Arava Institute for
Environmental Studies Sends a Message of Peace
During U.S. Trip
Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli alumni
participate
Washington, DC (September
10th, 2007) - Jordanian, Palestinian, and
Israeli alumni of the Arava Institute for
Environmental Studies (www.arava.org) collaborated
on a workshop at the UN in New York this week at the
60th Annual DPI/NGO Conference on Climate Change.
Invited by the Hadassh organization, the three young
Middle Eastern environmental leaders focused on
"Water and Security”, one of the pressing
environmental challenges facing their region.
The Arava Institute is the premier environmental
teaching and research program in the Middle East,
preparing future Arab and Jewish leaders to
cooperatively solve the region's environmental
challenges. The three panelists; Suleiman Halasah, a
Jordanian, Danna El Rassas, a Palestinian and While
Roey Angel, an Israeli were joined by Rabbi Michael
Cohen, the Director of Special Projects along with
Dr. Clive Lipchin, the Director of Research at the
Arava Institute. The panelists spoke about the
Jordan River watershed as a trans-boundary system
that is being overexploited, and that the effects of
climate change will exacerbate this situation and
could lead to security-related concerns. In the
absence of a jointly-accepted, integrated water
resources management plan, they said, water security
is likely to worsen. They discussed what elements
are necessary for the implementation of a joint
water commission that could be put in place to meet
the threats posed by climate change and that could
operate despite the political animosity in the
region.
The panelists also traveled to Washington, DC where
they met with Jordanian Ambassador to the United
States, His Royal Highness Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein and
discussed the numerous projects the Arava Institute
has done with Jordan ranging from bio-diversity in
the Arava Valley, Air Quality in Jordan, Palestine,
and Israel, and joint research on the Dead Sea
including the Red-Dead Canal. The Arava Institute is
also working with the Jordan University of Science
and Technology to complete more projects. Moreover,
since the doors of the Arava Institute opened in
1996 one quarter of the undergraduate and graduate
student body has been Jordanian. “What the Arava
Institute’s work demonstrates is that peace is not a
mirage in the Middle East. It is attainable,
workable and when given a chance successful. Jordan
commends the Arava institute for its efforts to
bring Jordanians, Palestinian and Israelis together
to take the initiative to save the environment in
the pursuit of peace and prosperity in the region,”
said the Ambassador.
About the panelists: Suleiman Halasah is doing
research to bring solar power en mass to both the
Jordanian and Israeli sides of the Arava Valley.
Danna Rassas is the Strategic Director for Israel
Palestine Center for Research and Information. While
Roey Angel just completed work on a joint
Palestinian-Israeli River Restoration project.
Contact Arava Institute
www.friendsofarava.org,
www.arava.org,
Tel 802 362-2432, contact Rabbi Michael Cohen.
