In the framework of FoEME's Community GIS project, training of municipal staff on GIS skills were undertaken in Israel and Palestine this month and will begin in Jordan in February. The objective of the training course is to deepen the representatives' understanding of potential hazards to water sources and exercise the use of GIS in collecting and analyzing data on these hazards. The course gives practical tools that will be established in the municipality for creating local GIS layers and locating potential hazards.
15 participants from local Israeli municipalities took part in the academic course "Use of Geographical Information Systems for Management of Environmental Hazards" in the Rupin College, near Netanya. An additional training course took place for Palestinian municipal members from the West Bank, using the ArcGIS software in planning and mapping hazard threats. The course was given through the Good Shepherd and Engineering Computing Co. in Bethlehem, and is geared for engineers and planners from Jericho, Tulkarem and West Bethlehem's rural areas.
The CGIS project is supported by the EU Partnerships for Peace program.
FoEME presented the Jordan River Peace Park initiative at the "Peace Parks on Israel's Borders" conference at Tel Aviv University, held as part of a conference series on Environmental Peacemaking in the Middle East. Two tours were also held at the site this month including a special visit to the site by Saleem Ali, editor of "Peace Parks: Conservation and Conflict Resolution" and a delegation of Dorot Fellows.
The Jordan River Peace Park project is supported by the Studiosus Foundation, the Jewish Funders Network / Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund Matching Grant Initiative and the Blaustein Foundation.
On January 20, FoEME gathered students from 7 communities participating in the Good Water Neighbors project at the Sharhabil bin Hassneh EcoPark in Jordan, in order to celebrate a tree planting event and inaugurate a new fruitful, rain-blessed planting season.
The ceremony saw the presence of the Governor of North Aghwar, the mayors of Sheik Hussein, North Shouna and Sharhabil bin Hassaneh and many representatives from nearby communities, staff members of the Jordan Valley Authority and FoEME's Jordanian team.
Authorities expressed the importance of the EcoPark in environmental preservation, reminding all that not long ago the area was a barren marginal land due to overgrazing and lack of public attention. They congratulated the organization for the efforts put into the creation of this now lush green area that is the pride of the community.
An ongoing part of FoEME's Good Water Neighbors project is in its EcoTourism component – the "Neighbors Paths" – a tour that takes the visitor through the water story of a particular community, as well as an overview of the water issues of its neighboring / partnering community. The visitor learns why the shared nature of our region's water resources necessitates cooperation in order to preserve them.
This month, a group of American students from George Mason University's Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution Department, toured the Neighbors Path in Auja, Palestine. They visited the Auja Village, hiked to the Spring area, learned about the water reality in both Israel and Palestine, ending the tour at the new Auja Environmental Education Center with lunch prepared by the local women's group.
The Good Water Neighbors project is supported by USAID, SIDA and the Belgium Foreign Ministry’s Peace Building Desk.
As a recipient of the 2009 Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, FoEME was invited to attend the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, USA this month. The Skoll Foundation has partnered with the Sundance Institute to promote the success of social entrepreneurs worldwide by telling their stories effectively. Read more here…
FoEME Jordanian Director, Munqeth Mehyar, presented our Environmental Peacemaking projects during the Festival and discussed possibilities to produce a film on our work.
The Regional Human Security Centre in Amman and the Institute for Peace Studies in Alexandria, invited FoEME to present at their regional seminar on Human Security entitled "Building Alliances for Human Security in the WANA Region".
FoEME Palestinian Director Nader Khateeb presented our paper on Climate Change as a threat to Middle East Security, especially as regards to our water resources.
FoEME Israeli and Palestinian staff participated in the Peace NGO Forum 5th annual bilateral conference that this year, took place in Jericho.
More than 100 peace & dialogue organizations were represented at the conference. Keynote speakers addressed the current political climate, and researchers presented results from a recent survey conducted on Palestinian-Israeli peace activities that reflected Palestinian-Israeli peace organization's successes and shortcomings. In an exhibition held during the conference, FoEME took advantage of yet another opportunity to present our Environmental Peacemaking work.
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this month and will begin in Jordan in February. 
held as part of a conference series on Environmental Peacemaking in the Middle East. 
Hassneh EcoPark
takes the visitor through the water story of a particular community, as well as an overview of the water issues of its neighboring / partnering community. The visitor learns why the shared nature of our region's water resources necessitates cooperation in order to preserve them. 
USA this month. 
regional seminar on Human Security entitled "Building Alliances for Human Security in the WANA Region". 
Jericho. 
