series. The first trip was to the regional agricultural research and development

station. The second was to the Yatir Forest in the northern Negev to demonstrate how the

regeneration and reclamation of native species has helped restore an ecosystem that was

severely degraded by over grazing and erosion. Participants also toured the Dead Sea

region to learn about measures being taken to halt the water level decline that is occurring

in the Dead Sea due to over-exploitation of the northern Jordan River’s watershed.

The Arava’s Institute Center for the Sustainable Development of Arid Lands was launched

recently. The Center will act as the focal point for the international programs being carried

out by the Institute. The Center is also a partnership with other institutions working in

similar fields in the Arava including the Agricultural Research and Development Station

at the Eilot Regional Council, the Dead Sea and Arava Science Center and the Renewable

Energy Initiative of the Eilot Regional Council. Together, these institutions offer a wealth

of knowledge and expertise in the sustainable development of arid lands. The new Center

for the Sustainable Development of Arid Lands at the Arava Institute will coordinate and

facilitate the international work of these institutions. Projects already under way at the

Center include a number of initiatives in Kenya.

The Arava Institute, together with the support of MASHAV, is partnering with the

Millennium Villages Project based in western Kenya to provide training in rainwater

harvesting and irrigation to farmers in the Sauri village district. The Institute has developed

a family water system that provides a whole-life-cycle approach to water management

for rural communities that lack access to clean water and electricity. The system being

developed provides for water capture, storage, distribution and treatment for both irrigation

and domestic water use. The system is currently being tested at the Arava Institute and will

be ready for training purposes in Kenya later this year.

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24 25

The developing world faces many challenges. With

expertise in diverse fields relating to the environment

and international cooperation, the Arava Institute, in

partnership with MASHAV, is uniquely qualified to promote

global development by addressing key environmental

issues that contribute to poverty and poor health standards

throughout the developing world. Affiliated with Ben-Gurion

University of the Negev, the Arava Institute has extensive

experience in educating and training students from around

the world. As a research institution, its researchers are on

the cusp of developments in a wide array of environmental

fields including sustainable agriculture, renewable energy

and energy conservation, integrated water resource

management, air quality research, ecological research

and more. Through its various research departments, the

Arava Institute provides opportunities for practitioners from

the developing world to gain insight into topics that are

relevant to improving the environment and quality of life in

a practical manner in their home countries.

More and more of the publications and information of MASHAV are going online!

Don’t miss out!

Be sure to provide us with your@-mail address so we can notify you about important developments!

Send them to shalom@haigud.org.il

Online!MASHAV

http://mashav.mfa.gov.il

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A PARTNERSHIP FOR PROMOTING PUBLIC SAFETY

SUZANNE GUY GOICHMAN

This article was written in memory of Prof. Dr. Maya Glasserman-Almog, the founder and director of the Center for Cooperation and Advancement, who left us prematurely. All her colleagues and friends at MASHAV and around the world will remember her forever.

Community policing is a recent major reform in police forces that changes the

way police think and act. The movement toward community policing has gained

momentum in recent years as police and members of the community search for more

effective ways to promote public safety and to enhance the quality of life in their

neighborhoods.

Community policing expands police efforts to prevent and control crime. The police no

longer view the community as a passive presence or a source of limited information, but as

a partner in this effort. Community policing is a philosophy that promotes organizational

strategies, which support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving

techniques, to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety

issues. Within this framework, the police force forms a partnership with the members of the

community, giving citizens an opportunity to have an input in the law enforcement process

in exchange for their support and participation.

Israel’s civil guard (including community policing) is the country’s largest volunteer

organization, with more than 70,000 members. Some of them – security civil guard

volunteers – are mainly engaged in the prevention of terror acts and crimes, and others

– volunteers in the specialized units – are divided into various sectors (traffic, patrol,

detective work, border guard, and more) and professionally assist the police forces. In most

units the activity is carried out in full police uniform. The system of integrating volunteers

into the Israeli police force was built in a special, unique and effective way and includes

all sectors of society.

In March, 23 professionals from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and Kazakhstan arrived in Israel

to participate in a course on “Police and Community.” The course was offered by MASHAV

through the Center for Cooperation and Advancement (CCA), one of MASHAV’s professional

affiliates.

In Israel, community policing rests on the belief that contemporary community problems

require a new decentralized and personalized police approach. Therefore, implementation

of community policing necessitates fundamental changes in the structure and management

of police organizations. With this approach in mind, the purpose of the course held in Israel

was to transfer Israeli knowledge and experience to high-level police representatives, with

the aim of examining the possibility of adapting this system to the realities of their own

countries, taking into consideration its proven effectiveness in improving police activities

and strengthening police-community relations.

As part of the course’s professional program, the participants met with commanders of the

Israeli Police and visited the main departments of the police force at various centers, among

them the Officers’ and Policemen’s Training School where they participated in the school’s

activities including hands-on practice in an especially designed close-combat routine,

jointly developed by the Israeli Police and the army. During another activity, the participants

joined the police patrol ship in Haifa, and viewed the system and technologies used by the

Maritime Police. Professional visits also included the Police’s Logistic Center, and the Police

Center at Sderot, where the participants received explanations and demonstrations on how

to defend the civilian population in case of a rocket attack.

