Weekly Report, November 7th - 19th, 2010

• Tareq Abu Hamed flew to Northern Cyprus (Turkish Cyprus) on November 7th to spend three days hosted by the Sustainable Environment and Energy Systems (SEES) Graduate Program at the Middle East Technical University, North Cyprus Campus (METU NCC).  The main purpose of the visit was to discuss the possibility of a joint Master's Degree in Renewable Energy with METU NCC. Tareq met with numerous faculty members fo METU NCC including Professor Turgut Tumer, the Campus President.  A number of areas of cooperation were explored including METU students participating in AIES programs, joint programs and joint research.
• On Tuesday, November 9th,I brought three students from the institute (Sara from NJ, Brian from Seattle, and Elham from Amman) to visit Edward Sperling, the injured rider, at Tel Hashomer.  It was my first opportunity to visit Eddie since the night of the accident.  We arrived about an hour before visiting hours so we were able to have lunch in an Aroma Coffee Shop inside the hospital with Micha Sperling, Eddie's son.  Micha told us that Eddie was awake and able to communicate.  The students were grateful for a chance to get to know Micha and also to tell Micha about themselves.  At around 12:00 we went to visit Eddie in the ICU unit.  Visiting hours are from 12:00 to 14:00 (2:00 pm) and only two people at a time can go in at once.  Of course being typical Israelis we initially ignored that rule but were then promptly kicked out.  In any case, we took turns visiting with Eddie. The students had prepared a beautiful folder with pictures of all of the students and each student wrote something personal next to their picture.  Sara, Brian and Elham took turns reading what they and other students wrote.  Eddie's face looks pretty good considering the beating it took.  His eyes are bright and he had an amazing look of satisfaction as the students chatted with him.  In addition to reading the card, the students told Eddie about themselves.   Eddie mouthed some words which the students were able to understand with some difficulty.  I hope that the visit gave Eddie and his family some cheer. It was incredibly important for the students themselves, who recognize the fact that Eddie had been on the ride in order to support the institute.



Brian, Micha (Eddie's son), Elham and Sara

• On Wednesday, November 17th, I spoke to Micha who told me that Edward and his family were flying home. For more updates on Edward and his family, please go to  http://edsperling.wordpress.com/ 
• Tuesday, November 9th, was the first day of the 4 day Negev Field Trip for the students.  Day one of the trip saw the students arrive at Sde Boker to sit in on the second day of the Bi-annual International Desertification Conference. For the Masters students it was also a chance to get a real feel for the place they will call home following the completion of their first year of studies here at AIES. Day two of the trip was that much more crammed, with a number of activities lined up beginning with a hike through Ein Avdat and ending with a homely culinary experience in Yeroham.  Highlighting the issues of waste disposal, environmental justice and social inequity , day three involved a visit to Ramat Hovav municipal waste disposal facility and a visit to the unrecognized Bedouin village of Wadi El Na’am. Appropriately, the night was spent in Bedouin tent accommodation at Khan HaShayarot.  The ride home included a stop in a Tel Sheva, where Mariam, the improbable founder of her very own range of organic herbal health products enlightened the group as to her fight against adversity as a Bedouin women in order to start her own business.
• This Arava Alumni Leadership Jam in collaboration with YES ( www.yesworld.org) brought together a group of 24 diverse AIES alumni from Jordan, Israel, USA, and Palestine for 5 intensive days in the Wadi Ram Desert - Jordan. Participants were diverse in both the year that they studied or interned at the AIES (as far back as 1999!) age, nationality and field of expertise! Being in the quiet of the desert and facilitated by a team of YES and AIES alumni the group was guided through a trans-formative process focusing on the interplay between introspection, lifestyle sustainability and the ability to bring about systemic change in the world. Some of the outcomes were; a deepening and building of authentic relationships between alumni, invigoration of the AAPEN and alumni projects, rejuvenation of body, mind and spirit and time to reflect on the post Arava Experience and its influence on the personal, social and professional realms.

Alumni in Wadi Rum

• On Sunday, November 14th, along with the entire world, the students of the Arava Institute watched "With Earth and With Each Other" the first annual virtual web rally for Peace and the Environment sponsored by the Friends of the Arava Institute (FAI).  The broadcast was a bit choppy at first but by the end the broadcast was smooth and the students, staff and kibbutz members who attended the program were inspired and proud.  Of course much thanks goes the FAI staff members, David Weisberg and Jessica Reed for the incredible effort put into the broadcast.  I also want to thank Yonatan Chesler who oversaw the project at the Arava Institute and Josh Neirman for his technical support.  And of course a special thanks to Mandy Patinkin, Pete Seeger and all of the other artists who made this a unique and special event.
• Monday, November 15th, Deputy Minister Ayoub Kara, from the Ministry of Regional Cooperation and the Ministry of Negev and Galil Development visited the institute. I first met the Deputy Minister at this year's Renewable Energy Conference in Eilat in February. I invited Minister Kara to visit the institute.  The Deputy Minister was accompanied by the Eilot Regional Council Head, Udi Gat.  Three students from the institute met with the Deputy Minister and talked about themselves and their experience at the institute. The Deputy Minister asked a few questions to the students and then staff members raised issues concerning funding from his two ministries as well as issues concerning permits for Palestinians.  The Ministry for Negev and Galil Development has promised funding for the new dorms and the Ministry for Regional Cooperation has promised funding for cross border conferences.  The Deputy Minister expressed a strong interest in helping the institute to promote cross border cooperation.  After the meetings, the Deputy Minister was taken on a tour of the institute's renewable energy research facilities.  
• On Wednesday, November 17th, the students met with the son of a kibbutz member who had been the one to spray paint the anti-Arab slogan on the door of one of the units on the campus of the institute.  Similar to the meeting with Louie, the volunteer who also participated in the incident, the meeting was very moving and refreshing.  Marvin apologized for his actions and talked a bit about his background coming from France where he had experienced anti-Semitism and he also spoke about his experiences in the army.  Marvin said how ashamed he was of his actions and that since the incident he has been torturing himself over it and when he comes home from the army does not leave his house.  The students told Marvin that Ketura is his home and that he should not fear leaving his house.  Many of the students spoke about the impact of the incident on them but most of all they expressed forgiveness and a sincere desire to put the incident behind them.   Raja, a Palestinian from East Jerusalem read the following statement to Marvin:
• "My name is Raja' I am an Arab girl form Jerusalem.  This letter is for you since you live in this kibbutz.  I was not shocked, not even a little bit when I heard about what you did, but I was hurt that this norm in Israel happened here in the Arava Institute, where all these nice Israelis welcomed me as student. Obviously you have no idea why I’m here, but let me tell you that you attacked an Arab group who are here to look at this conflict between us from another perspective, a peaceful one. I hope that you can take this experience back to the Army with you, to turn it into a positive one and not to brag to others that you attacked a peaceful Arab group in your kibbutz."
• Cathie Granit, the Institute's Program Director reminded Marvin, that as a soldier, he is looked up to by the younger kids of the kibbutz and that he needs to be an example.  In an emotional statement, Cathie asked Marvin "To please do the right thing."

