Friends of the Earth Middle East - FoEME

May 10, 2007 - Red Sea Dead Sea Conduit Conference

Friends of the Earth Middle East led an independent economic and environmental assessment of the proposed Red Sea / Dead Sea canal project, funded by the MERC program of the U.S. Government.

Partners in research included the Geological Survey of Israel, that studied the environmental impacts on the Arava Valley and the Dead Sea; the Royal Scientific Society (Jordan) that studied the environmental impacts on the Gulf of Aqaba / Eilat; and the Water and Environment Development Organization (Palestinian NGO) that together with the Royal Scientific Society studied the socio-economic effects of the proposed canal.

Results of the research project were presented at this conference, held on May 10th at the YMCA, on King David St. Jerusalem.

All final research publications that were distributed at the conference are available on this website under Publications / Red Dead Conduit.

March 1, 2007 - British Opposition Leader Plants a Tree on the Green Line

On March 1, David Cameron, leader of Britian's opposition party and the leading candidate for Prime Minister, visited FoEME's Good Water Neighbor communities of Wadi Fukin and Tsur Hadassah. Also in attendance were the British Ambassador to Israel, Mr. Tom Philips, the General Consule from Jerusalem, Mr. Richard Makepeace and several other diplomats from the British Embassy.

Mr. Cameron learned of the cooperation between the Israeli and Palestinian communities that have so far been able to halt the building of the Separation Barrier. Here, the Barrier threatens to destroy the unique cultural landscape of Wadi Fukin where ancient agricultural practices are still in place.

The delegation, together with residents from Wadi Fukin and Tsur Hadassah, planted olive trees in the area, and then visited the village of Wadi Fukin, where they heard explanations of the traditional irrigation methods.

Read Mr. Camaron's letter to FoEME after the visit

Feb. 9, 2006 - WTO and us...

FoEME, together with "Kol Ha'Isha" held a meeting to discuss the relevance of the World Trade Organization in the lives of civil society.

It took place in the offices of Kol Ha'Isha, 40 King George St., Jerusalem on Thursday, February 9th, at 18:00.

See invitation and details (Hebrew)

July 16-20, 2006 - Experts Mission

Feasibility Study - Experts Mission of Lower Jordan Valley as a potential UNESCO World Heritage site

FoEME has invited international experts for a 4-day tour of the Lower Jordan Valley, from July 16-20, where together with local experts and stakeholders, we will visit natural, cultural and historic sites along the Eastern and Western banks of the River Valley. The mission will assist FoEME to understand the feasibility of the Valley as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

March 23, 2006 - Workshop on Planning of Sansan Area

This workshop highlighted the balance needed in planning of the Tzur Hadassah & Wadi Fukin area.

It took place from 13:30 - 16:30 in Jerusalem, at the offices of The Society for the Protection of Nature, 13 Heleney Hamalka Street, with a wide range of speakers and presentations as well as a disucssion panel at the end.

March 22, 2006 - Jordan Valley / Dead Sea Mayors Forum

On March 22, 2006, FoEME, together with Miami University and Florida International University, held a Jordan Valley / Dead Sea "Mayors Forum" meeting at the Jordan Valley / Kinneret College. This was the 3rd such meeting where mayors and municipal representatives from the Lower Jordan Valley and Dead Sea Basin met together to discuss cross border projects. This time, the focus was on potential cross border tourism projects, as it came on the heels of participation in the Tiberias Tourism Border conference.

Many ideas were presented and are now being pursued for further actions:
- A proposed Transboundary Peace Park to straddle both sides of the Jordan River in the area of the Gesher (Old Bridges) site. A tour of the proposed site followed the meeting, with other relevant stakeholders also present.
- Linking the Wadi Harod rehabilitation and restoration project to its opposite Jordanian Wadi Zagleb. Exchange visits will soon take place.
- Creating a common statement for all Jordan Valley festivals, to raise awareness of the common history and culture of the area. A statement has been proposed and is awaiting agreement from all participating municipalities.
- To promote the opening to the public of the baptism site near Jericho. Pressure from the local churches and tourism sectors are now being actively pursued.
- To find common solutions to the fly problem in the lower Dead Sea region. Composting solutions will be looked into in the coming weeks.

We are all very excited about these cross border projects; they have come directly out of the communities themselves, while promoting sustainable development and peace building issues together.

Choose Photo Album entitled "Mayors Forum 03.06" for photos of the event

April 20, 2006 - Earth Day Event

Friends of the Earth Middle East held an event for Earth Day at the Gesher / Old Bridges tourist site on Thursday, April 20th.

The Jordanian mayor of the North Shuneh area met Israeli mayors from the Tamar Regional Council and the Beit She'an Valley Council in the middle of the Jordan River!

The Mayors released a 'message in a bottle' expressing their common call to rehabilitate the Lower Jordan River and save the Dead Sea.

Measurements were taken of the river's depth, speed and water quality, while a kayak shuffled refreshments back and forth to the guests.

The event was very successful. For the first time, Israelis and Jordanians were allowed to come down to the banks of the Jordan River and meet in the waters at this International Border.

Without permission and cooperation from both the Jordanian and Israeli armies, this historical event would not have been able to take place!

Choose photo album entitled "Earth day 2006" to see photos of the event.

July 26, 2006 - Ecological Garden Inaugural Ceremony

Ecological gardens are currently being built in all 17 communities of FoEMEs Good Water Neighbors project.

Friends of the Earth Middle East held an inaugural ceremony of the ecological garden at the Ibn Huldon Elementary School in Baka Al-Garbiya, on 26 July, 2006, from 10:00 am until 11:30 am.

The ceremony dedicating the Ecological Garden Project also included an activity area built from recyclable materials for the use of the pupils and teachers. The project is the fruit of a co-operative effort on the part of FoEME's local staff, students, teachers, the headmaster Mr. Anboussi, and private businesses in Baka Al-Garbiya. This project is a good example of a community-environmental-educational activity which positively impacts the visual and qualitative aspects of the school.

The honorable Minister of Environment, Mr. Gidon Ezra and the EU Ambassador to Israel Mr. Ramiro Cibrian-Uzal both participated.

View photos of the stages of building of the garden, by clicking on the photo album and chosing Baka el Gharbia Ecological Garden.

Choose the "Baka el Gharbia Ecological Garden" photo album to view photos of this event.

July 18, 2006 - Med-Youth Creating a Sustainable Med-Future

The environmental non-governmental organization "MEDITERRANEAN SOS Network", is organizing the Intercultural Youth Exchange Program Med-Youth Creating a Sustainable Med-Future, which will be held in Naxos Island, Municipality of Drymalia from July 20-31, 2006.

The event is being co-financed by The Anna Lindh Foundation, which is based in Alexandria, Egypt, and is an International Civil Society Organization having an intergovernmental Board of Governors. As a major common instrument of the Barcelona Process, the Foundation was established by the Euro-Mediterranean Partners and promotes understanding between cultures and exchanges between civil societies.

27 participants from 8 countries will take part in the Exchange:

Partner Organizations:

MEDITERRANEAN SOS NETWORK, (Greece)
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT PROJECTS OF SABANCI UNIVERSITY (Turkey)
CESIE ONLUS (Italy)
ARABIA Pl (Poland)
FOEME (Jordan)
AFS (Egypt)
IPYL (Palestine)
VZW MEISJESHUIS- JEUGDHUIS KAARDERIJ (Belgium)

FoEME has nominated three participants who will be presenting the important role of women in the sustainable development process.

Participants will enhance intercultural dialogue through workshops on cultural, environmental and social issues. Participants will also develop joint artistic activities that will be exhibited on a local level through the Art Exhibition.

Click here to see 24 slides / photos of this special event.

August 1, 2006 - Radio All For Peace - FoEME Weekly Environmental Broadcasts

Radio All for Peace

FoEME has been invited to do a weekly radio broadcast about environmental issues in the region, on the radio station "All For Peace", 107.2 FM.

FoEME Staff will give the news in both Hebrew and Arabic as follows:

Hebrew environmental news - every Monday at 07:45
Arabic environmental news - every Wednesday at 19:00

The interviews can also be heard through the Radio All for Peace website by clicking on the morning show, and then on FoEME's logo on the left panel.

September 8-9, 2006 - Art Workshop

FoEME organized an art workshop for children from the Jordan Valley, related to water issues with a specific focus on the Jordan River.

The workshop took place on the 8th - 9th of September from 10am - 5pm at the Wild Jordan Nature Centre - Tree room in Amman.

The Water Exhibition was held with children ages 10-12 from the "Good Water Neighbors" Jordanian communities of Deir Alla, Sheikh Hussein, North Shoneh, and Al-Safi. The children worked in all media forms including paint and clay for their art projects and were helped by professional artists from Amman.

The children were very excited about the Water Exhibition, and the response from the art community in regards to lending their expertise was overwhelming.

The Water Exhibition has elements of human development as well as nature protection. The project strives to be a means by which the residents of the Jordan Valley can express themselves in Amman. The issues facing the Valley are different from those facing Amman, and it is important that voices from the Valley be heard. The project also seeks to increase awareness of the serious water issues the people of the valley face including the deteriorating state of the Jordan River.

The workshop attracted media attention; three newspapers, one magazine and Jordan television interviewed us on the morning show!
See Children convey views on water degradation through art article in the Jordan Times covering the event.

Choose Photo Album entitled "Art Workshop, Amman" to view photos from this event.

The project is supported by the EU Partnership for Peace program, The Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund and the UK Governments Global Opportunities Fund.

September 6, 2006 - Beit Shean, Pella Mayors Meeting

As part of the Good Water Neighbours project EcoPeace / Friends of the Earth Middle East held an important visit of the Jordanian Mayor of Pella, Mr. Mahmoun Alowneh, to Beit She'an in Israel where he met with the Mayor of Beit She'an, Jacky Levi, and the mayor of the Beit She'an Regional council, Dani Tamari.

The mayors committed to launch cooperation to promote tourism linking the Beit She'an National Park and the Pella Archeological Reserve and to restore Nahal Harod and Wadi Ziglab both presently responsible for polluting the River Jordan.

The visit included powerpoint presentations on common problems of concern, a tour of Beit Shean National Park, of Nahal Harod, of the sewage treatment plant in progress and of the city of Beit Shean.