During the lectures held within the course framework the following themes were discussed:

police effectiveness, police-community relations, conflict resolution, crisis intervention,

international cooperation, minority employment, behavior under stress, recruitment, police

patrol, police-volunteers relationship, and more.

It is hard to imagine police work today without community collaboration. The new

system designed in Israel offers a new definition of the role of the police, including a more

comprehensive approach to police functions. The foundations of a successful community

policing strategy are the close, mutually beneficial ties between police and community

members. Effective law enforcement depends upon this cooperation.

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INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION - AN ONGOING COMMITMENT

ILAN FLUSS

The writer is MASHAV’s Director for Policy Planning and External Relations. Previously, he served as Counselor at the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations. In his capacity in the mission he was responsible for Israel’s Economic and Social Agenda at the United Nations.

Development is a global issue that requires immense attention, resources and

political will by the international community’s many forums and bodies involved

in development such as the United Nations, ECOSOC, OECD, UN funds and programs as

well as multilateral development banks and national development agencies. Guided by the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), adopted by the UN General Assembly, MASHAV’s

approach is to ensure social, economic and environmental sustainable development.

One sixth of the human race, 1.2 billion people, live in extreme poverty, defined by the

UN as having an income of less than one dollar per day. More than 300 million of these

people live in Africa, where they make up almost half of the total population. People living

in extreme poverty suffer from starvation, lack of safe drinking water and proper sanitation,

poor medical care and chronic unemployment. They cannot afford to send their children to

school, and they frequently lack suitable clothing, shoes and shelter. Often the population

is ravaged by HIV/AIDS and other diseases, by drought, civil war, and isolation from urban

centers. Many live without hope for the future.

Coinciding with the UN Millennium Declaration, MASHAV’s first priority is to take part in

the international community’s commitment to achieve the MDGs and halve poverty and

hunger by 2015. Since its inception, MASHAV’s work in the developing world has been

guided by the basic approach that development work is organic in nature. It is impossible

to concentrate efforts in one area, such as food security, without providing proper attention

to other areas such as health care, community building and education. Only through a

sustainable and comprehensive development program can measured results be obtained

and the desired impact felt by those who need assistance the most. As no one country or

aid agency can single-handedly tackle the causes leading to extreme poverty, the need

to coordinate and combine efforts and resources is essential if the donor community and

partner countries are to realize the MDGs.

MASHAV’s activities focus primarily on areas in which Israel has a comparative

advantage including agriculture and rural development, water resources management,

micro-enterprise development, community development, medicine and public health,

empowerment of women and education. At the same time MASHAV operates according

to the needs and demands originating from the partner countries, as opposed to a supply-

initiated program that might not be relevant and effective elsewhere.

27

Programs are based on a “train the trainers” approach to institutional and human

capacity building, with professional programs conducted in Israel and in-situ. Project

development is supported by the seconding of short- and long-term experts, as well as on-

site interventions. Since its establishment, MASHAV has promoted the centrality of human

resource enrichment and institutional capacity building in the development process – an

approach which has attained global consensus.

In its programs and philosophy, MASHAV adheres to the accepted international principles

as stated, among others, in the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the Johannesburg Summit

on Sustainable Development, the Monterrey Consensus, the Paris Declaration on Aid

Effectiveness, the Accra Agenda for Action and the Doha Conference on Financing for

Development. The success of development work necessitates responsible and involved

political leadership, either on the national or local level, and a cadre of locally based

professionals capable of taking ownership, while adhering to regional, national and local

development strategies and goals. Moreover, the approach of any development program

must be comprehensive, inclusive and carried out in an integrative fashion, thereby

endorsing a holistic approach to meeting all basic human needs. Israel’s own development

experience enables it to design comprehensive and integrative programs both for urban

and rural settings, which are of critical concern to developing countries.

On May 10, 2010, Israel became one of three countries invited, unanimously, to become

members of the Organization for International Cooperation and Development (OECD).

When Israel gains full-fledged membership in the coming months, it will become part of

an important organization dedicated to improving economic, social and environmental

policymaking in the interests of citizens of OECD countries and of countries around the

world. The OECD is – alongside the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund – one

of the three leaders in designing the architecture of the world’s economy.

Joining the OECD brings benefits, advantages and obligations expressed through

the country’s Official Development Assistance. In this context, the goals of MASHAV’s

International Development Cooperation Program are very much in line with those of the

OECD, including, among others, aid effectiveness and country ownership. The economic

crisis the world is facing today is a devastating addition to the food crisis, the energy crisis

and the climate change crisis. I believe that MASHAV is best positioned to join forces with

others in the global efforts to deal with these crises. We have to continue our efforts to

eradicate extreme poverty and hunger and contribute to the achievement of the Millennium

Development Goals through successful international cooperation and partnership. In more

than 52 years of activity, over 260,000 professionals from 160 countries and territories have

participated in MASHAV’s professional programs. They have become agents of change

embarked on the important mission of supporting sustainable development in their own

countries, in order to contribute to a more secure, equitable, and prosperous world.