David Lehrer

Weekly Report March 14th to 18th, 2010

• Tal Goldman began work this week as the new Coordinator of the Center for a Healthy Environment in the Arava (Sababa). Tal is a member of Kibbutz Yotvata and is a professional landscape architect.
• Rodney Vargas from the UNC Chapel Hill Study Abroad Department came to the institute for a site visit. This is the final step in the long awaited agreement between UNC Chapel Hill and the Arava Institute which will allow students attending UNC to come to the institute for a semester or a year without petitioning for special permission.
• Many of you may have read Yonatan Chessler's beautiful letter describing the reception of the Palestinian students back on the campus after four days of closure on the West Bank. The background to the story is that after the closure was lifted, the Palestinian students went to Jerusalem to catch the bus to Ketura. Only one of the students got on the 10:00 am bus from Jerusalem for the 4 hour ride, via the Dead Sea to the institute. The other two students missed the bus and waited in the Jerusalem bus station for the next bus at 2:00 pm. The Egged 10:00 bus reached the IDF checkpoint on the Dead Sea at the border between the West Bank and Israel around 11:00 am. An Israeli soldier stopped and borded the bus to check passengers' papers. Though our Palestinian student had the permit which allows her to come into Israel, the soldier decided to remove her from the bus and she was told to go back to Jerusalem. The bus then left, leaving our student sitting on the side of the road in the in the Dead Sea with the next bus for Jerusalem, many hours away. The institute organized a taxi to come from Jerusalem to the checkpoint and pick her up (this took about an hour) and then take her back to Jerusalem. She met the other two students at the bus station. The three of them then took a bus to Ber Sheva and were picked up in Ber Sheva by the Program Director Moishe Siel. Moishe had decided not to take any chances so he made the two hour drive to Ber Sheva specially to pick them up and bring them back to the institute. This is what lies behind Yonatan's comment on the 12 hour trip from Jerusalem to Ketura which normally takes 4 hours. The institute is lodging a complaint with the Israeli Army regarding the actions of the soldiers at the check point. Matan Vilnai, Deputy Minister of Defense intervened on our behalf but it was too late to resovle the issue. We are deeply disturbed by these events and we appreciate the willingness of our Palestinian students to come back to the institute even under these trying circumstances. I also want to express my gratitude to Moishe Siel and to Judy Bar Lev for their efforts in getting our students back to the institute.
• On Tuesday, I went to Tel Aviv for a series of meetings that included a meeting of the Arava Institute/Heschel Center Food Initiative Team. We had a good meeting and we were able to come up with a plan for the next steps in the Food Initiative this year. After that meeting, I participated in the Arava Environmental Consulting & Technology Board meeting. Elad Topel, CEO of Arava EC&T presented the business plan for 2010 which look very optimistic with projection of almost a million NIS of revenue by the end of the year. Finally, the Arava Institute's Board of Directors met for its first Board meeting of 2010. The Board heard from Elad about Arava EC&T plans, recieved an overall report from me about events at the Arava Institute and discussed the structure of the audited financial reports.
• On Wednesday, Sarit Maagen-Rosenfeld, the new Chair of the Research and Visitors Park Steering Committee convened the first meeting of the commitee. The committee is made up of representatives of the different departments as well as representatives of the kibbutz guest house Keren Kolot. Sarit presented the architect's design for the park and committee members made comments and suggests.
• That same day, the Sababa Subcommittee for the inscription of Timna Valley as a UNESCO World Heritage Site also convened for the first time and discussed strategy for cooperation with the regional authorities.
• Finally on Wednesday, the institue recieved a site visit from a representative of the MASA program, the Jewish Agency program that encourages students to come on long term programs in Israel. The program provides scholarships to Jewish students from around the world to spend time in Israel. The institute is a recognzied program of MASA and about 9 of our North American students are MASA scholarship recipients. The visit seemed to go very smoothly.
• On Thursday, Cynthia Hirsch, an environmental lawyer from Wisconson visited the institue, gave a guest lecture to our students and met with staff. Cynthia has hosted Arava Institue students at her home in Madison and is very interested in helping the institute in any way she can.

David Lehrer