The Mayor of Pella has invited the Israeli Mayors for a follow up exchange visit after Ramadan that FoEME will organize.

The project is supported by the EU Partnership for Peace program, The Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund and the UK Governments Global Opportunities Fund.

Choose the Photo Album "Beit Shean Pella Mayors Meeting" to view photos from this event.

September 7, 2006 - Cross-Border Adult Forum Meeting

Israeli and Palestinian community members from Baka el Sharkia, Baka el Gharbia, Tulkarem and Emek Hefer (all participants of the Good Water Neighbors Project) met at Baka el Gharbia to discuss common environmental issues. The subject of the meeting was "Solid Waste & Sewage - Problems & Solutions".

Members of these communities are particularly concerned about pollution of the shared Israeli-Palestinian water source of the Mountain Aquifer.

Presentations were given about environmental and water issues in the area, members shared ideas between them and then had a site tour to examine particular problems of Baka el Gharbia as well as progress made through the project.

October 8-10 2006 - Childrens Art Exhibit

On October 8-10, FoEME exhibited artwork by Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian children participating in our Good Water Neighbors project.

The exhibit took place at a popular Tel Aviv Art Exhibit entitled "Haaretz Art 5" in the Reading Power Station Complex. (See attached invitation) for more details.

In the framework of the "Good Water Neighbors" project, the children have learned to recognize the water reality in the Middle East, in their own communities as well as in their cross-border neighboring community. The children have expressed their experiences and knowledge in artwork and one can see how the issue of Water and Environment can be a bridge for cooperation.

October 18, 2006 - World Water Monitoring Day

World Water Monitoring Day, held for the last 4 years on the 18th of October in 50 countries around the world, aims to raise public awareness as to how local water resources are being managed.

This year, Friends of the Earth Middle East and the Israel Nature & Parks Authority measured the waters of the Lower Jordan River, submitting the results to the the World Water Monitoring Day Data Base.

As expected, the results were very harsh: oxygen levels in the River's water are almost half of what they should be, and conductivity is three times higher than the waters of the Sea of Galilee, both pointing to a severe state of pollution of the River.

November 20, 2006 - Cross Border Mayors Meeting

Israeli Mayors from Beit She'an City and Beit She'an Valley Regional Council were invited to meet with the Jordanian Mayor of Pella in Jordan. This was the second such meeting to take place, this time in Jordan.

The mayors signed on a Memorandum of Understanding to work towards "the rehabilitation of the Ziglab - Harod streams as a cooperative effort and as a centerpiece of peace building activities between the neighboring communities..."

The mayors declared their intention that this activity be the start of a larger rehabilitation project of the River Jordan.

Choose photo album "Pella Beit Shean Mayors Meeting" to view photos from this event.

December 4-8, 2006 - Jordan Valley Tour

From December 4-8, 2006, FoEME held an important 5-day tour of the Lower Jordan Valley. See itinerary and Supplementary Guide with photos and explanations of sites.

For the first time Mayors and municipal representatives - Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli - all from the Jordan Valley were able to see together the unique cultural and natural heritage that they share.

The request for the tour came from the Mayors as most had never visited the sites of their neighboring community. While each site has its own importance, it's only when the individual sites are framed together in a common narrative that the global values of the Jordan Valley are truly exposed.

Mayors, municipal representatives, tourism, planning, environment and antiquity officials all witnessed first hand the missed opportunities of current development patterns and the need to promote crossborder cooperation including that of rehabilitating the River Jordan.

Click here for a PHOTO TOUR, photos by Gili Soffer.

See FoEME's paper Peace Parks Vision on suggestions for transboundary peace parks in the Jordan Valley, and a presentation for a specific peace park in the Bakoora / Naharayim / Gesher area.

See FoEME's Feasibility Study of the Jordan River Valley as a potential World Heritage Site. This is a working document aimed at identifying the sites and artifacts of cultural and natural heritage warranting World Heritage Justification. The paper is meant to serve as an informative document for the purpose of facilitating discussion between experts. Therefore, each World Heritage criteria has been evaluated and all possible information pertaining to the justification of the criteria has been presented. Further needs and questions are included at the end of each explanation to serve as a basis for discussion and further in depth research.

January 10, 2007 - Cross Border Israeli Jordanian Mayors Meeting

An historic Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Mayors from Israel and Jordan at North Shuneh on January 10th, 2007. The mayors have recognized the value and importance of rehabilitating the Jordan River and have identified the potential of advancing peace through creating a cross border park.

They declared their intention to support the creation of a cross border park that will include a bird sanctuary, eco-lodges and a visitor's center in the area of Bakoora / Naharayim / Gesher, using the infrastructure still intact at the old Rotenberg site.

The Israeli delegation was welcomed by the Governor and the mayor at both their offices where a presentation on the proposed park was given. The day also included a visit to the Bakoora area with a stunning panoramic view of the Peace Island.

Signing on the agreement were (from left to right in photo) Israeli Mayor of the Jordan Valley Regional Council, Mr. Yossi Vardi, Jordanian Mayor of Muaz Bin Jabal municipality, Eng. Abdullah Salman, and the Israeli mayor of the Beit Shean Valley Regional Council, Mr. Dani Tamari.

January 17, 2007 - Jordanian Israeli Cooperation at the Dead Sea

FoEME initiated a visit for the Mayor of the Tamar Regional council, Mr. Dov Litvinoff, to meet his counterpart, Governor Ghaleb Al-Shamalyeh in Safi, Jordan.

The day included on-site visits and group discussions on several issues that have caused the environmental degradation of the Dead Sea:

- Receding of the Dead Sea and sinkholes
- Poor use of fertilizers that leads to a joint fly problem in their areas
- The need for another border crossing, in the area of the Southern Dead Sea

A Memorandum of Understanding was then signed with a promise to work towards finding sustainable solutions to the economic and environmental issues at hand, through the building of a compost station, the building of an ecological cross border Peace Park at the Southern end of the Dead Sea, and calling for the opening of an additional border crossing to promote tourism and trade crossing.

They also reiterated the social and ecological importance of the Dead Sea area, and see its inscription for a UNESCO World Heritage Site as an important mechanism to rehabilitate the area.

February 7, 2007 - Cross Border Mayors Gathering

A unique gathering of mayors and residents from the 17 communities working in FoEME's Good Water Neighbors project presented first draft proposals for cross border projects based on common solutions to shared environmental problems and sustainable development initiatives.

Opening the conference was H.E. James Watt, British Ambassador to Jordan and H.E. Claus Heiberg, Charge d'affaires of the European Union Delegaton to Jordan.

Panel discussions between the mayors took place and a catalogue of the cross border projects was distributed.

The Mayors Gathering received Letters of Support from Michael Bloomberg, the Mayor of New York and Elie Weisel, from the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity.

March 14, 2007 - ALLMEP Peacebuilding Reception

The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP) is a newly formed coalition of 38 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that promote people-to-people coexistence and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, Arabs and Jews in the Middle East. As an alliance, the NGOs work together to raise awareness about the extent and importance of their work, as well as cultivate new and expanded resources to support Middle East coexistence.

Click on their INVITATION for more information on an event being held in Washington to support Middle East coexistence.

June 5, 2007 - FoEME speaking in 2 events in Washington

You are cordially invited to hear FoEME's Israeli Director, Gidon Bromberg, who will be speaking at 2 events in Washington D.C. in the first week of June:

June 5, 2007
U.S. Institute of Peace
3rd Floor Conference Room
10:00 a.m.

"Environmental Peacemaking - Can transboundary environmental cooperation be an entry point for peace making in the Middle East?"

Gidon Bromberg will describe current initiatives to use environmental peacemaking in the context of the Arab Israeli conflict.

Registration required: contact Heather Coyne
Center for Mediation and Conflict Resolution
US Institute of Peace
acoyne@usip.org
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June 6, 2007
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
Hearing Room SD-419
10:30 a.m.

"Global Warming Impacts on Israel and Its Neighbors"

This briefing is sponsored by Senator Joseph Biden and the National Environment Trust.
Speakers: Dr. Yeshayahu Bar Or, Chief Scientist at the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection; Gidon Bromberg, Friends of the Earth Middle East Israeli Director; and Dr. Nimrod Raphaeli, Senior Analyst at the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
They will discuss climate change policy in Israel, as well as possible global warming effects in the Middle East region, with a special focus on water issues and their implications for Israeli - Arab relations.

No registration required.
For more information, contact Geoff Brown or Reut Snir, 202-887-8800

July 15, 2007 - BIG JUMP! into the Jordan River

On Sunday, July 15th, six (6) Mediterranean countries simultaneously JUMPed into their local Rivers, joining the European bi-annual BIG JUMP event that calls on governments to take action in cleaning up their local waterways.

In partnership with the Anna Lindh Foundation, Friends of the Earth Middle East organized the event that was held at the PEACE ISLAND, at 16:00 on Sunday, July 15th.

The event included short readings about water & peace from the Holy Scriptures, each by a religious representative (a Priest, a Rabbi and an Immam), followed by the Mayors of the region jumping together into the river (!), and then kayaking a short stretch of water to the juncture of the Jordan and Yarmouk Rivers.

The Big Jump - with mayors in bathing suits - is on the one hand fun, but the message is serious:
"Together, We Need to Save the Jordan River"

For more information on the Big Jump in the other countries mentioned, click here.

August 8, 9, 12, 2007 - Red Dead Canal / World Bank Public Hearings

The World Bank scheduled public hearings on the issue of the Terms of Reference for the Feasibility Study of the "Red Dead Canal" in Jordan, Israel and Palestine. The following were the dates and locations of these hearings:

August 8th - Amman:
Al-Hussein Cultural Center
9:30 AM

August 9th - Ramallah:
Best Eastern Hotel
(Website for directions: http://www.besteasternhotels.com)
10:30 a.m.

August 9th - Jericho:
Intercontinental Hotel, Jerusalem Road, Jericho,
(Tel: 2 231-1200)
3:30 PM

August 12th - Israel:
Shalom Plaza in the Neve Ilan Hotel
(15 Kms from Jerusalem, on the Tel-Aviv Highway)
(Website for directions: http://www.neve-ilan.co.il)
NOTE TIME CHANGE: 08:30 a.m.