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SHALOM CLUBS

The VII Latin American and Caribbean

Shalom Clubs Conference took place

in November in Lima, Peru. Over 200

Shalom Club members participated, representing

Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica,

Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay,

Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. The gathering

encouraged the exchange of ideas and proposals

for influencing the development processes in Latin

American countries.

The festive event was jointly organized by

the Peru Shalom Club and the Embassy of

Israel. Israel’s Vice Prime Minister and Foreign

Minister, Avigdor Liberman, sent a message to

the Conference participants, stating that “The

activities of MASHAV in Latin America for the

benefit of development cooperation have been

extensive. The graduates of MASHAV courses form

the nucleus of the continent’s Shalom Clubs, and LA

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MASHAV maintains contact with many of its former course participants through its network of more than 70 Shalom Clubs worldwide. These clubs serve as a forum for MASHAV alumni to

participate in professional and social activities. Members are invited to attend local lectures by skilled experts, to exchange ideas and to organize technical cooperation and humanitarian assistance as well as holding cultural functions. Among the many activities that have been organized by Shalom Clubs have been workshops on professional topics, organization of events to raise funds for local charities, mobilization of club members to donate their professional services for community development and humanitarian activities. Members of the Shalom Clubs play an integral role in determining the focus and scope of

are ambassadors of goodwill. They express in

very a clear way the friendship and cooperation

existing between Israel and Latin American

countries.”

Israeli Ambassador to Peru Yoav Bar-On

addressed the participants, stating that,

“Knowledge is not the heritage of just one

man, of one nation. It is the heritage of all

humankind… I hope that this spirit of mutual

cooperation will deepen the friendship between

our countries, sharing our faith that people all

over the world will be able to find constructive

solutions to the many problems of our time.”

Upon conclusion, a Joint Declaration was signed

by the attending Shalom Club Presidents.

The Shalom Club Paraguay gathered

together in January over 100

graduates of MASHAV courses and

their families, members of the local Jewish

community and special guests to commemorate

the Jewish festival of Tu Bishvat (the New Year

for Trees). Welcoming remarks were offered by

Shalom Club president Lisandro Cardozo, who

thanked the distinguished audience for their

presence and urged all to continue working for

good relations between Paraguay and Israel.

The honorary consul of Israel in Paraguay,

Max Haber, congratulated the MASHAV alumni

for such a noble initiative, which serves as

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inspiration for other tree-planting projects in

Paraguay, reiterating that the alumni are true

ambassadors of Israel. The The honorary consul of

Israel in Paraguay, Max Haber, congratulated the

MASHAV alumni for such a noble initiative, which

serves as inspiration for other tree-planting projects

in Paraguay, reiterating that the alumni are true

ambassadors of Israel. The location selected for

the festivities was the Israel Forest, where there

are over 200 trees of native species, many of which

are in danger of extinction. Following the welcome

messages all the guests enjoyed local delicacies and

a colorful artistic dancing program.

The Shalom Club Madagascar met in

March with Israeli Ambassador Daniel

Saada, who briefed the club members

about the existing relations between Israel and

Madagascar. The Shalom Club continuously

encourages its members to maintain contact with

their training institution in Israel, and also to

participate in club activities.

The annual gathering of the MASHAV

graduates from Ecuador, took place in

June in the city of Manta. This special

event was held within the framework of celebrating

the State of Israel’s 62nd Independence Day. Over

150 graduates of MASHAV courses participated

in the event, as well as many representatives of

governmental bodies in various fields and members

of the media. The event was organized by SEADI

(the Organization of Friends of Israel) and was

hosted by the Ambassador of Israel in Ecuador,

Eyal Selah and the Embassy’s staff. During the

professional panels held during the gathering,

the participants discussed ways to implement

the knowledge they had acquired in Israel for the

benefit of their country.

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The annual gathering of the Shalom

Club Georgia took place in April, with the

participation of over 300 Shalom Club

members. The event included a reception, a concert

and welcome notes by the Ilia II, the Patriarch of

the Georgian Orthodox Church, the Georgian Deputy

Prime Minister, Temur Iakobashvili and Israeli

Ambassador to Georgia Itzhak Gerberg.

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The President and members of the Shalom

Club North-West province in Cameroon

met in November 2009 with the newly

appointed Israeli Ambassador to Cameroon,

Michael Arbel. The Shalom Club members briefed

the Ambassador regarding a medical campaign

that they carried out in May 2009 in benefit of the

people of the Batibo region, and expressed their

wish to organize more such enterprises.

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MASHAVhttp: / /mashav.mfa.gov.il News

MASHAV SEMINAR ON GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

A seminar on “Israel’s Preparations for Climate Change”

took place at the Foreign Ministry in January. The seminar

was jointly organized by MASHAV, Israel’s National Agency

for International Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign

Affairs, and the Training Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign

Affairs, in cooperation with the Ministry of Environmental

Protection. Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon stated

at the opening of the seminar: “Preserving the wonderful

resources of the planet is an existential value for us, with

moral, economic and political importance. We live in an

environment of deficiency, especially in Israel, which has

a shortage of water, and accordingly we must treat the

subject with the appropriate seriousness.” Topics at the

seminar included reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the

implications for the energy industry and the local economy,

and uniquely Israeli aspects of coping with problems in the

fields of research, technology and business.

