CO

NT

EN

TS

Shalom Magazine for the Alumni of MASHAV Training Courses is

published by Haigud Society for Transfer of Technology.

Haigud, a government company and non-profit organization, serves

as the financial and administrative arm of MASHAV, and functions as a

professional unit to assist in the implementation of MASHAV activities.

CONTENTS

1 FOOD MANAGEMENT:AN ISSUE OF CRITICAL

IMPORTANCE

RUTH SELIGMAN

5 THE MIDDLE EAST

REGIONAL AGRICULTURAL

PROGRAM

BENJAMIN ABILEAH

7 DECENTRALIZATION, SERVICE

DELIVERY AND THE

“REHOVOT APPROACH”MICHAEL GORELIK

11 10 YEARS AFTER

MAZAL RENFORD

17 NURTURING THE GIFTED

DANIELLA ASHKENAZI

21 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

ZVI HERMAN

25 SHALOM CLUBS

28 MASHAV NEWS

34 REPORTS MALTA

DR. JONATHAN JOSLIN

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

ALEXANDER DE LA ROSA

VENEZUELA

INZA PENOTT

38 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

MASHAV

Center for International

Cooperation

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

State of Israel

FOREWORD

For 47 years, Israel’s official Aid Agency MASHAV (the Hebrew acronym for the Center

for International Cooperation) has been active around the world, and the hope is that

we will continue our projects long into the future. There is nothing more exciting than

being a part of this unique organization which is committed to international development

cooperation throughout the developing world.

Through MASHAV, Israel shares its collective knowledge in agriculture, technology,

education and health with the rest of the world. Our comparative advantage in these

fields has allowed us to help others look for creative and innovative solutions to basic

development problems. MASHAV is also a bridge that helps forge meaningful ties with

our neighbors, no matter what the political climate.

Copies of the 2005 issue of Shalom magazine, translated into five languages, are sent

around the world to the tens of thousands of MASHAV course graduates. This issue, like

the ones before, has an impressive range of articles that show what we are all about -

Israel’s true face - which, sadly, does not make headlines around the world.

This year’s Shalom magazine makes diverse and fascinating reading, it includes:

An article highlighting the Regional Agricultural Program (RAP) of cooperation among

Israelis, Palestinians, Egyptians and Jordanians, co-hosted by the government of

Denmark (DANIDA), which has continued despite the violence of the last few years;

Mount Carmel Training Center’s strides over the last decade toward reaching the goals

set by the Beijing Platform of Action; Tailor-made training courses for Korean teachers;

Articles on Food Management; Sustainable Agricultural Development; and an Integrated

Development Approach to Decentralization. Activities of Shalom Clubs from around the

world and letters from people involved with MASHAV are also published.

For nearly two decades I have had the privilege to work with MASHAV and MASHAV

graduates (Shalom Clubs) from around the world and it has been a most educational and

rewarding experience; so that when taking up my position as Director of Planning and

External Affairs in MASHAV, I knew that I had received one of the most rewarding jobs in

the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; my first year on the job has proved me right.

I would like to dedicate this year’s issue of Shalom magazine to the unsung heroes of

MASHAV. To those men and women who work diligently around the clock making things

happen.: the MASHAV staff in Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the staff and experts

representing our three training centers - the Golda Meir Mount Carmel International

Training Center (MCTC) in Haifa, the Center for International Agricultural Development

Cooperation (CINADCO) at Kibbutz Shefayim, and the Aharon Ofri International Training

Center in Jerusalem; the staff of Haigud Society for Transfer of Technology; as well as

the professional staff in our affiliated centers and Israel’s experts from the Ministries of

Agriculture, Health, Education and Environment.

I hope you enjoy this issue and look forward to receiving your comments.

MERON REUBEN

MASHAV - Ministry of

Foreign Affairs

Jerusalem, Israel

The proper management of food production is an issue of critical importance for

every country. As part of efforts to foster improvement in this field, the 3rd International

Postgraduate Course on Food Management, was held in January 2005 at the Hebrew

University’s Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Quality Sciences in Rehovot,

under the sponsorship of MASHAV, The Center for International Cooperation of the Israeli

Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Faculty is the prime institute of higher education in Israel offering university degrees

in agriculture. The Faculty’s Division for External Studies, directed by Ms. Miri Ben-Haim,

has set its aim at providing cutting-edge knowledge to international participants who can

then adapt it (rather than “adopt”) to local conditions upon their return home. The Division

offers international short-term postgraduate courses on various agricultural subjects as

well as a program leading to a Master of Science degree or a post-graduate diploma. All

these are conducted in English for foreign students. More than 1,200 participants from 115

countries have benefited from the Division’s international activities since its inception.