This was an opportunity for all interested / concerned citizens, academia, organizations, businesses, municipalities, etc. to voice their questions and concerns on the Terms of Reference for the Study of this complex proposed project.

To best prepare for this important hearing, the following reading materials were suggested:

Comments of EcoPeace /Friends of the Earth Middle East to the World Bank Terms of Reference for the Red Sea -Dead Sea Water Conveyance Project

FoEME Report on the proposed Red Dead Conduit - An analysis on the latest research commissioned by FoEME on the Red Dead Conduit and its Relevance to the World Bank Led Study

FoEME Report on the proposed Red Dead Conduit - Summary (Hebrew)

World Bank Website on the Red Dead Conduit project

Eli Raz - Several articles about the Dead Sea (Hebrew)
Geologist, Kibbutz Ein Gedi, R&D Tamar Regional Council
______________

After the public hearings and additional meetings in the region, the Environmental Committee of the Israeli Parliament sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Israel (Hebrew) with a firm request that the Israeli government should strongly recommend to the World Bank to study other alternatives to Save the Dead Sea.

November 29, 2007 - Regional Cross Border Mayors Gathering

On November 28-29, FoEME convened mayors and residents from the 17 Good Water Neighbors communities for site visits of 2 communities and to discuss alternative economic opportunities for these and other rural communities.

FoEME's "Neighbors Paths" and Community Tours were presented on the site tour and at the conference, held at the Dan Panorama Hotel in Jerusalem.

Click here for the agenda of the conference.

April 24, 2008 - Neighbors Paths - 3 day tour in Jordan

On April 24 - 26, and on May 8-10, an alternative 3 day tour to Jordan, featuring FoEME's new "Neighbors Paths" will be offered to Israelis.
For details (in Hebrew), click here

May 19, 2008 - Designs for Jordan River Peace Park

Friends of the Earth Middle East invited the public to attend presentations of design scenarios for the proposed Jordan River Peace Park.

The designs resulted from an international architectural design workshop organized by FoEME and led by Yale University with the participation of architectural teams from Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Territories. Click here for the "Charrette" presentation.

Also presented were the recommendations of the pre-feasibility study and business plan for the proposed Jordan River Peace Park.

The presentations took place on
May 15 at the Wild Jordan Center in Amman 17:00-20:00 and on
May 19 at the Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem from 13:00-17:00[et].

The presentations introduced to the public the exciting plans to establish a cross-border peace park in the areas of the Three Bridges at Gesher, Naharyim, Bakoura and the Peace Island.

July 10, 2008 - International Expo- Water and Sustainability

Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) was invited to the World Expo 2008 in Zaragoza, Spain to present case studies of our projects during the Thematic Week "Water and Conflict Resolution".

Participating were FoEME's Jordanian Director, Mr. Munqeth Mehyar who gave a background of FoEME.

In addition, 3 mayors and municipal representatives from our "Good Water Neighbors" communities presented a different case study of their community's work with FoEME:

Mr. Yossi Vardi, Mayor of the Jordan Valley Regional Council, Israel - gave a presentation about the importance of the Lower Jordan River and its present state, including ideas for cross border solutions.

Mr. Ali Hussein, Mayor of Muaz Bin Jabal, Jordan - presented the Jordan River Peace Park project, including the outcomes of a recent design workshop that was held in his township with architects from Jordan, Israel, Palestine and the USA.

Mr. Hussein Saideh, Municipal representative of Auja, Palestine - presented a case study of the Village of Auja in the context of FoEME's "Good Water Neighbors" project.

July 27, 29, 30, 2008 - World Bank Public Hearings

The World Bank held a series of meetings to update interested stakeholders on the Study Program being carried out as part of the Feasibility Study of the proposed Red Dead Canal project. The purpose of the meetings was to seek general stakeholder input on the Study Program and to seek feedback on the Study Program's planned communications plan during implementation.

Public Meeting Times and Locations were:

July 27 - Amman, Jordan
Venue: Ministry of Water And Irrigation (8th floor)
Jaber bin Hayyan St., Shmeisani, Amman
09:00 a.m.

July 29 - Ramallah, Palestinian Authority
Venue: Best Eastern Hotel
Ersal St., Bireh, Ramallah
09:00 a.m.

July 30 - Herziliya, Israel
Venue: Beit Heil Haavir Air Force House
15 Jabutinski St., Herziliya
09:00 a.m.

Friends of the Earth Middle East, together with a coalition of environmental organizations expressed their concerns over the present Study Program being carried out.

Click here for FoEME's Comments to the Public Hearing

September 1-4, 2008 - 13th World Water Congress

The objective of the XIIIth World Water Congress is to enhance the world's knowledge and raise global consciousness of the impact of global changes on water resources.

The Congress brought together wide-interest participation, exhibitions and scientific communications about our planet's water resources. It represented an important global meeting point for open dialogue between public and private partners, between users and decision makers and between developing, emerging and developed countries. In order to contribute to this global reflection and action, the Congress organised numerous debates, presentations and exhibitions among key water stakeholders.

FoEME participated in the workshop on international projects entitled "Youth and non-violence" as part of "Youth in action" program.

The participants came from Portugal, Jordan, the Palestine Authority, the U.K, France and Israel.

The group planned youth exchanges in Manchester England for next summer as well as a seminar in Portugal - both in the context of water.

See the poster that was published for the poster session in the 13th World Water Congress.

Nov. 3-5, 2008 - Pro Aquifer Professional Conference

The "Pro-Aquifer" project has been working over the past two years in two pilot municipalities - Umm el Fahem in Israel and Tulkarm in the Palestinian Territories - to identify and address potential threats to the Mountain Aquifer, a vital shared resource that provides drinking water for both Israelis and Palestinians.

We are drawing on and applying the lessons learned from these case studies to Israeli and Palestinian municipalities in the Mountain Aquifer recharge area, and beyond.

This conference is the "kick-off" to a 3-day course that will discuss the issues and policy recommendations that we have identified and developed throughout this Project.

See Agenda of conference and following 3-day course.

Please contact Amnon Saltman for more information if you would like to participate.

Nov. 25-26, 2008 - 5th Annual Good Water Neighbors Conference

This years conference was entitled "The Water Crisis - Community Leadership" and "Empowerment through community GIS".

The conference was held at Al Kasemi College in Baka el Gharbia-Jat on November 25 and at the Conference Center, Eshkol Pais for Arts and Sciences in Umm el Fahem on November 26, and included more than 150 people from the participating Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian communities.

Click on the agenda for more information about the conference, and on the Summary and Action Plans to read about the conference outcomes.

Dec 21, 2008 - Euro-Med Civil Society Meeting

The Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference was held on December 22nd, dedicating its annual meeting to discuss water management in the Euro-Mediterranean region. Water ministers from countries around the Mediterranean worked towards formulating and adopting guidelines for a long term strategy for water in the area.

Acknowledging the important role and impact that Civil Society organizations have on this matter, another meeting was organized on December 21st to facilitate the Civil Society input to the strategy guidelines. The key outcome of the Civil Society meeting was a statement that was presented to the Ministerial Conference.

Two official side events were held in the late afternoon of the first day of the conference, December 21st, one by the World Bank on the Red Dead project and the other by FoEME on the state of the Lower River Jordan.

FoEME presented its work on rehabilitating the Lower Jordan River and on the impact of climate change on water security in the region, and discussed the need for political leadership to revise our water policies.

March 26, 2009 - World Water Day Activities

FoEME carried out several activities to mark WORLD WATER DAY:

On March 20, youth from all the participating Palestinian communities met at the village of Auja, to learn about the importance of the Auja spring and the Jordan River. They shared their experiences and challenges of their own community work on water issues and then jointly embarked on a cleanup campaign, created signs and slogans and engaged in games about water resources in the region.

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On March 26 and 27, Baka el Gharbia's EcoFarm hosted youth from the Israeli and Palestinian Good Water Neighbors communities for two days of World Water Day activities.

The youth learned about water saving gardening methods, water recycling, and various water collection methods, and participated together in the annual Emek Hefer Walk. Here, they launched a campaign calling for cooperation on conservation and protection of their joint water resources.

May-June, 2009 - Cross Border Neighbors Paths Tour

FoEME organized three cross border Neighbors Paths visits during the month of May and June.

Mayors, municipal representatives, community residents and tour guides will learn about the less-known historical and cultural heritages of the area, as well as the water issues and related challenges facing these communities.

(1) April 30 - May 1, 2009: to the GWN northern communities in Jordan hosting the Israeli partnering communities of the Jordan Valley, Beit She'an and the Palestinian communities of Auja and Jericho (see Agenda)

(2) May 7 - 8, 2009: To the Eshkol regional council hosting the Israeli / Palestinian partnering communities from Baka Gharbia / Baka Sharkia, Emek Hefer / Tulkarem, Tsur Hadassah / Wadi Fukin. (see Agenda)

(3) June 3- 4, 2009: To the Southern communities of Jordan, hosting the Israeli partnering community of Tamar Regional Council (see Agenda)

These tours aim to further tourism promotion, exchanges of knowledge and to promote cross border cooperation.

Choose the "Tour Operators to S. Jordan NP" photo album to view photos of this event.

May 27, 2009 - Israeli / Palestinian Water Discussion

Israeli - Palestinian Water Discussion
11:30 - 13:00, Wednesday, May 27th, 2009
International Conference Center
Zalman Shazar St. #1, Jerusalem

Following the release of the World Bank Report entitled "Assessment of Restrictions on Palestinian Water Sector Development" the response of the water authorities and considerable media attention, FoEME led an important water discussion on the issues.

The session entitled "Trans-boundary Water Management: The Israeli-Palestinian Case" took place at the Jerusalem Convention Center on May 27th at 11:30, as part of the Jerusalem Environment and Nature Conference, an annual event organized by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel.

This session, chaired by FoEME, brought together speakers from the World Bank, the Israeli Water Authority, the Palestinian Water Authority and academia. Although the SPNI annual conference is held in Hebrew, this particular session was held in English.

Click here for MINUTES OF THE MEETING

and here for a SHORT VIDEO of The Media Line interviewing Gidon Bromberg

Nov. 4-6, 2009 - Annual GWN Regional Mayors Gathering

This year's Mayor's conference brought together mayors, other community leaders and active residents from the 25 GWN participating communities to take part in discussions on shared water issues.