ISRAEL AND GERMANY SIGN COOPERATION AGREEMENT

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon and German

Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development

Dirk Niebel signed an MOU in Berlin in January, regarding

development cooperation with emphasis on water and

agriculture.

Following the cooperation agreement signed between the

two parties in March 2008, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign

Affairs through MASHAV, and the German Federal Ministry

for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), will join

forces to contribute to the achievement of the Millennium

Development Goals by enhancing cooperation in the Middle

East, Africa and Central Asia with particular emphasis on

water management, agricultural development and public

health.

Within this framework, a first joint seminar between

MASHAV and InWent – the German Aid Agency – took

place in June at MASHAV’s International Training Center

in Shefayim. MASHAV and InWent development experts

introduced their respective organizations and discussed

German Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and

Development Dirk Niebel (left) and Ambassador Haim Divon,

Head of MASHAV, during the joint MASHAV-InWent seminar

different approaches of Aid Effectiveness. Federal Minister

Dirk Niebel, who was visiting Israel at the head of a large

delegation at the time, joined the seminar and greeted the

participants.

31

A professional course was held in January at CINADCO for

professionals from Central Asia and Caucasus Countries.

The aim of the program was to share Israel’s knowledge

and experience in effective strategies and management of

limited water resources and ecological issues; including

identification of new water resources and water and

soil-saving irrigation technologies in arid and semi-

arid conditions, while taking into consideration the

adaptability of this know-how to the local conditions of the

participants’ respective countries. The course concluded

with a professional round-table discussion held at the

Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, including a festive closing

ceremony where the 28 experts from Armenia, Georgia,

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan met

with Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign

Affairs Avigdor Liberman.

MANAGEMENT AND EFFICIENT USE OF SCARCE WATER RESOURCES

Foreign Minister Liberman (fourth from left) and

MASHAV course participants at the closing ceremony.

MASHAV, together with NATO and the Rambam Medical

Center in Haifa, held in November 2009 an advanced

course on “The best ways of training for mass-casualty

situations”. This is the first time MASHAV and NATO have

cooperated on a project. The workshop was designed for

FIRST-TIME COOPERATION BETWEEN MASHAV AND NATO: TRAINING FOR MASS-CASUALTY EVENTS

Photo

: Hillel G

abai

The United Nations Food Program (WFP) and MASHAV

signed in February a Memorandum of Cooperation

(MOC) in the field of Water Management, including

Irrigation and Drinking Water Systems. The MOC aims

at providing a framework for collaborative efforts on

international programs and activities by identifying

areas of common interest and priorities based on Nepal’s

development strategies. This framework of cooperation

includes enhancing capacity building programs and the

strengthening of institutional capabilities.WFP Country Director to Nepal Richard Ragan (left) and Israel

Ambassador to Nepal Dan Stav at the signing ceremony.

MASHAV AND UNWFP SIGN MOC IN NEPAL

Photo

: WF

P-Ja

mes G

iam

bro

ne

doctors, nurses, hospital administrators and first-responder

organizations that deal with treating the injured in mass-

casualty events. Professionals from NATO member states in

Europe as well as former Soviet Union and Mediterranean

states attended.

MASHAVhttp: / /mashav.mfa.gov.il News32

A special seminar marking the World Water Day was

held in Israel in March, following close cooperation

between MASHAV, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

the Water Authority and the Ministry of National

Infrastructures. The international marking of World

Water Day is an initiative that grew out of the 1992

United Nations Conference on Environment and

Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, where 178

countries, including Israel, ratified “Agenda 21”, which

aimed to determine the international environmental

agenda for the 21st century.

During the seminar, the World Bank Development Report

(WDR) 2010 on Development and Climate Change was

presented by leading World Bank representatives:

Ms. Julia Bucknall, Sector Manager, Water Anchor,

Energy, Transport and Water Department, lead author

of the chapter on Water and Land of the WDR; and Mr.

Andrea Liverani, Senior Social Development Specialist,

Sustainable Development Department, Middle East

and North Africa Region and lead author of the chapter

on the political economy of the WDR.

The 2010 Report states that: “Poverty reduction and

sustainable development remain core global priorities.

Yet climate change must urgently be addressed since

it threatens all countries, with developing countries

the most vulnerable. A climate-smart world is within

our reach. Countries need to act now because today’s

decisions determine both the climate of tomorrow

and the choices that shape the future. Countries need

to act together because no one nation can take

on the interconnected challenges posed by climate

THE UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT

The 43rd annual meeting of the UN Commission on

Population and Development (CPD) was held in April,

and focused on the issue of “Health, Morbidity, Mortality

and Development.” Israeli Ambassador Daniel Carmon,

Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, acted

as Chairman of the Commission. Two leading Israeli

MARKING WORLD WATER DAY AND THE PRESENTATION OF THE WORLD BANK DEVELOPMENT REPORT

Marking World Water Day (from left to right): Ambassador Divon,

Ms. Julia Bucknall, and Dr.Yeshayahu Bar-Or, Chief Scientist,

Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection

change, and global cooperation is needed to improve energy

efficiencies and develop new technologies. Countries need to act differently, because we cannot plan for the future based on the

climate of the past.”

