November 2, 2010

A post by Ambassador Behar in Dakar, Nov. 2010


A cool breeze at the end of the day blows down the sandy slope of the village of Mbisau in Senegal. A few dozen women, who are carrying their infants tied to their backs and wearing headscarves, are working bent down in their small plots of land where they are growing organic potatoes and onions. There are 126 women in this TIPA project, which uses advanced Israeli drip irrigation and agricultural techniques. Their project is a part of a broader program of MASHAV (Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation) and the Embassy of Israel in Senegal to combat poverty. The women are pleased. The new engagement in agriculture enables them to earn much needed money and also to deal with their other tasks such as raising their children and cooking. When the sun set and shines its last golden rays for the day on the green fields, the women return home happy and with smiles on their faces.


Gideon Behar,

Ambassador

Embassy of Israel,

Dakar

July 25, 2010

Millenium cities initiatives- Israeli Partnership opens doors for early learners- Kumasi, Ghana

Mount Carmel Training Center designed a three- year program to integrate early childhood education into the classrooms. This involved close consultation with the Kumasi Metropolitan Department of Education, as well as working closely with a core group of teachers, who are soon to become teacher trainers themselves.


http://mci.ei.columbia.edu/?id=locations_kumasi

Israeli medical delegation in Congo takes heat while trying to soothe burns

Published in Ha'aretz a few days ago.
About 10 days ago Israel sent five medical specialists from Sheba Medical Center for 10 days to treat the wounded. They were the first plastic surgeons to arrive in Congo after the accident, with proper know-how and equipment to treat the victims. Approximately 50 victims were burned when an oil tanker caught fire two weeks ago, killing more than 230 people in avillage near the Democratic Republic of Congo's border with Burundi.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israeli-medical-delegation-in-congo-takes-heat-while-trying-to-soothe-burns-1.302693

July 22, 2010


On July 19, MASHAV and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in Eastern Africa, to promote strong technical collaboration as well as the development of capacity building strategies that will benefit government services, the civil society and the private sector in Eastern Africa.
The MOU was signed following an overall agreement on cooperation signed on November 2008 in Roma, FAO headquarters with the aim to assist developing countries to achieve the Millenium development goals (UN MDGs).

July 13, 2010

Congo: secours d’urgence aux grands brules

Israël a envoyé une équipe médicale d’urgence et du matériel de pointe pour soigner les rescapés, souvent très grièvement brûlés, de l’explosion d’un camion-citerne, qui a fait plus de 200 morts dans l’est de la République démocratique du Congo. une dizaine de docteurs, de chirurgiens et de spécialistes ont quitté en urgence Jérusalem, Haifa, et Tel-Aviv pour le Congo. MASHAV a pris la responsabilite de cette situation d’urgence. L'operation a etait mise en place suite à la demande du ministre des Affaires Etrangeres israelien Avigdor Lieberman.
http://jssnews.com/2010/07/12/israel-au-congo-aide-economique-et-secours-durgence/

July 4, 2010

In historic move, UN creates single entity to promote women’s empowerment

UN News Center, July 2nd, 2010. A very welcome initiative!

In a bid to accelerate the empowerment of women, the General Assembly today voted unanimously to create a dynamic new entity merging four United Nations offices focusing on gender equality, a move hailed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other senior officials.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35224&Cr=gender&Cr1

June 29, 2010

Israeli eye camp in Georgia, June 2010


Nice pictures from the last eye surgery camp who recently (June 2010) took place in Georgia. A delegation of Israeli ophtalmologists sent by Israel's Agency for International Cooperation Development- MASHAV- in cooperation with the Israeli organization "Eyes from Zion"- gave a new hope for dozens of Georgian citizens suffering from eyes deseases.

June 23, 2010

Ministres israéliens et allemands à Jérusalem pour réparer le monde

Yesterday, MASHAV and the German INWENT debated on aid effectiveness in a framework of 1-day seminar in Shefayim, CINADCO-MASHAV's agricultural training Center.
I already found an article, for our french-speaking friends, on the JSS blog.