Participants were divided into three groups based on geographic / watershed orientation (Jordan Valley, Dead Sea, Mountain Aquifer), with short video clips that preceded main topics for discussions: "Why Cooperate?"; "My Neighbors Water Reality"; and "Influencing Decision Makers". Read a summary of these sessions here.

The aim was to share and discuss the role of communities in the region's shared water resources and to offer a platform for continued dialogue.

The evening dinner included a report back from the different sessions, accompanied by 20 International Parliamentarians from the Preventive Diplomacy program of the East West Institute, who came to learn about the Good Water Neighbors project.

This was the largest single gathering ever held by the project!

You can read more about the conference on our blog page and see a short video clip of the conference where Israeli and Palestinian students from the Community GIS project presented their maps of environmental hazards in their communities.

Nov. 25, 2009 - Climate Change Workshop for Journalists

On Wednesday, November 25, 2009 FoEME held a workshop titled, "The Role of Media in Reporting the Climate Crisis: A Round-Table For Editors, Reporters, and Decision-Makers."

The workshop emphasized the role of the media in reporting climate-related events and exposing the public to climate change, as well as identify the communication obstacles surrounding climate coverage, and discussed strategies to remove those obstacles. This event is part of an ongoing series of workshops to present FoEME's Climate Change Policy Notebook for Decision Makers, and leverage influential groups (like the media) to achieve successful climate solutions.

Speakers included Alex Kirby, former BBC environmental correspondent; MK Nitzan Horowitz; Aviv Lavie, Ma'ariv; Alon Tal, Ben Gurion University; Youval Arbel, FoEME; and Tzur Mishal, Ecolnoa.

The workshop, co-organized by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, convened at Beit Meyersdorff, Room 502, on the Hebrew University Campus.

Dec. 3-5, 2009 - Regional Ecological Building workshop

120 youth and GWN field staff from 17 communities across Israel, Jordan and Palestine gathered together in Kibbut Lotan this weekend for an ecological building workshop. They learned how to build with mud and recycled materials; to build a geodesic dome from date palm fronds and discarded irrigation plastics; they learned about the use of different materials for different types of bricks and built a small archway using the mud bricks they prepared - which was so strong it could support the weight of more than 3 people!

For fun activities, they hiked through the beautiful desert to see the kibbutz's constructed wetlands and to discover bird life and wild animal tracks, and in the evening, went on a boat ride in Eilat where both staff and youth danced the night away overlooking spectacular views of Aqaba, Taba and Eilat.

Read more on our blog page

October 24, 2009 - Jordanians, Palestinians and Israelis around the Dead Sea for 350.org day

On October 24, FoEME joined 350.org in a global day of action to demand strong, science-based solutions to climate change!

The world's best climate scientists have identified 350 parts per million as the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere. Although the international community will meet in Copenhagen, Denmark in December 2009 to craft a new treaty for reducing global warming emissions, this number is nowhere to be seen.

The international initiative, 350.org, has organized thousands of communities around the globe to call upon their leaders to stop global warming and to demand effective, science-based emissions targets.

Here in the Middle East, FoEME hosted a large gathering to attract the attention of decision-makers. In our region, global warming will cause water shortages, desertification, and loss of agricultural land.

We chose the DEAD SEA as the place to hold our event; a potential World Heritage Site that is shrinking from lack of incoming water. The Dead Sea's demise reflects unsustainable water use in the region which now, due to climate change and the prediction of even less precipitation, is more unsustainable than ever. It also represents a warning for what other lakes in semi-arid regions can expect as a result of the climate crisis and unsustainable water consumption.

The 350.org event gathered hundreds of environmental activists from our community project's towns around the Dead Sea, as well as others in Israel, Palestine and Jordan that joined in the effort; aerial photographs were taken showing the three gatherings of people around the Dead Sea, creating an image of the numbers 350. Every photo included a group of participants forming a human chain in the shape of the digits 350 (either 3, 5, or 0). These photos display a powerful image and can bring enormous attention to the negative effects of climate change.

Click here for a power point presentation with photos of the event around the Dead Sea

Read more in Hebrew about the 350 initiative.

February 24, 2010 - Cross border Wadi Fuqin / Tsur Hadassah residents meeting

On Wednesday, February 24, residents from the partnering "Good Water Neighbors" communities of Wadi Fuqin and Tsur Hadassah met to discuss preservation of their shared environment. Despite the local destructive planning processes moving forward, they insist on working together to create an atmosphere of peace.

The evening included:
- Lecture on the planning policies and the Separation Barrier in the area
- Presentation of cooperative projects to protect the Valley
- Meeting with activists and residents from Wadi Fuqin
- Dedicational reading by the author David Grossman
- Music by the "Noam" ensemble
- Traditional foods homecooked by the women of Wadi Fuqin

The evening was organized by the residents of the two communities, together with FoEME.

Details: Netanel Silberman, 050-7359382; netanelsil@gmail.com

Click here to see the invitation for the evening in flyer format in Hebrew

You can view a Power Point Presentation of the Fuqin Valley and explanations on the issues and challenges.
Click here for English version
Click here for Hebrew version

SIGN ON THE PETITION TO STOP THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SEPARATION BARRIER AT WADI FUQIN

March 3-5, 2010 - Cross Border Womens Meeting

From March 3-5, 2010, the Tamar Regional Council hosted their Jordanian "Good Water Neighbors" partnering communities of Safi and Fifa in a cross-border women's meeting.

They first visited ecotourism initiatives operated by Arabic women in the North of Israel (in Be'eneih at Um Ajaja, and Arabe) and then visited ecotourism and eco-agriculture initiatives in the Tamar Regional Council area. They also participated in a handicraft workshop in one of the hosting women's homes, visited FoEME's EcoCenter and enjoyed a social evening with residents of the Tamar Regional Council and other guests at the Ein Gedi Club.

See the FLYER (in Hebrew) for more details and the photo album for many more photos of the event.

April 21, 2010 - Conference; Israeli Preparedness for the Climate Crisis - Impacts on the Water System

On April 21, 2010 from 9:00-15:00, Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) and the Bloomfield Science Museum Jerusalem held a conference on Israeli preparedness for the climate crisis.

The conferences focused on the subject of water conservation policy in Israel, and included discussions on the topic as well as exposure to relevant Israeli technologies.

Click here for the agenda - in English / in Hebrew

Click here for the proceedings of the conference (Hebrew)

Presentations from the conference:
- Impacts of Climate Change; Dani Rabinovitch, Porter School of Environmental Studies, Tel Aviv University
- Climate Change and Water Deficit; Yossi Gutman, Geohydrology Division, Mekorot
- Water Policy Paper; Moshe Perlmutter SPNI
- Best Practices; Youval Arbel, FoEME
- National Water Policy; Sarit Caspi, Adam Teva V'Din
- Biofilter and degredated water; Yaron Zinger, Israel Biofilter Project, Keren Kayemet L'Yisrael
- Grey Water Regulation; Mike Adell, Nubian
- Preparation of Long Range Master Plan; Miki Zaide, Water Authority
- Utilizing run off water; Sinaia Netanyahu, Tahal

May 3-4, 2010 - Bringing the Jordan River Back to Life: Strategies for Rehabilitation Conference

Bringing the Jordan River Back to Life:
Strategies for Rehabilitation Conference
Amman, Jordan
May 3-4, 2010

FoEME held a unique gathering of regional and international experts, local and national government representatives and other stakeholders from Jordan, Israel and Palestine and the international community to highlight the results of two new scientific research undertaken by FoEME over the past year to identify a regional rehabilitation strategy and opportunities to return fresh water to the Jordan River - released to the public here for the first time.

The event also included declarations of support from leading regional and international "Champions of the Jordan River" as well as calls to action and descriptions of new local and international efforts underway to rehabilitate the Jordan River.

The conference brought together international tourism operators and Jordan Valley Mayors in a joint call to allow new opportunities to flourish alongside a rehabilitated Jordan River.

Read more about the conference on our blog page

Click here for our Jordan River publication page where you can find the full reports.

Click here for the conference agenda.

Click here for the CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS.

Click here for our Media Release on the issue

Click here for our Jordan River Press Coverage page, with extensive media coverage of the conference and findings of the reports.

Presentations from the conference:
- Sustainable Tourism Concept for the Jordan River Valley by Marion Hammerl, Global Nature Fund
- River Jordan: A Vision for Nature and Ecotourism by Julietta Baums, NOMAD Tours
- Proposed Jordan River Peace Park, by Alan Plattus, Yale University

Click here for photos from the conference

June 29, 2010 - FoEME at the EU Parliament

FoEME presented the Jordan River Rehabilitation Project at the EU Parliament this month.

In partnership with leading "Champions of the Jordan River" a delegation of FoEME representatives from Jordan, Israel and Palestine was invited to address the European Union Parliament to raise awareness about the importance of a regional effort to rehabilitate the Lower Jordan River.

FoEME presented the results of its recently released Environmental Flows Report on the Rehabilitation of the Lower Jordan River and Economic Analysis of Policy Options for Water Conservation in Jordan, Israel and Palestine. Together these two reports identify a regional rehabilitation strategy as well as opportunities to save or produce large quantities of fresh water to enable rehabilitation to take place.

The public was invited to attend the presentation in the EU Parliament on Tuesday, June 29, 2010.

August 15, 2010 - Big Jump in the Jordan River

FoEME held an event that also takes place throughout Europe calling for local citizens to take responsibility for their rivers, and calling upon our governments to support their rehabilitation. Following FoEME's latest research that has identified a regional strategy to rehabilitate the River, this event will further highlight the urgency of the situation.

A regional gathering of mayors, municipal representatives and youth - from Israel, Palestine and Jordan - built rafts together, and then "JUMPED" into the Lower Jordan River with a clear message: a region-wide call aimed at our governments that need to step up efforts to rehabilitate the Lower Jordan River.

The event was held at the Yardenit baptism site, just south of Degania near the Sea of Galilee, on August 15th from 10:00 - 12:00. The Yardenit area is the last short stretch of the Lower Jordan River where clean water still flows.

A crew from American PBS TV News Hour filmed the event and broadcast it prime time throughout the U.S.A.