Following the WDR presentation, attending leading Israeli

representatives from academia, civil society and private and

governmental sectors responded, reviewing the situation in

Israel and focusing on how Israel can contribute to and join

the international community efforts in combating the effects of

global climate change.

The special event ended with a visit to the recently opened

desalination plant in Hadera. The new plant, considered the

largest of its kind in the world and Israel’s third desalination

plant, is now transferring desalinated seawater to the system of

Mekorot, Israel’s national water company.

experts, Prof. Alex Leventhal, Director, Department of

International Relations, Ministry of Health; and Prof. Sergio

DellaPergola, The Shlomo Argov Chair on Israel-Diaspora

Relations, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, offered

statements regarding the importance of such issues to

sustainable development.

33

MASHAV-CICA SEMINAR ON ADVANCED WATER MANAGEMENT FOR AGRICULTURAL AND URBAN USE

A seminar on “Advanced Water Management for Agricultural

and Urban Use” with the participation of representatives

from nine member states of CICA (Korea, Thailand, India,

Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Jordan and

Israel) and from the CICA Secretariat, took place in Israel

in May. The Conference on Interaction and Confidence

Building Measures in Asia (CICA) is a multinational forum

for enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace,

security and stability in Asia.

The seminar was organized by MASHAV and CINADCO,

the Center for International Agricultural Development

Cooperation. The objective of the seminar was to bring

together representatives from CICA member states, both

at the political and professional level, to share national

experiences and exchange views on common challenges,

innovative technologies and effective instruments

for water issues management. During the seminar,

Israeli experts from the public and private sectors

presented Israel’s strategies and experience on a wide

range of water issues. The presentations were followed

by discussions and comments by the participants, who

identified possible implications and relevancy to their own

water use and management issues.

A workshop entitled “Maximizing Outcomes with Minimum

Resources for Development Communication,” jointly

organized by MASHAV and DevCom, the Informal Network

of DAC Development Communicators, whose secretariat

is hosted by the OECD Development Center, took place in

Haifa in June.

Many communicators and development experts must cope

with managing their communication plans and strategies

with small budgets or decreased resources. The challenge

is to provide coherence, visibility and clear results for

ODA delivery. Being strategic and efficient is essential

for achieving results from development communication

and convincing key decision makers of the importance

of communication efforts. To address these questions, the

workshop gathered communication experts to discuss

strategies and tools to achieve better outcomes of their

communication actions. Participants were encouraged to

MASHAV-DEVCOM WORKSHOP

bring examples of good practice and share their perspectives

on development communication with limited resources, and

case studies were presented from Poland, Spain, Slovakia,

Estonia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic.

34 MASHAVhttp: / /mashav.mfa.gov.il News

OECD ANTI-BRIBERY CONVENTION

According to Israel’s obligations as a member of the “OECD

Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials

in International Business Transactions”, the Ministry

of Foreign Affairs is committed to act according to the

Convention, ensuring that it is implemented at all levels

and at all diplomatic missions. Within this framework, in

June MASHAV’s Director of Planning and External Relations

delivered a presentation during a special gathering of

MASHAV’s training centers and affiliates, to increase

awareness of the Convention.

COOPERATION BETWEEN ISRAELI AND TURKISH RESCUE UNITS

A delegation including 10 professionals from AKUT – the

Turkish Rescue Unit – arrived in Israel in April, to train

together with members of Israel’s Arava Search and Rescue

Unit. This special program, under MASHAV’s auspices, was

held within the framework of a cooperation program existing

between the two units, and which includes the exchange of

professional knowledge and training in rescue techniques

in the face of natural disasters. Cooperation activities take

place three times a year both in Turkey and in Israel.

ISRAEL INVITED TO JOIN OECD

In May the Organization for International Cooperation and

Development (OECD) invited Israel to become a member of

the organization. The unanimous decision, taken by the 31

member states, recognizes Israel’s achievements, economic

strength and ability to contribute to the organization and

to the world’s economy. Becoming a member state of the

OECD will lead to economic advances and enhance Israel’s

image, as well as improving the functioning of various

sectors in Israel’s society and economy, including in the

fields of environment, education and employment. The

improvement and upgrading process will continue even

after Israel joins the OECD as part of the government’s

commitment to ongoing peer review by the organization

and to adjust its regulation policy to the standards held by

member states.

35

Photo

:O

AS

ESTABLISHING BURNS CENTER IN EASTERN CONGO

MASHAV, together with the Israeli nonprofit aid organization

Moriah Africa, and the Los Angeles-based Jewish World

Watch Organization, joined hands to establish a Burns

Center in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Center

will be housed in the large Central Hospital in Bukavu, in

eastern Congo. In a country of 65 million people, where

almost the entire population continues to cook over open

fires and constant insecurity acutely limits access to medical

care, burns and their crippling, disfiguring after-effects are

relatively widespread. Yet modern treatment for basic burns

and skin trauma is nonexistent. This burns center will be the

first ever established in eastern Congo.

Working together with Israel’s Rambam and Soroka

hospitals, the medical exchange effort will bring expertise

and initiative together for the purpose of expanding the

surgical skills level and for creating a center for reparative

plastic surgery for the Congolese population. Combining

modern training, equipment, supplies, evaluation and

follow-up, the project is a multi-phase effort.