Le vice-ministre des Affaires étrangères Danny Ayalon a rencontré aujourd’hui Dirk Niebel, ministre fédéral allemand de la Coopération économique et du développement, qui est en visite en Israël à la tête d’une importante délégation.
Cette visite fait suite à la signature de l’accord pour l’aide aux pays en développement par Ayalon et le ministre Niebel et Janvier dernier. Israël attache une grande importance à la coopération avec l’Allemagne sur les questions de l’aide, qui ont augmenté énormément ces derniers mois. Cette coopération représente une composante unique et importante dans le développement des bonnes relations entre les deux pays.

http://jssnews.com/2010/06/22/ministres-israeliens-et-allemands-a-jerusalem-pour-reparer-le-monde/

June 7, 2010

previous to previous...DevCom seminar, Haifa, 31/5 - 1/6/2010

Doing a lot with little
I have just received this great post published by Julia Chandler from the British Aid Agency (DFID) on the Haifa seminar last week. Julia was one of the speakers at the conference. She gave a very interesting presentation on the British case study.
Thank you!
http://juliac2.wordpress.com/2010/06/06/doing-a-lot-with-little/

By the way, you are invited to watch these videos about the conference and what means doing a lot with little...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqgq2-ZFSqo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I54R0vz32nk

May 25, 2010

Further to our previous post...

Vey good material I just found on the website of Web2forDev! exactly fits the issues we will deal with next week.
"Talking with the audience: Development organisations and social media": http://web2fordev.net/component/content/article/1-latest-news/111-talking-with-the-audience

Haifa workshop 31/5 - 1/6


Next week Mashav is hosting a two-day workshop on "Maximizing Outcomes with Minimum Resources for Development Communication". The workshop will be held in Haifa, Mount Carmel Training Center (the very first branch of MASHAV, this years turning 50!). Jointly organized by MASHAV and DevCom, OECD Development Centre, the seminair will deal with communication issues regarding development and the role of the new media in dispatching development messages.


May 20, 2010

Accession : Estonia, Israel and Slovenia invited to join OECD


10/05/2010 – OECD countries agreed today to invite Estonia, Israel and Slovenia to become members of the Organisation, paving the way for the Organisation’s membership to grow to 34 countries.
“Estonia, Israel and Slovenia, along with Chile that has just deposited its instrument to become a full member, will contribute to a more plural and open OECD that is playing an increasingly important role in the global economic architecture,” OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría said.

By the way, MASHAV is organizing a seminar on development 2.0 for OECD-DEVCOM participants in Haifa at the end of the months.



Cooperation agreement between Israel (MASHAV) and the Organization of American States (OAS)


Israel and the Organization of American States signed a memorandum of understanding consolidating decades of development cooperation.
The agreement signed Monday at OAS headquarters in Washington pledges to advance existing collaboration on education, environment, economic and social development, poverty, gender equity, disaster prevention and relief, agriculture and crisis management. from JTA two days ago.



May 10, 2010

A potential to break cycles of hunger? by David Lewis



Nice article from Reuters published a few days ago about the TIPA project in Senegal. This is all about a drip irrigation system, made up of water tanks and rows of black pipes! An Israeli innovation that some predict could end the area's aid dependency.

May 4, 2010

AKUT- Turkey- Israel cooperation - emergency unit visits Israel 25-30/4/2010


AKUT- Turkey- Israel cooperation - emergency unit visits Israel 25-30/4/2010.
AKUT, the "Search and Rescue Association" in Turkey visited Israel last week for a 5 days trip and training, on the invitation of the Israeli Rescue Team "Arava".

April 29, 2010

Eight Things You Never Knew About Feeding The Hungry


Nice article from the UN world food program: Eight Things You Never Knew About Feeding The Hungry: Nearer than you think, Yaks on track, Perfect altitude, Build what you need, Almost perfect, Maximum impact, Twenty-four hours, Fast food.