October 9, 2010 - Jordan River Bicyling for 350.org

Friends of the Earth Middle East organized a Jordan River cycling event to call attention to the threatening impacts of climate change on the Lower Jordan River. The event was part of the Global Work Party 10/10/10, organized by 350.org.

To achieve the objectives of raising awareness and reduce GHG emissions, we organized a cycling tour on October 9th along the Lower Jordan River calling attention to the consequences of climate change for the water-stressed Middle East region.

To read more - click here

To see a video clip of the event - click here

To view photos from our Flickr page - click here

Nov 30, 2010 - A Water Agreement Cannot Wait

On November 30, FoEME held a conference where an innovative Model Water Agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority was presented and discussed.

The model was prepared for Friends of the Earth Middle East by water experts well versed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and in the field of Middle East water, Dr. David Brooks and Dr. Julie Trottier.

Instead of the static agreement that characterizes the Oslo Accords, this model is based on a dynamic agreement between the sides and suggests an alternative to the "temporary agreement" in effect since 1995 that has failed to preserve shared water resources, especially the Mountain Aquifer, allowing for over pumping by Israel, pollution of groundwater and surface water originating in the West Bank and continuing into Israel, and the unfair allocation of shared water resources.

Among the 120 guests in the conference in Jerusalem, were MK Yoel Hasson, Head of the Lobby for Water Security from the Israeli Parliament; Fouad Bateh, senior advisor to the Palestinian Minister of Water; Michael Zaideh, Strategic Planning from the Israeli Water Authority; a representative of the Quartet, Prince Firas from Jordan; water experts; international water law experts from academia; and mayors and residents of our Good Water Neighbors communities involved in our 'Transboundary Advocacy of Parliamentarians' project.

The cross border municipal experience of our GWN communities was highlighted in this event, with discussions and examples given of the difficulties in dealing with the present Joint Water Committee, and calling for a new structure / institution to be created.

Click on the following links for more information:

- Press Release (English)

- Press Release (Hebrew)

- Agenda of the conference

- Post conference Press Release (Hebrew)

- Summary of the conference

- Brooks / Trottier PRESENTATION

- Model Water Agreement - PUBLICATION

Nov 2-3, 2010 - Good Water Neighbors Regional Conference

Friends of the Earth Middle East held its annual "Good Water Neighbors" regional conference, entitled "One Basin – Conflicting Visions" on November 2-3, 2010 in Amman Jordan.

The conference gathered together 150 Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian mayors, municipal representatives, community residents as well as water experts from all the countries to discuss the different development plans being undertaken for the Jordan River / Dead Sea Basin.

Following presentations by planners from the 3 countries, interesting discussions were held asking "What are the conflicting visions?", "What is our interest in a shared vision? Pros? Cons?" and "How do we move forward?"

Jan 13-15, 2011 - Around the Kinneret; Choral Music Festival

On January 13-15, FoEME will partner with the "Mi-La" organization in holding its annual "Around the Kinneret" Choral Music Festival, this year calling for the Rehabilitation of the Lower Jordan River.

Over a thousand members from choirs around Israel are expected to participate in the event. It will include songs and lyrics dealing with the Jordan River, and performances by Korin Elal, Matti Caspi, Shlomo Gronich and more...

FoEME will give a presentation on the evening of Friday, 14.01.11, on the state of the Lower Jordan River -- and on Saturday, 15.01.11, will lead the participants to select stations on our Jordan Valley Neighbors Path tour, to show people first-hand the issues facing the River.

Participants will be invited to sign a petition and send letters calling for action to rehabilitate the Jordan River. (click here for the letter template)

For a full agenda of the 3 days (in Hebrew), click here.

Feb. 26-March 1, 2011 - J Street conference, Washington DC

J Street is the political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans.

The organization gives political voice to mainstream American Jews and other supporters of Israel who, informed by their progressive and Jewish values, believe that a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is essential to Israel’s survival as the national home of the Jewish people and as a vibrant democracy.

J Street’s mission is two-fold: first, to advocate for urgent American diplomatic leadership to achieve a two-state solution and a broader regional, comprehensive peace and, second, to ensure a broad debate on Israel and the Middle East in national politics and the American Jewish community

FoEME is a participating organization in this year's J Street conference.

Come by and visit our table!

March 2, 2011 - Palestinian Symposium

March 2nd, 2011 – Jericho InterContinental Hotel

First Palestinian Symposium on Water Rights and Access to the Jordan River and Development Needs in the Jordan Valley

WEDO / FoEME held a symposium highlighting the importance of a healthy, clean and rehabilitated Lower Jordan River for the development of the Palestinian economy.

This important event built upon the on-going work of WEDO / FoEME to foster political will, public support and concrete action towards the rehabilitation of the Lower Jordan River, preserving the unique ecological heritage of this historic river, and securing Palestinian water rights within the river basin.

The conference was followed by a field trip on 3rd of March for a select group of participants, to visit sites of historical and environmental importance in the Jericho area.

- Read more about the conference on our blog post

- Click here for a SUMMARY of the conference

- Click here for the Agenda in English

- Click here for the Agenda in Arabic

- Click here for the publication released at the conferece Economic Benefits of Access to a Healthy Lower Jordan River for the Palestinian Economy

- Click here for the presentation given on the Economic Benefits of Access to a Healthy Lower Jordan River for the Palestinian Economy

- Click here for a presentation given on Jericho's Water Supply

- Click here for the presentation given on the Environmental Flows Study of the River Jordan

March 24-25, 2011 - NIF hosting FoEME in the UK

On Thursday, March 24th, the New Israel Fund (UK) hosted a public event entitled "Eco Peace in the Middle East" with FoEME's Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian co-Directors who shared their unique partnership and the environmental challenges facing the region.

The event was held at The Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, London, W1G 0AE, and began with a reception at 7:00 pm, followed with a lecture and discussion at 7:30.

For more information CLICK HERE

April 12, 2011 - Grand Opening - SHE Park, Jordan

On April 12, under the patronage of HRH Prince Hassan Bin Talal, a GRAND OPENING ceremony was held for the Sharhabil Bin Hassneh EcoPark in Jordan.

More than six years ago, FoEME began with the development of 100 dunams for an EcoPark, fencing off the area to regulate overgrazing that had contributed to the degredation of the area's rich natural landscape, in an effort to return some of the natural vegetation, protect the wildlife, and create a community open space.

Today, the EcoPark includes several thousand dunams and has seen an incredible return of biodiversity to the area. (See the park's plant guide book for some examples)

Attending the event were local and national politicians, as well as international figures, together with many local residents who are daily enjoying the new green open space area in their neighborhood.

Click here for the speech delivered by H.E. Dr. Adnan Badran on behalf of HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan

May 21, 2011 - Mass Float in the Dead Sea

JOIN A MASS FLOAT IN THE DEAD SEA!

An event for saving the Dead Sea, with the organizations "Save our Sea" and Friends of the Earth Middle East, was held on Saturday, May 21st.

The event was the outcome of a cooperative effort between FoEME and a group of people who suffer from illnesses such as psoriasis and rely on the unique therapeutic qualities of the Dead Sea that assist in the treatment and relief of these health conditions. The severe situation at the Dead Sea has this group of people worried that their quality of life will be affected if the Dead Sea continues to deteriorate.

The event began at 14:00 on the Ein Bokek Beach. Members from both organizations, as well as visitors and international tourists, were invited to gather to FLOAT together in the sea's water – a unique sensation, experienced only at the Dead Sea.

See the press coverage we received of the event here

June 15, 2011 - Water Trustees End-of-Year Event

FoEME will be holding two end-of-year ceremonies for the "Water Trustees" of the "Good Water Neighbors" project being carried out in Israel, Jordan and Palestine on monitoring and managing environmental hazards.

One ceremony will be held on June 15th in the Science Museum in Jerusalem for the Israeli communities' Youth "Water Trustees".

After a tour of the museum's exhibit "Touching Water", the youth will present the GIS maps that they have prepared over the year; we will be viewing our new Google Earth virtual tours of our "Neighbors Paths" as well as the environmental hazards identified by the youth; a screening of FoEME's new video on the GWN / GIS project, and certificates to be presented to the Water Trustees.

A similar ceremony will be held, also on June 15th, at the Jordan Valley Environmental Education Center in Auja, for the Palestinian communities' Youth "Water Trustees".

We applaud our youth Water Trustees for the remarkable work they've done this last year.

June 25, 2011 - Global Water Dance

Global Water Dances is a world event planned for June 25, 2011. On this day, a 24 hour series of dances around the globe will be danced, centered around water issues. Beginning in the Western Pacific Rim, and encircling the globe, the series of dances will also be broadcast online.

Global Water Dances is a model of how to use participatory art-making to raise consciousness about environmental problems and how to bring people together to work on solving these problems. Participants and viewers of Global Water Dances will learn about the critical role of humans in protecting water supplies.

FoEME is participating in this global event with youth from Israel, Jordan and Palestine, "dancing" in the Lower Jordan River... to raise awareness of the poor state of this shared water source and calling on our governments to protect it.

Aug. 23, 2011 - Jordan River Photography Exhibition, Stockholm

FoEME launched its International Jordan River Photography Exhibition to raise awareness of the critical state of the River on August 23 in Stockholm, Sweden during World Water Week 2011.

Over the next three years, FoEME in partnership with the Global Nature Fund will host a traveling exhibition throughout Europe to help raise awareness of the tragic state of the Lower Jordan River.

In partnership with photographer Eddie Gerald, FoEME has assembled a series of stark images of the Jordan Valley, highlighting its beauty, its heritage and its role in today’s conflict, contrasting the River’s current deteriorating situation with the magnificence of the landscape. Eddie Gerald's documentary work has received numerous awards and citations worldwide.

The exhibition was launched on Aug 23rd at 18:00 at the Galleri Kontrast, on Hornsgatan 8, in Stockholm, Sweden at an exciting opening event with invited speakers including representatives from the Swedish International Development Agency, and FoEME. The exhibition was held through August 28th in Stockholm.