ISRAEL-OAS SIGN MOU

Israel and the Organization of American States (OAS) signed

a Memorandum of Understanding consolidating decades of

development cooperation. The agreement signed in May

at OAS headquarters in Washington pledges to advance

existing collaboration on education, environment, economic

and social development, poverty, gender equity, disaster

prevention and relief, agriculture, security and combating

terrorism, and crisis management. Israel has operated in

the OAS sphere since at least 1972, when it was granted

permanent observer status, and offers a number of

fellowships and training programs for Latin Americans.

“We attach great importance to this special agreement

which reflects Israel’s vision of sharing responsibility with

the nations of the world in confronting the global challenges

that we face,” said Israeli Ambassador to Washington

Michael Oren, who signed the memorandum with José

Miguel Insulza, the OAS Secretary General.

OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza (right) and

the Ambassador of Israel to the United States, Michael Oren,

sign the MOU.

36 MASHAVhttp: / /mashav.mfa.gov.il News

DISASTER MANAGEMENT TRAINING IN THE MALDIVES

The tsunami that hit the Maldives in 2004 brought up the critical need to be prepared for action in case of any future large-scale natural disaster. With that aim in mind, the President of the Republic ordered the creation

of a governmental office, under the responsibility of the Presidential Office, which will centralize all activities related to dealing with large-scale emergencies and disasters at the national level.

HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

ISRAELI DELEGATION ADDRESSES IFAD’S GOVERNING COUNCIL

Now is the time to make a difference and implement those

commitments for the good of smallholder farmers and the

rural poor. The solutions are in our hands. Technologies,

R&D, technology transfer and know-how; capacity building,

empowerment and good farm management are part of the

way forward. We have now to implement them.”

The 33rd session of Governing Council of IFAD, the

International Fund for Agricultural Development, took place

in February in Rome. Mr. Ilan Fluss, MASHAV’s Director

of Policy Planning and External Relations Department,

addressed the forum, stating that: “As the title of the

meeting today says, we have witnessed many summits,

meetings and international resolutions and commitments.

MCTC GOES INTO THE COMMUNITY

The Golda Meir International Training Center

– MCTC, in cooperation with the Israel

National Commission for UNESCO, hosted in

April, a three-week International Workshop

on Media Strategies for Social Change for

27 media-professionals from 17 countries in

Asia, Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe

and the Mediterranean Basin. To mark the

conclusion of the workshop, the participants

exhibited their final projects composed of

many photographs, audio-visual displays

and videoed interviews, in the heart of the

local community where they spent time

filming, photographing and interviewing the

multi-ethnic population of the Upper Hadar

area of the City of Haifa, just a short subway

ride from MCTC.

37

UKRAINE

In October 2009 Ukraine’s Ministry of Health announced the confirmation of pandemic H1N1 2009 virus infection. This virus has shown its ability to cause rapidly progressive respiratory complications. Following the announcement, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister contacted Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman requesting assistance in the face of the

health threat. Two days later, and in response to the request, MASHAV, together with the Foreign Ministry’s Euro-Asian Department, organized and sent to Kiev an emergency shipment including medications to treat the pandemic complications, as well as medical equipment and protective gear for the medical teams.

EYE CAMP IN KAZAKHSTAN

A team of ophthalmologists from Israel’s Enaim Medical Centers, headed by Dr. Shmuel Levinger, were sent by MASHAV to organize an eye camp in Qaraghandy, Kazakhstan. During the week-long mission, the Israeli team performed 56 cataract operations, and trained local ophthalmology professionals.

Dr. Shmuel Levinger at work in Kazakhstan

ISRAELI EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO HAITI

Following the devastating earthquake which hit Haiti, an emergency Israeli delegation comprised of medical and search and rescue personnel arrived in Port-au-Prince on January and set up a field hospital in a soccer field near the airport.

The field hospital included 40 doctors, 25 nurses, paramedics, a pharmacy, a children’s ward, a radiology department, an intensive care unit, an emergency room, two operating rooms, a surgical department, an internal department and a maternity ward. The hospital could treat approximately 500 patients each day, and in addition perform preliminary surgeries. The delegation operated in Haiti for two weeks.

In January 2010 a team of MASHAV experts headed by MASHAV’s medical advisor Dr. Yosef Baratz arrived in the Maldives to conduct a professional training program on emergency preparedness, with the purpose of transferring Israeli know-how in the field of emergency relief, while practicing different models of reaction to various scenarios. During the two-week course Israeli and Maldivian

professionals developed joint protocols for all relevant agencies to follow in times of emergencies. This joint activity is an additional important step in strengthening the relationships between the two countries. Additional cooperation is being considered in the areas of agriculture and emergency medicine.

38 MASHAVhttp: / /mashav.mfa.gov.il News

Chief Medical Office Col. Dr. Ariel Bar, and Lt.

Col. Dr. Haim Levon at work in the Israeli field hospital

in Haiti

Photo

: IDF S

pokep

erson

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Readers:

Shalom Magazine has long been one of the main links between

MASHAV and its thousands of graduates all over the world, addressing

the many issues that lie at the core of development. Over the years we

have worked hard to ensure that the magazine reaches all those who

share the commitment to strive for the development and advancement

of their country.