April 24, 2010

Hope and heartbreak in Haiti

An article from Ynet April 23, about how the Israeli delegation helps kids in orphanages rebuild their lives.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3878294,00.html

April 14, 2010

Israeli technology and practices for developing countries' farmers


Israeli experts in the field of agriculture gave a seminar on sustainable development of cattle breading within the framework of the joint project UNDP - Mashav - Ministry of Agriculture and Water Management of Uzbekistan. In the end of May leading experts from Israel Ran Solomon, Daniel Werner and Efraim Zuckerman trained a group of Uzbek farmers from Kui-Chirchik district of Tashkent region. The subject of the seminar was cattle rationing, nutrition and forage reserve and its influence on milk productivity. The participants were introduced to modern technologies and innovations in the field of agro chemistry and agronomy. Israeli experts together with representatives of UNDP and the Israeli Embassy in Uzbekistan, visited farms in the Tashkent region and studied fodder growing and implementation of the knowledge attained in training courses in Israel and Uzbekistan in the work of the farmers. During the seminars the experts stressed the importance of a diverse nutritive diet, including barley, triticale, pea and oats to increase productivity of cows. They advised on the proper pressing of silo and bin in order to preserve the correct micro flora. According to the plan of the Joint project on sustainable development of livestock, Israeli experts on design of modern dairy farming and herd books will come to Uzbekistan in order to conduct seminars in June 2009.

The following article was published on 25th of May on the “New Europe” website.
http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94744.php

April 6, 2010

Julia Bucknall's blog- World Bank- desalination plant in Israel


Further to our previous post (March 15) on the visit of the Word Bank delegation in Israel, essentially focused on water issues and climate change, look at these two very interesting blog posts and videos by Julia Bucknall, World Bank expert, reporting the visit.
http://blogs.worldbank.org/climatechange/blogs/julia-bucknall

FOR THE VIDEO:
http://vimeo.com/10613787


March 28, 2010

MASHAV at AIPAC- great speeches and clip




great speeches and clip (immediately after the speeches) on Israeli humanitarian activities abroad. http://www.aipac.org/PC2010/webPlayer/mon_israel10.asp. There is also an interview with Haim Divon, Head of MASHAV, and Mazal renford, Director of the Carmel Training Center.

Israeli Delegation Participates in the Fifth World Urban Forum

The World Urban Forum (WUF) is considered the world's premier conference on cities. The Forum was established by the United Nations to examine one of the most pressing problems facing the world today: rapid urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies.

In March 2010, UN-HABITAT and the Government of Brazil hosted the WUF fifth session in Rio de Janeiro. During the conference, the Israeli delegation organized two special activities: A Side Event on "Municipal Platforms for Local Strategic Development” focussing upon the structuring of local organizational platforms for strategic development; and a Training Event on "How to leverage local assets for strategic local development – Establishing a Municipal Strategic Planning Unit (MSPU)”, which focussed on how to create local mechanisms for implementation of plans and strategies through an MSPU.

Both activities were presented by Israeli and Kenyan facilitators, representing MASHAV – Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation; Kisumu’s Municipal Council, Kenya; the Weitz Center for Development Studies, Israel; and strategic planning and development consultants.

http://mashav.mfa.gov.il/mfm/web/main/missionhome.asp?MissionID=16210&

March 22, 2010

Israel-Nepal sign agro agreement


Nepal and Israel signed on March 19 in Jerusalem an Agreement on cooperation in the field of agriculture. It was an opportunity for Nepalese Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Mrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav, to visit Israel. The visit also coincided with the celebration of 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

the picture attached is a press article from a local newspaper, Rajdhani.

March 17, 2010

World Cup-bound Norwegian cyclist teaches Eritrean refugees about the internet

Pupils at the Eritrean Refugee School in Sudan are learning internet and social media platforms with a former professional football player! another way to reach the outside world.
http://www.unhcr.org/4b9fb8cb9.html

March 15, 2010

International Water Day




MASHAV, in cooperation with the Israel's Water Authority, held yesterday a conference in Shefayim for the celebration of the International Water Day with a panel of Israeli experts and representatives of the Governmental sector. Shefayim MAHSAV's Training Center hosted a delegation from the World Bank, in Israel for the presentation of the WB new report on climate change and its implications in developement. In the afternoon, WB delegation visited the desalination plant in Hadera.