November 16, 2011 - Conference: Reviving the Jordan River: Hopes and Difficulties

November 16th, 2011: FoEME Conference on the Jordan River

held at the Kinneret College Campus, Israel

"REVIVING THE JORDAN RIVER: HOPES AND DIFFICULTIES"

On November 16, 2011 FoEME's Tel Aviv office, in partnership with Kinneret Academic College, held a conference at the Kinneret Academic College campus to discuss revitalizing the Jordan River: possibilities, problems and potential. The results of a FoEME-commissioned study which modeled potential opportunities for rehabilitating the river was presented to the public at the conference. A special round-table discussion entitled "Redistributing water between Agriculture and Nature: The Lower Jordan River Basin case study" took place in the afternoon.

Currently, nearly all the waters in the Jordan River are allocated for domestic, agricultural and industrial uses, leaving almost nothing in the river. The possibilities for returning various amounts of water to the Jordan River and their impact on the local economy and eco-system were addressed by a panel of experts representing key stakeholder groups, including residents, agro-business, the Jordan Valley Regional Council, environmental groups, etc.

The conference was proposed by Israeli residents of the Jordan Valley adults group in FoEME's TAP project.

Click here for Agenda (in Hebrew)

Click here for English translation

Presentation given by Gilad Safier, DHV MED

Presentation given by Hillel Glassman, Nature and Parks Authority (Hebrew)

Click here to view photos from the conference

Sept. 17, 2011 - Jordan River Photography Exhibition, Cologne

Jordan River Exhibition Opens in Cologne, Germany on September 17th

FoEME is pleased to invite the public to attend our International Jordan River Photography Exhibition opening at St. Michael's Church in Cologne, Germany on September 17.

Over the next three years, FoEME, in partnership with the Global Nature Fund, will host a traveling exhibition throughout Europe to help raise awareness of the tragic state of the Lower Jordan River.

The special events will begin with a Holy Mass celebrating the Jordan River at 18:00 followed by the opening of the exhibition at 19:30.

The exhibition opening will include guest speakers Nader Khateeb, FoEME's Palestinian Director, Marion Hammerl, President of Global Nature Fund and Andreas Brocke, Pastor of the parish church of St. Gereon with musical guests Bella Liebermann and Federico Gieseking.

All are invited to these public events!

The Cologne exhibition will run from September 17 through October 8th.

Für Details auf Deutsch, bitte hier anklicken.

Feb 21, 2012 - JUST WATER - Event at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Capital Hill

For those interested in upcoming February public events in Washington, DC; Bethesda, Maryland; and New York City featuring FoEME’s Israeli Director, Gidon Bromberg, see below:

-------------------

(1) Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – Washington, DC

The Mid-East Working Group of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Capitol Hill, invites you to

"JUST WATER"

Where: St. Mark’s Parish Hall, 3rd and A Streets, SE, Washington, DC (located immediately behind the Adams Building of the Library of Congress and a short walk from Capitol South Metro)

For more information, please contact 202-544-1769

-------------------

(2) Thursday, February 23, 2012, 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. - New York City

Co-sponsored by the Center for Global Affairs, CGA Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation (PACT), and the Outward Bound Center for Peacebuilding

"JUST WATER - Sustainable development and environmental peacemaking in the Middle East"

Where: Center for Global Affairs, 15 Barclay Street (between Broadway and Church Streets)

RSVP: http://bit.ly/justwater. For more details, email info@outwardboundpeace.org

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(3) Saturday, February 25, 2012 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Bethesda, MD

Shabbat services and sermon by Gidon Bromberg, Israeli Director, Friends of the Earth Middle East

Where: Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation

727 Persimmon Tree Lane

Bethesda, MD 20817

Phone: 301-767-3333

(Shabbat Services start at 9:30 a.m. Interested guests are welcome to arrive by 11:30 a.m. for sermon by Gidon Bromberg)

All guests are invited to lunch at the synagogue after the service

A round-table discussion will be held from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

RSVP to Emilie Insley 202-239-3552

For more information, contact: bob.cole@alston.com

-------------------

(4) The University of Southern California's Center on Public Diplomacy is hosting a major conference on water diplomacy on Monday, February 27.

The Center on Public Diplomacy is a research, analysis and professional training organization dedicated to furthering the study and practice of global public diplomacy.

Gidon Bromberg, FoEME's Israeli Director will be a speaker at the conference.

Where: USC Davidson Conference Center. Begin at 8:30am and conclude at 4:30pm.

This event is free and open to the public, however, you must R.S.V.P.

Click here for more information, including the speakers and agenda, as well as the RSVP form.

March 21, 2012 - Chris Hammer public presentation

Chris Hammer, a well-known journalist and an expert author, published a book entitled The River in 2010. In his book, Hammer discusses the innovative strategies employed by the Australian government agencies to rehabilitate the Murray Darling Basin in Australia. The pioneering approach to water management of the Murray Darling Basin in Australia has been recognized the world over as a best practice in river rehabilitation and can serve as a model to decision makers in the region towards the rehabilitation of the Lower Jordan River.

FoEME through the support of the Australian Government invited Mr. Hammer for a series of high level meetings, presentations and tours with high level officials in Jordan, Palestine and Israel including:

- Jordan Valley Tour

- Presentation of the Murray Darling Basin experience at the Lower House of Parliament, Jordan

- Round-Table Discussion and Reception at the Australian Ambassador's official residency in Amman with invited representatives of key Ministries, Parliamentarians, Jordan Valley Mayors, Academia and NGOs.

- Round-Table Discussion and Reception at the Australian Embassy in Tel Aviv with invited representatives of key Ministries, Parliamentarians, Academia and NGOs.

- Public presentation at Haifa University on Wednesday, March 21st. Click here for more details (English). Click here for more details (Hebrew).

- Round-Table Discussion and Reception at the Australian Representative Office in Ramallah with invited representatives of key Ministries, Parliamentarians, Jordan Valley Mayors, Academia and NGOs.

Click here for a photo album of the visit and his presentation given at the different events and locations.

April 18, 2012 - Divided Communities: Experiences from the Middle East and Sri Lanka

POSTPONED

The public is invited to the event "Divided Communities: The Role of Environmental Cooperation and Leadership in Conflict Management and Mitigation; Experiences from the Middle East and Sri Lanka" with visiting Executive Director of of the Sri Lankan organization Sarvodaya*, Dr. Vinya Ariyartne, who is in the region to learn about the Good Water Neighbors project and its role in environmental peacemaking.

The event will be held in Tel Aviv University's Steinmitz Center for Peace and Research on Wednesday, April 18th, at 11:00.

Click here for the agenda

RSVP to mira@foeme.org if you would like to attend.

* Sarvodaya – is the largest NGO in Sri Lanka. Sarvodaya has implemented integrated community health and development programs through a network of over 50 district centers and training institutions; including novel programs to address the psycho-social effects amongst children affected by the war, using a community based, non-medical approach to healing, and helped thousands of children from all ethnic groups, to recover from the trauma of war. Sarvodaya planned and delivered services for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and continuously works on health issues related to the Tsunami and post-war affected civilian populations.

April 22nd, 2012 - Last Call at the Oasis

On Sunday, April 22nd, Congregation Beth El, in Bethesda, will host a sneak peak of "Last Call at the Oasis," a new film by the producers of "An Inconvenient Truth", about the worldwide water crisis.

Pollution, overconsumption, and climate change are threatening communities worldwide with water shortages, but the film – which opens at the E Street Cinema on May 11, 2012 -- is entertaining, alarming and surprisingly turns to the Middle East for solutions, if only we will.

The solutions are provided by Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME), a unique organization that brings together Israelis, Palestinians, and Jordanians who work to fairly share and protect the scarce water of the region and among other projects, to rehabilitate the Jordan River, which has been reduced to a polluted trickle.

A representative from FoEME will speak at the screening. Light refreshments will be served. Sponsored by Congregation Beth El’s Green Tikkun Committee, with FoEME.

Open to the community.

8215 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda.

Sunday, April 22, 2012 (Earth Day), 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

For more information about the film, please visit http://lastcallattheoasis.com

April 30, 2012 - Public Participation Meeting - Lower Jordan River

FoEME's Tel Aviv office invited Israeli local stakeholders of the Lower Jordan River to a public participation meeting organized by the Jordan Rehabilitation Administration concerning the Master Plan being drawn up for the Lower Jordan River (Israeli section).

This public meeting was held on Sunday, April 30th, 2012 from 17:00 - 19:30 at Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu's meeting room.

FoEME believes it is crucial for the public to learn about progress on the issue, and to voice it's opinion. It is important that a wide sector of the public be involved in this process!

Click here for the invitation and the agenda (in Hebrew)

May 5, 2012 - Climate Dots with 350.org

Joining the global campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of climate change, FoEME and 350.org organized ‘A Climate Dot’ on Saturday, May 5th, 2012, by the shores of the Dead Sea, in Jordan at 10:00 a.m. with school children and volunteers.

Participants held 350 balloons, which rose up on 26 meter long strings to bob in the air where the Dead Sea's water level used to be – and should still be. It was quite a sight to see; a hauntingly visceral depiction of the loss experienced by the Dead Sea, and by us, the residents of this region.

Read more in the 350.org website's coverage of the event

May 22-25, 2012 - Green Week 2012

Join FoEME and partner Global Nature Fund at Green Week 2012!

Come and visit our information stand (stand number 21 on First Floor) at the Green Week 2012 exhibition, to be held from the 22-25 May 2012 in Brussels to learn more about the Jordan River.

For more information: www.globalnature.org; www.foeme.org; www.greenweek-2012.eu

June 6, 2012 - Access to Water & Sanitation: A Fundamental Human Right?

ACCESS TO WATER AND SANITATION: A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT?

Wednesday 6 June 2012, 3.30pm-7.00 pm: Room A3G3

European Parliament- Brussels

DRAFT PROGRAMME

Opening session: Welcome by Dutch Crown Prince Willem ALEXANDER (tbc)

Panel discussion 1 chaired by Ana GOMES, MEP, S&D AFET Coordinator:

This panel will focus on the state of play of the existing international legal basis for access to water as a fundamental human right, will discuss good governance in water management and will consider the role played by of the EU in this context.

Speakers:

• Catarina de ALBUQUERQUE, UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur

on access to water and sanitation (tbc)

• Joyeeta GUPTA, Professor in Policy and Law on Water Resources and the

Environment at the UNESC-IHE Institute for Water Education in Delft

• Ricardo PETRELLA, Chair of the European Institute of Research for the politics

of water

Panel discussion 2 chaired by Richard HOWITT, MEP, S&D DROI Coordinator:

This panel will discuss access to water and sanitation as a humanitarian problem and as a cause of geopolitical tension in the world looking at a specific case study.