We encourage dialogue among our readers and invite you to submit

your comments and professional reports. As computers become more

accessible, many more of you are going on-line. If you have an e-mail

address, please forward it, enabling us to update our database and

provide you with more professional information.

You can learn more about MASHAV’s many programs and activities on

an ongoing basis by going to our Web site at http//mashav.mfa.gov.il. You can also find MASHAV in Facebook (“Israel Center for International Cooperation”) and on Twitter (MASHAVisrael).

Enjoy this issue of Shalom!

AVNIT RIFKIN

Editor

Shalom MagazineP.O.Box 34140Jerusalem 91341ISRAELshalom@haigud.org.il

January 2010

Dear Editor,First of all I would like to thank you

and Shalom magazine editorial

staff for sending me the Magazine

regularly. It helps me know about the

developmental activity throughout

the world by the experts. Upon my

return from Israel, after completing the

Postgraduate Course on Aquaculture

Since ornamental fish breeding and

culture is my subject of research, I

have disseminated the technology and

visual experience I gained witnessing

aquaculture practices in kibbutz

Ma’agan Michael, for the benefit of

the poor farmers in rural areas, to

improve livelihood security. Of course

the breeding technology of ornamental

fishes modified as per the climatic

condition of the region.

In 2003 we also conducted a training

program at CIFA (ICAR), Bhubaneswar

on Aquaculture Production Technology

with the help of Israeli experts, Mr

Moti Feldite and team from kibbutz

Gan Shmuel, with the participation

of many local experts and scientists.

Now I am working as a Principal

Scientist in the Central Institute of

Freshwater Aquaculture under the

Indian Council of Agricultural Research

at Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India. I am

now interested in organizing a special

program under the banner of MASHAV

on Ornamental fish breeding and

culture for the unemployed youth,

to generate income and improve

livelihood security.

Warm regards,

Dr Saroj K. SwainPrincipal Scientist

Central Institute of Freshwater

Aquaculture

INDIA

sarojswain2008@gmail.com

�April 2010

Dear Editor,It is my great pleasure to read your

Magazine for Alumni of MASHAV

training courses in Israel. I attended a

training session for almost 3 months at

the Weitz Centre and I truly enjoyed

Production and Management in October

1999, at the Hebrew University Faculty of

Agriculture, I started delivering a seminar

about the Israel and the knowledge

I gained on aquaculture. I have been

able to apply much of the knowledge

I gained. I have also published my good

experience in the local daily newspaper

of Orissa State.

39

41

the lectures. They were knowledgeable

and educational, and I certainly

utilized what I have learnt in my work

environment.

Special thanks to Mr. Michael Gorelik,

Mordechai Benari, and the rest of

staff for making my stay at Rehovot

enjoyable and welcoming. I have

already encouraged my friends in

my country, to visit the best place on

this earth – Israel. Please continue to

send magazines to my address. Also,

in order to maintain the friendship

linkage between my country and

Israel, I would be grateful if you could

publish my email address for people

who wish to correspond with me.

Keep on doing the good work that you

have been doing.

God Bless Israel!

Melvina WalshDOMINICA

wmelvina@yahoo.co.uk

�

May 2010

Dear Editor,I thank you for keeping me on the

Shalom Magazine mailing list. I

participated at the Life Long Education

course at the Aharon Ofri International

Study Center, Ramat Rachel, from

November to December 1994. It was

a great privilege and a most exciting

experience. I am delighted to get in

touch with you again now that the

e-mail facility is here. My regards

to those on my course from Africa,

Eastern Europe, Latin America, West

Indies, and Fiji, it will be great to hear

from them again.

God bless Israel, peace be upon

Jerusalem.

Shalom!

Remi AjayiNIGERIA

remmmymyn@yahoo.co.uk

July 2010

Dear Editor I attended the 4th International course

on Biological and Physical Aspects

of Crop Production in Arid Zones in

December 1993 - January 1994 at the

Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert

Research (IDR), Desert Agrobiology

Center. Participants from at least 26

countries worldwide attended the

course.

It is now about 15 years since

I participated in the course but my

memory is still vividly clear about the

professional manner and scholarly way

we were treated to scientific learning

process. The impact the course has had

on me as a person and in my career

can be seen in the achievements I

have made in the professional growth

and development of my career. I am

now an Associate Professor advancing

steadily towards a full Professor

having achieved a doctorate degree

in 1999. We who have benefited from

similar experiences owe our gratitude

to MASHAV and the State of Israel for

its dedication to reach out to the world

in sharing with the world its wealth

of experiences in its achievements

in areas of leadership, technology,

agriculture and resource management.

Thank you MASHAV.

Best regards,

Leonard S. WamochoKENYA

wamocho@yahoo.com

�

January 2010

Dear Editor,Warm greetings from Seychelles

Islands, Indian Ocean! Forty years

ago I completed training at the Afro-

Asian Institute for Labor & Cooperative

Studies, Tel Aviv. That was in

addition to my studies of Economics

& Industrial Relations at Makerere

University in 1967 and 68. Three

years later I received further training

in Addis Ababa on Labor Information

& Statistics. These were wonderful

opportunities that led me to very

important roles for the development

of our island communities before and

since our national independence.