March 7, 2010

More women choosing to work, but gender equality remains a long way off


From ILO website, two days ago.

Despite signs of progress in gender equality over the past 15 years, there is still a significant gap between women and men in terms of job opportunities and quality of employment, according to a new report by the International Labour Office (ILO).

http://www.ilo.org/global/About_the_ILO/Media_and_public_information/Press_releases/lang--en/WCMS_123827/index.htm

February 27, 2010

Promoting Security through Diplomacy and Development

A post (video) from the US Department of State on the importance of the 3 Ds. Secretary Clinton testifies before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Promoting Security through Diplomacy and Development: The Fiscal Year 2011 International Affairs Budget (Feb. 25). You also can read the full statement.
http://www.state.gov/video/?videoid=68869987001

Another speech, a day before, on the priorities of the US government: D, D , D!
http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2010/02/137256.htm

February 24, 2010

GREEN PROPHET BLOG


We met yesterday with a representative of the blog "green prophet". I would like to share with you the following link:


"Green Prophet" is dealing with issues such as development and environment, in Israel and the Middle East, and brings to a wide public discussions and articles on environement and related issues.

They are doing a great job!

February 16, 2010

UN agency launches Web tool to help aid workers get food to Haitians in need

From the UN news Center.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today launched an interactive Web-based tool containing information on usable roads, crop calendars and damaged areas in Haiti to help aid workers in the Caribbean country better distribute food and combat shortages in the wake of last month's earthquake.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=33769&Cr=Haiti&Cr1=

Could stopping aid to Africa help the continent?




A recent interview of Dambisa Moyo (feb.5, 2010) on the issue of foreign aid and its effectiveness. Not everybody likes her but this is pretty interesting.

February 8, 2010

What Innovative Ways Can We Combat Modern-Day Slavery?

Interersting post in the US Department of State's blog about human trafficking. Look also at the comments, sometimes very interesting...

February 7, 2010

Joel Leyden's blog


I would like to share with you the blog of Joel Leyden, an Web.2.0 specialist and journalist. This last months he has posted numerous photos on Haiti, the Israeli field hospital and the Israeli activity with the local population.
http://joelleydeninternetseomarketingjournal.blogspot.com/

February 4, 2010

school set up among Haiti's ruins

Though the Israeli search-and-rescue team has left Haiti, the Israeli spirit continues to waft through the devastated country. An Israeli delegation to the island country set up a provisional school among the earthquake wreckage.
An article by Oshrat Nagar-Levitt, Ynet 4/2/10.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3842471,00.html

January 31, 2010

Climate Terror: Global Warming, Failed States, and the Rise of Terrorism


A very interesting article I just found in the Huffington Post dated January 18, 2010 from Colin J. Fleming, about how climate change and its consequenceson development may represent a challenge to international security.


January 28, 2010

MASHAV 2.0 - Israel Center for International Cooperation goes digital

Look at this blog post about MASHAV... nice. Thank you!
http://diplomatstalk.blogspot.com/2010/01/mashav-20-israel-center-for.html

Human Rights Council opens Special Session on Support to Recovery process in Haiti: A Human Rights approach


The Office of the High Commissioner for Human rights of the UN published a report following the Special Session on “The Support of the Human Rights Council to the Recovery Process in Haiti after the Earthquake of January 12, 2010.


Haitian boy to undergo heart surgery in Israel

An article from Ynet, January 27, 2010
Six-year old Wadley to arrive in Israel on flight with returning delegation for life-saving surgery.
Six-year old Wadley Elysee, a resident of a small Haitian village, will join the returning Israeli delegation on an El Al flight home Thursday. It will be the boy's first time on an airplane, and he says he is very excited.
Wadley is suffering from four different heart defects, which keep oxygen from circulating properly through his body. If he does not undergo a complicated surgical procedure he will in all probability not reach the age of 10.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3840758,00.html

January 24, 2010

Update on Rescue and Relief Efforts in Haiti


An update on the U.S rescue efforts in Haiti. From Dipnote, the official blog of the US Department of State.