Speakers:

• Kristalina GIORGIEVA, EU Commissioner, International cooperation,

Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response (tbc)

• Bernard DROBENKO, University Professor and author of the book "the right to

water : a humanitarian urgency

• Case study: Palestine/Israel/Jordan :

Guest speakers: Gidon BROMBERG from Israel and Nader KHATEB from

Palestine (NGO Friends of the Earth, Middle East)

Conclusions by Véronique DE KEYSER, MEP, Vice-President of the S&D Group.

EXHIBITION "CROSSING THE JORDAN"

hosted by Ivari PADAR, S&D MEP

presented by the Friends of the Earth, Middle East

4 - 8 June 2012, ZONE D (by the Place Luxembourg entrance)

European Parliament- Brussels

Opening with a cocktail reception: Wednesday 6 June 7.00 pm

Click here for photos of the exhibit on our Flickr page

August 23, 2012 - Jordan River Photography Exhibit, Frankfurt

FoEME is pleased to invite the public to attend our International Jordan River Photography Exhibition, this time being hosted by the

Haus am Dom

Domplatz 3, Frankfurt

The Public is invited to visit the Exhibition from August 23 – September 19, 2012.

Exhibition will be open daily from 9:00-17:00 and Thursdays until 21:30.

Für Details auf Deutsch, bitte hier anklicken.

For this information in printed / flyer format, click here

July 15, 2012 - Jordan River Photography Exhibit, London

FoEME is pleased to invite the public to attend our International Jordan River Photography Exhibition, this time being hosted by the

Harrow and Wembley Progressive Synagogue

39 Bessborough Road, Harrow, Middlesex

The Public is invited to visit the exhibition from July 15- August 9, 2012

For visiting hours and further details please contact Barbara at +0208 864 5323

For this information in printed / flyer format, click here

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The next host for this exhibit will be by the Haus am Dom in Frankfurt, Germany

Nov-Dec, 2012 - Water, Water Everywhere

In California in the coming months?

A FoEME film is part of the traveling media exhibition "Water, Water Everywhere, Paean to a Vanishing Resource" that will be shown around the world in the coming years.

FoEME's "Good Water Neighbors" film is part of this exhibition.

The first show is being held in the Los Gatos Museum in California as part of the "Shaped by Water: Past, Present and Future" exhibition from August 1 through December 31.

Sept. 12-13, 2012 - Good Water Neighbors Regional Conference

Friends of the Earth Middle East's "Good Water Neighbors" project held its annual Regional Conference in Jericho last week, on Sept. 12-13.

We were delighted to have so many of our friends and supporters at the conference -- 280 Israelis, Jordanians, Palestinians and International guests -- learning about the cross border water "Priority Projects" identified in each of the "Good Water Neighbors" communities and showcased at the conference.

Representatives from the World Bank, the US Agency for International Development, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency, the German Cooperation Agency and the Spanish Foundation for the Promotion of Social Culture in Jerusalem presented their water & sanitation and other projects in the region, updating the audience on the wide spectrum of activities being undertaken.

Other important panelists included Parliamentarians from all 3 countries, as well as mayors / municipal representatives from the participating communities.

Click here for an agenda of the conference.

Background:

Over the past ten months, FoEME staff held many meetings with stakeholders in the communities, civil forums, decision makers and funding bodies to identify and prioritize the most urgent initiatives that need to be advanced in the GWN communities.

The outcome of this process is our latest publication entitled "Community Based Problem Solving on Water Issues - Priority Initiatives for the communities of the Good Water Neighbors project", presenting 19 'Project Briefs'. These initiatives touch on immediate issues of concern -- all achievable through practical steps that are outlined in the briefs.

These projects were presented at the Regional Conference in Jericho.

December 2, 2012 - Guest Lecture

The Porter School of Environmental Studies

Friends of the Earth Middle East

Clinical legal education, Faculty of Law

INVITATION - Guest Lecture

AHMAD RAFAY ALAM

Advocate of the High Court

Department of Law & Policy

Lahore University of Management Sciences

Pakistan

"Water - Source of Conflict or Cooperation?

Dynamics of the Indus Waters Treaty and India-Pakistan water relations"

Sunday, 2 December 2012

11:00 am – 12:30 pm

Room 307, Trubovich Building, Tel-Aviv University

Abstract:

Though the Partition of the Sub-Continent took place in 1947, the partitioning of the waters of the Indus Basin took place in 1960 with the signing of the Indus Water Treaty, 1960. Though the Treaty has been remarkable in withstanding political differences between India and Pakistan, water shortages now put new challenges before it. The question is whether the Treaty can continue to operate as effectively as it has or whether it is time to begin to explore a new discourse on water sharing. Peace Parks can play a role in developing a new discourse, and the proposal to designate the Siachen Glacier as a Peace Park between India and Pakistan is an interesting case study. Much can be learned from models of environmental peace building that are being implemented internationally. Among them is Friends of the Earth's Middle East's Good Water Neighbours Project which identifies cross border communities and utilizes their mutual dependence on shared water resources as a basis for developing dialogue and cooperation on sustainable water management.

Click here to view Dr. Rafay's power point presentation

To see this announcement as a PDF file, click here

October 5, 2012 - Night Hike in Auja!

Auja Jordan Valley Eco Center, located North of Jericho, in the Jordan Valley is welcoming you to experience the surrounding wildlife and a visit with the Bedouins on the night hike on October 5th.

HIke begins at 19:00 and ends at midnight.

Click on the attached flyer for more details on how to sign up.

For more information about Auja Jordan Valley Eco Center please go to

www.jvec.ps

and on Facebook: Auja Environmental Center.

March 30, 2013 - Triathlon at our SHE Park, Jordan

Wild and Free Adventures in partnership with Friends of the Earth Middle East presented the first off-road adventure Triathlon and Duathlon in Jordan.

The Triathlon combined open-water swimming, on and off-road cycling and cross-country running.

The Duathlon consisted of a cross-country run, a cycle leg and a second cross-country run.

Both these races will test your fitness and commitment to the limit!

The race was held on 30th March 2013.

The race was set in the beautiful surroundings of the Sharhabil Bin Hassneh Ecopark in northern Jordan, overlooking the stunning Ziglab lake. The Ecopark is about 1 1/2 hours north of Amman, near the Sheikh Hussein crossing.

For more information, please visit www.wildandfreeadventures.com or call Friends of the Earth Middle East in Jordan at 06-5866602.

See the results of the race here, and a beautiful set of photos here

October 15, 2012 - Public Participation Meeting - Lower Jordan River

FoEME's Tel Aviv office invited Israeli local stakeholders of the Lower Jordan River to a public participation meeting organized by the Jordan Rehabilitation Administration concerning the Master Plan being drawn up for the Lower Jordan River (Israeli section).

This public meeting was held on Monday, October 15th, from 16:30 - 20:00 in the Eidan Center, Gil Oz, in the Springs Valley Regional Council.

The meeting was divided into three discussion groups:

1 - Tourism, appropriate for the area

2 - Water Use

3 - Open spaces, agriculture, landscape

FoEME believes it is crucial for the public to learn about progress on the issue, and to voice it's opinion. It is important that a wide sector of the public be involved in this process!

Click here for more information and for registration (in Hebrew)

October 20, 2012 - Hike for the Jordan Valley - Auja

On October 20th, FoEME's Auja EcoCenter led a 4 hour hike to the lesser-known Wadi Jaheer in the Jordan Valley.

Participants learned about the surrounding environment, the water scarcity challenges in the area, settlements, etc.

Price included transportation, a 4-hour hike with our Eco Guide, and lunch at the Auja EcoCenter.

Registration details in this flyer

December 13-14, 2012 - Hike for the Jordan Valley - Auja

DECEMBER 13-14

Join the Auja EcoCenter for a hike in Wadi Jaheer - an unknown area where the local Bedouins come to water their flocks. It is considered to be one of the best walks in Palestine to observe bird and wildlife.

Enjoy the morning surroundings, the silence and learn about environmental issues as we pass water scarce areas with an experienced eco guide.

Schedule:

Dec. 13th:

18:00 - transport leaves from Bethlehem

19:00 - arrival in Auja

20:00 - dinner in Bedouin farm

Dec. 14th:

06:30 - breakfast

07:00 - Wadi Jaheer hike

12:00 - lunch and departure

Price is 350 NIS per person and includes transportation, overnight, dinner, breakfast, lunch, eco guide and 4 hour hike. All income generated goes to Auja Center's work for environmental protection

For futher information and reservations call: 056-9247264

or email: tina_dob@hotmail.com

To see this information in a poster format, click here

Visit the Auja Center's website and Facbook page too!

December 16, 2012 - Baka Gharbia Photo Exhibit

Baka Gharbia held a photo exhibit, "It's in Our Hands", of photographs that illustrate the great damage caused by environmental hazards in the city.

The exhibit will move between schools, community centers and the local "El Kasami" college, to continue emphasizing for the people of Baqa, the challenges and opportunities to improve their quality of life.

The public was invited to the opening ceremony that was held on

DECEMBER 16th, at 09:30, at the "Tapuach Pais" Center in Baka Gharbia.

Click here for the invitation in Hebrew

Click here to read an article of the event in the local newspaper, with many photos.

November 16, 2012 - Battir Bicycle Ride

Join Friends of the Earth Middle East in a call to STOP THE BUILDING OF THE SEPARATION BARRIER through the unique terrace landscape of Battir...

On Bicycles!

Friday, November 16

from 9:00-12:00

(Starting point at Nahal Refaim National Park checkpoint)

Local food was sold at endpoint

For more information:

Gilat Bartana

054-4449430

Click here to see this information in a flyer format (in English / in Hebrew)

December 12, 2012 - Battir petition in the High Court

We need your support!!

All activists and residents are invited to come to the

Israeli High Court, Wednesday morning, 08:30.

FoEME gathered outside the Court building in Jerusalem at 08:30 and entered together with activists at 08:45, and listened to the hearing being held on FoEME's petition against the building of the Separation Barrier in Battir.

FoEME's petition protests the route of the Separation Barrier in this area of unique cultural landscape.