Few months after my return home

from Israel, I received support to put

together a team for the development

of a small farm and fishing activities at

our second largest island community.

That was followed with new

responsibilities as trade union and

cooperative leader, parliamentarian,

Seychelles first Ambassador, Minister

for Agriculture & Fisheries until end

of 1982. Since 1992 I have created and

developed civil society organizations

with concentration on human rights

and development, supported with

additional training in International

Human Rights & Humanitarian Law.

The kind of training I received in Israel

at the age of 22, followed by further

training during 40 years, have led

me to self-reliance and significant

recognition nationally

and internationally. I feel so proud and

thankful to the trainers who guided

me to strengthen my potentials and

valorize my intelligence. It is my strong

desire to visit again your country, to

express my admiration to MASHAV

initiatives and excellent contributions

to so many communities across the

globe. Accept my congratulations

for MASHAV contributions to the

promotion of global citizenship

empowerment.

Mathew A. ServinaFounder & Chair

Small Island Institute for

Transformation & Empowerment

SEYCHELLES

cefrad.servina@gmail.com

�

40

41

ED

ITO

RIA

L B

OA

RD

EDITORIAL BOARD

HAIM DIVON

Deputy Director GeneralMinistry of Foreign AffairsHead of MASHAVJerusalem

ILAN FLUSS

DirectorMASHAV Policy Planning and ExternalRelations DepartmentJerusalem

YAACOV ABUTBUL

Deputy Director GeneralHaigud Society for Transfer of TechnologyJerusalem

GERSHON GAN

Ambassador (retired)Israel Ministry of Foreign AffairsJerusalem

MAZAL RENFORD

DirectorGolda Meir Mount Carmel InternationalTraining CenterHaifa

JOYCE FRIED

Course CoordinatorDivision for External studiesFaculty of Agricultural, Food andEnvironmental Quality SciencesHebrew University of JerusalemRehovot

EDITOR: Avnit Rifkin

PRODUCTION &GRAPHIC DESIGN: Youval Tal Ltd.

PUBLISHED BY: Haigud Society for Transfer of Technology P.O.Box 34140 Jerusalem 91341

Printed in IsraelISSN 0792-8262

February 2010

Dear Editor,I am happy to receive copies of Shalom

Magazine. The magazine helps me

have the new information about MCTC

in Israel.

I was lucky that the Ministry of Training

and Education of Viet Nam sent me

to participate in the International

Course on Bilingual and Multilingual

Language for Early Childhood

Education at MCTC in Haifa from

November 15 to December 5, 2001.

Despite the many years passed, I have

still memories of my teachers and staff,

they helped me understand and respect

the culture and history of Israel. I am

still able to use the knowledge I gained

in the challenges presented in my work

in Bilingual Language Education for

Ethnic Children. I would like to express

my thanks to the Ministry of Foreign

Affair of Israel, and to the Israeli

Ambassador in Viet Nam, who helped

me so much. I take this opportunity to

send my thanks to my teachers and the

staff at MCTC. I wish they are happiness

and health. Thank you very much for

having still me in mind to posting

Shalom Magazine.

Best regards,

Le Bich Ngoc6/6/31 Dang Van Ngu

Hanoi

VIETNAM

ecdngoc@yahoo.com.vn

�This letter was sent to the Israeli Embassy in Moscow, Russia:

January 2010

Dear Sir, I write to you to show my gratitude

for the unique opportunity you gave

me by choosing me to participate

in a MASHAV training seminar on

“Agricultural Engineering Technologies”

held in November 2009.

The seminar was designed in a high

scientific and educational level,

including the knowledge received,

and the great professionalism of both

the organizers and the lecturers.

The modern studies conducted by

specialists of CINADCO in the area of

wastewater treatment and of plant

stress, are very important for my future

work. The knowledge I acquired in

animal husbandry and horticulture

has been more than I expected. The

very successful training program was

aligned with the cultural program to

study the successful development of

your country, including touring the

major sights and nature.

With best regards,

Vragova Elena VladimirovnaInstitution of the Russian Academy of

Sciences

Institute of Soil Science and

Agrochemistry

RUSSIA

vragovae@rambler.ru

�January 2010

Dear Editor,Let me first congratulate MASHAV for celebrating its 50th anniversary during this 2008. If I am too late for congratulating this mega event, let me convey the advance one for the coming 100th. I was one of the lucky 25 participants in the International R&D Course on “Irrigation and Fertigation in Controlled Environment during November 23, 2004 to December 16, 2004 at CINADCO.

I can still remember those sweet days spent with friends from all around the globe. Our teachers and advisors were very helpful. The lessons we learnt have practical implications and we are trying to translate the same in our countries. I would like to convey my sincere regards and best wishes to everyone associated with MASHAV, CINADCO, and ARO, the Shalom Club Members, and Shalom Magazine. To all my fellow participants, God bless you.

Sincerely yours

Dr.Amit Baran SharangiAssociate Professor,

Department of Spices and Plantation Crops INDIA

dr_absharangi@yahoo.co.in