Israel and Germany Sign Memorandum of Understanding

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon and German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Dirk Niebel, signed an MOU in Berlin on January 18, 2010, regarding development cooperation with emphasis on water and agriculture.

Following the cooperation agreement signed between the two parties in March 2008, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs through MASHAV, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) will join forces to contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by enhancing cooperation in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia with particular emphasis on water management, agricultural development and public health.

Israeli aid to Haiti, field hospital set up

The Israeli delegation landed in the capital of Port-Au-Prince on Friday evening (15 January) and established its operation center in a soccer field near the airport. On Tuesday night (Jan. 19), an additional team joined the IDF forces operating in Haiti since last week’s earthquake, consisting of GOC of the Home Front Command, Maj. Gen. Yair Golan, CEO of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Eitan Hai-Am, and the Chief Medical officer, Brig. Gen. Nahman Esh. After landing, the team arrived at the IDF field hospital and was updated on the current situation regarding the treatment of victims.

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Israel+beyond+politics/Israeli_aid_arrives_Haiti_17-Jan-2010.htm

January 14, 2010

Israeli search and rescue delegation departs to Haiti


Following the tragic earthquake in Haiti, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today (Wednesday), 13 January 2010, ordered Defense Ministry, Foreign Ministry and Public Security Ministry officials to quickly consider how to render humanitarian assistance to the Caribbean nation. To this end, an advance IDF Home Front Command, IDF Medical Corps and Foreign Ministry delegation has already departed for Haiti.



January 11, 2010

Nicole Kidman helps break ground on UN-backed centre to end violence against women

from UN news Center- 8 January 2010 – Actress and Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman is set to help break ground today on a new centre located in San Francisco to combat violence against women, part of an initiative between the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and Family Violence Prevention Fund.
According to UNIFEM, data suggests that up to 70 per cent of women worldwide experience physical or sexual violence from men in their lifetime.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=33439&Cr=violence+against+women&Cr1

Meeting the challenges of climate change in Israel

Based on its rich experience in developing cutting-edge technologies in such fields as water management, recycling and reuse of treated wastewater, desert agriculture and afforestation, the challenges presented by climate change may well serve as a lever to position Israel as a regional and global center of knowledge on adaptation to climate change. Dr. Yeshayahu Bar-Or, Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, strongly believes that "in about 20 years, Europe will experience some of the conditions that Israel faces today. Therefore, Israel has a great deal to offer to the international community in terms of technologies for effluent irrigation, combating desertification, agriculture and forestation in desert conditions and salinity reduction."
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Israel%20beyond%20politics/Meeting_challenges_climate_change-Dec_2009.htm

January 1, 2010

Third International Renewable Energy Conference to be held in Eilat

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Israel%20beyond%20politics/International_Renewable_Energy_Conference-Feb_2010.htm

The Third International Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Conference will be held in February in Eilat. Organized by the Eilat Eilot Renewable Energy Administration in association with the Technologies Company, the conference focuses on the latest innovations in renewable energy.
The conference is an international forum encouraging discussion and debate of policies, technology, business and investment practices to lead to cost effective, doable solutions. More than 2,000 people are expected to attend the conference, including former US Ambassador to Israel Richard Jones, who is now the Deputy Executive Director of the International Energy Agency; Michael Peevey, President of California Public Utility Commission and Dr. Hermann Scheer, General Chairman of the World Council for Renewable Energy.

Hebrew University receives $5 million grant to research disease in Ethiopia

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Kuvin Center for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases a $5 million grant for research into visceral leishmaniasis in Ethiopia. The project is a collaborative effort with Addis Ababa University.

http://www.israel21c.org/briefs/5-m-for-disease-control-in-ethiopia