Battir is an exceptional example of terraced agricultural fields that date back 4,000 years. It represents an area of tremendous ecological and cultural significance to all the people of the region and humanity as a whole, and is on the tentative list of World Heritage.

FoEME is calling on the Israeli government to reconsider their actions and not proceed with the planned route of the barrier.

January 4, 2013 - Battir Walk

BATTIR WALK

Come WALK with Friends of the Earth Middle East

Calling for the Protection and Preservation of

Environmental Heritage in Nahal Refaim

Friday, January 4, 2013

Participants met at 10:00 at the parking lot of the Biblical Zoo, Jerusalem, and walked through the terraced landscape, springs and ancient remains of Nahal Refaim - to the Village of Battir.

At the end of the walk, a meeting as held with representatives from the village. There was also be a farmers market selling local produce.

Shuttle buses were available from 12:30 - 14:30 to return people to their cars.

Length of walk - 5 kilometers, appropriate for families.

Bring a hat and water!

Please register at: http://foeme.org/forms

For more information, call Gilat Bartana: gbartana@gmail.com

To see this invitation in Hebrew, click here

To see this invitation as a PDF file (English), click here

February 16, 2013 - Jordan Valley Women's Crafts Bazar

All are invited to SUPPORT THE WOMEN OF THE JORDAN VALLEY!

FoEME iheld a Bazaar to showcase the many different handmade crafts that women of the Jordanian Jordan Valley are creating. They included jewelry, soaps and lotions, baked goods, preserves and much more. "Neighbors Path" tours of the nearby water and environment issues were part of the day as well.

Make it a full day of fun for you and your family!

For more info and to REGISTER, please call FoEME's Jordan office:

06-5866602/03

or call Hana Al-Asad at 079-8100413

or write to her at: hana@foeme.org

To see / print this invitation POSTER, click here.

February 20, 2013 - Screening of Last Call at the Oasis

INVITATION

Screening of "Last Call at the Oasis"

EcoPeace / Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) and the Porter School of Environmental Studies of the Tel Aviv University, held the first screening in Israel of "Last Call at the Oasis", a new film by the producers of "An Inconvenient Truth", about the worldwide water crisis.

The screening was held on February 20th, at 14:00, in the Hall of Justice ("Kes HaMishpat"), Trubovich Building of the Tel-Aviv University.

Pollution, overconsumption, and climate change are threatening communities worldwide with water shortages. The film highlights the work of Professor James S. Famiglietti from the University of California with the last 15 minutes of the film focusing on the Jordan River and water crises in the Middle East.

A 30 minute panel discussion on water issues – asking the question – ‘Is there a crisis in water or in water management?’ was held prior to the film's screening. Professor Famiglietti, Director of UC Center for Hydrologic Model, Dr. David Schorr, Department of Law, Tel Aviv University and Gidon Bromberg, FoEME Israeli Director participated in the panel discussion, moderated by Prof. Pinhas Alpert, Head of the Porter School of Environmental Studies, Tel Aviv University.

Venue and agenda:

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Hall of Justice ("Kes HaMishpat"), Trubovich Building, Tel-Aviv University

• 2:00 – 2:30 pm Welcome words

• 2:30 – 3:15 pm Panel discussion on water issues

• 3:15 - 4:45 pm "The Last Call at the Oasis"

Click here to see this invitation as an English poster

Click hereto see this invitation as a Hebrew poster

March 1-2, 2013 - Auja EcoCenter Bazaar

ALL INVITED!!

Under the patronage of the Governor of Jericho and al Aghwar Governorate, Friends of the Earth Middle East iheld a Bazaar at our Auja EcoCenter, on Friday and Saturday, March 1st and March 2nd, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

The Bazaar aimed to support Women's Centers in the West Bank, raise awareness of the value of local handcrafts and the preservation of this cultural heritage.

In efforts to continue to educate the public about the water and environmental challenges in the region, "Neighbors Path" tours in Auja and nearby Fasayel were offered during the Bazaar days as well.

Click here for a video of the event, by Maan News (in Arabic)

April 23, 2013 - Ashdod Sustainability Conference

This year, Friends of the Earth Middle East Tel Aviv helped to coordinate the 2nd Annual Ashdod Sustainability conference in Israel, initiated by the Municipality of Ashdod and Ha'aretz.

The conference brought together elected officials and senior staff, academics, opinion leaders, journalists, environmental activists and professionals from various fields, to promote a public discourse on sustainability and to place the issue of promoting sustainability in Israel on the public agenda.

The conference was opened by the new Minister of Environment in Israel, Amir Peretz. As part of the conference, FoEME’s Israel Director, Gidon Bromberg, held an important public discussion with His Excellency Saad Abu Hamour, Secretary General of the Jordan Valley Authority and Jordanian head of the Israel Jordan Joint Water Committee.

Read here a translation of an article from Haaretz newspaper about the discussion at the conference with Gidon Bromberg and Saad Abu Hamour.

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Click here for a video showing FoEME's contribution to last year's conference, where we brought together Israeli Minister of Environmental Protection Mr. Gilad Erdan, and Palestinian Minister of Water Dr. Shaddad Attili, for a public debate on the water challenges facing the two peoples; a write-up in the Jerusalem Post; and an item on the Ministers' debate in the Israeli Ministry of Environment's website.

April 12 & 15, 2013 - UK Mosque & Synagogue Presentations

For friends and supporters who might be in London in the next weeks:

FoEME's 3 Directors are in London and will give presentations about our Environmental Peacemaking efforts, featuring our work on the Lower Jordan River and the Dead Sea, in both the Wembley Central Mosque and the Harrow & Wembley Progressive Synagogue.

Presentations times and places are as follows:

Friday, April 12th, at 7pm - at the Wembley Central Mosque

35-37 Ealing Rd, Wembley HA0 4AE (Wembley Central Station)

Monday, April 15th, at 7pm - at the Harrow & Wembley Progressive Synagogue

39 Bessborough Road, Harrow, HA1 3BS (Harrow on the Hill Station)

All are welcome!

Click here to view this information in a flyer / poster format

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Rabbi Frank Dabba Smith, Harrow and Wembley Progressive Synagogue, and Shahab Hussein, Secretary General of the Wembley, Mosque were invited to BBC London radio to be interviewed about their involvement with Friends of the Earth Middle East events. Very early morning, Sunday 7th April. (With them for moral support are daughters Sarah and Sara!)

Click here to listen to the interview (Part 1) / (Part 2)

Bob Cole - Funeral - FoEME Eulogy

17 May, 2013

In Memory and Gratitude to Bob Cole

I knew Bob Cole for a relatively short time. It was in fact just three years ago, almost to this day that Bob first walked into the FoEME offices in Tel Aviv. He came into the meeting with a mission. Without us knowing, he had researched environmental groups that he wanted WRAP, a DC based NGO, to partner with and he had identified FoEME as the best means to advance WRAP’s interests on the ground, since WRAP had no representation in the Middle East.

In this first meeting he offered nothing to FoEME other than more work and greater responsibilities then we could already take on. Logically we should have politely said thank you but no thank you – you are asking us to take on too much. But then there was something in his sincerity, his determination to make a difference on the ground on the issue. It was clear from the start that, after his family, this was the most important thing that he cared about – advancing Middle East peace, Jewish –Arab understanding. There was something so honest in Bob’s manner that it was just impossible to say no.

And so we started our journey – at first indeed helping WRAP advance its first rainwater harvesting facility. However, progress on one or two projects was not enough for Bob. He wanted to see broader and immediate impact. He had actually said to me that time was not on his side and that he was determined to leave an impact. He had visited a gathering of FoEME’s Good Water Neighbors project and saw first hand the Jewish-Arab interaction over water. He visited our EcoFacilities in Jordan and Palestine and he saw the potential for large-scale environmental education.

At the close of his tour he let us at FoEME know that he was going to invest his time and energy into making FoEME more powerful and FoEME’s goals more achievable. Together with Mary Alexander, a close and trusted friend, Bob started an intensive three years of meetings in the Middle East, in DC, NY and LA, countless skype calls and many, many pages of “To Do” lists. Bob was determined, and the “To Do” lists revised every few days over these last three years helped Bob measure his progress. Every meeting, every conversation started with the “To Do” lists – reviewing what had been achieved and adding items now needed to be completed.

There was much progress – meetings at the policy level with State Department officials, staff at the White House and USAID on the political opportunities in moving forward on water; Meetings with foundations, friends and individuals recommended by others to get them on board and to contribute to Good Water Neighbors or the EcoParks. It was Bob’s idea that FoEME needed a formalized body of individuals from all over the world to help open doors and help get others on board. Hence the idea of an International Advisory Committee (IAC) was born.

Bob defined the IAC’s terms of reference. He met with his best friends; he met with FoEME’s longstanding friends; he met with people recommended by others to join the IAC. Over the next year, Bob succeeded to bring together 14 highly distinguished and capable individuals to form the IAC.

Two weeks prior to the inaugural IAC meeting to be held in London, Bob even flew to London to make sure that all the final arrangements were in place. Just days before the London meeting however Bob received the terrible news related to his health and doctors advised him against any travel.

The IAC meeting took place with Bob joining through Skype. As expected, a long “To Do” list was made for, rather than one individual, now 14 committed volunteers all handpicked by Bob.

Though I only new Bob for three years, I feel I got to know him well. These were intensive years – full of good memories of Bob hiking the EcoPark in Jordan; of dancing with FoEME staff in a restaurant in Bethlehem; of walking up 8 flights of stairs at his law office in DC…with me puffing and octogenarian Bob worried for my health. I will never forget this touching moment when, at the end of a long day of meetings in the field, Bob said to me, “thank you for what you do for my People.” He said it with a tear.

Bob, though not religious, was very proud of his Jewish heritage. ‘My People’ was perhaps referring to the Jewish people but certainly not only. Bob was a humanist that loved all people. His passion was to contribute to Middle East peacemaking through water issues.

Bob will always be remembered in FoEME and by the many people that met him in the Middle East as the determined old man – certain in his path - determined to make a difference. Bob made that difference. The many IAC meetings to be held in the months and years ahead will keep his determination alive and continue to turn his vision into a reality.

Our deep condolences from FoEME go to Bob’s family and many loved ones. Bob will be dearly missed.

The FoEME Family