The academic coordinator of the Food Management course was microbiologist Dr. Zippora

Gershon. Coming from a family of doctors, Dr. Gershon regards food management as the

other side of medical science. “If medicine is geared to curing disease, so the proper

management of food production is geared to preventing it. When food is produced under

proper technological conditions, microbes are prevented from entering the food. If and

when, however, the microbes are already present, proper technology will enable us to

suppress them or, at the least, to minimize the damage and danger they can do.”

Dr. Gershon initially worked in the private sector before moving to the academic world,

seeing a definite advantage to a transition of this sort. “I returned to ‘academia’ with a clear

understanding and perspective of the needs of the private sector where I had previously

worked.”

As well as developing techniques for analyzing food, Dr. Gershon has an extensive and

almost instinctive understanding of how to train and instruct people. She is extremely

interested in the accurate integration of data and transfer of theoretical knowledge into

the realm of practical application. “And through the years our knowledge in this area is

becoming more sophisticated.”

As academic coordinator of the course, Dr. Gershon had well-defined goals. First, she

strove to introduce as many different points of view as possible. Second, she was especially

interested in stressing the importance of team work and admits that for many of the

participants this was a new concept. “Most are not used to working in an egalitarian

manner, but rather to situations where each person has his place, with those at the top of

the pyramid having a tendency to ignore the views of those below, thus failing to utilize the

services of those who are actually collecting the data.”

FOOD MANAGEMENT:AN ISSUE OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE

RUTH SELIGMAN

1

2

Lecturers were recruited from the academic world, the

private sector and from government bodies, such as the

Ministry of Health which is responsible for accreditation of

laboratories.

Following are some of the highlights made in the course

presentations. Dr. Gershon, for example, discussed the man-

agement of food spoilage and it causes: microbial factors (pathogenic bacteria, aphlatoxinogenic molds, protozoa,

viruses and parasitic worms); chemical factors (toxic sub-

stances: organic compounds, inorganic substances) and

physical factors (such as inappropriate packaging and

raw material). “Good management of food spoilage,” she

stressed, “aims to locate, learn and conclude from past

experience, to take preventive actions and to minimize the

damages, if found in the production line and/or the end

product.”

A presentation on “Meat Consumption in Israel – a General

Overview” was made by food technologist Niri Hirvi,

from the industrial private sector. This covered kosher

meat (including methods of slaughtering), the factors

that influence meat quality, processed meat production

technologies, cooking technologies for smoking/cooking

meat products and the proper use of machinery and

equipment involved in meat processing.

Food technologist Shay Chen represented a government

authority with his presentation on “Food Additives Legis-

lation and Risk Analysis.” He defined a food additive as

any substance not normally used as a typical ingredient

of the food. Intentionally adding it to food makes it or its

by-products a component of that food. He stressed the

importance of labeling, “enabling the consumer in general

to choose.” He also emphasized risk analysis which deter-

mines such listings as the No Observed Adverse Effect (NO-

AEL), and the recommended Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI).

Proper food management involves a complex set of steps

and procedures.

First step: Establishment of accredited laboratories to

ensure that the raw material meets required standards.

“Some of our participants,” reported Dr. Gershon,

“come from countries where they have just established

accreditations facilities. Others are still in the process

of learning how to set up such a facility. Many, on the

other hand, do come from countries where there are

standards but these are not always implemented or are

only partially implemented due to lack of empowerment

or legislation.”

Step two: Introduction of the raw material into the

other ingredients. Technological skills and knowledge

are needed to see that proper standards for this

“introduction” are met and that the equipment at

every stage is properly maintained, i.e. cleaned and

disinfected before and after any final product is

made.

Using the production of milk as an example of proper

food management, the first step would be the

need to check that the cows’

environment is clean and

suitable. The next step

Participants

and staff of the

International

Postgraduate

Course on Food

Management

3

would be to check that the raw milk is properly transported

and at the proper temperature. When the milk is brought to

the plant, it must be pasteurized and, again, all equipment

must be sterile.

”At all times,” stressed Dr. Gershon, “we emphasized the need to prioritize needs, to determine the most dangerous points in the production process, and, especially, not to make shortcuts. When working with products from animal origin, for example, such as meat or fish, there is always the danger of disease. Attention should be paid to the food that is fed to the animals, as well as to the vaccinations that are required. If there is a problem with a food product, you need to know the reason. One possibility,” she repeats, “is the feed the cows have received. With a diseased cow, you have to know how not to give too large a dose of antibiotics and how much time to wait between dosages and milking. Again dominant is the need for cleanliness – for handlers to

wash their hands and for all equipment to be sterilized.”

The course was geared for professionals directly involved

in the food industry/business and qualified personnel from

public agencies, using a multidisciplinary approach that

integrated recent advances both in technology and man-

agement. It focused on the practical as well as theoretical

aspects of food management, with emphasis on the need to

move from theory to practice. The course itself was divided

into a program of studies that consisted of five sections:

management issues in food technology, risk management

in food industry, quality control management, manage-

ment of packing materials and environmental management

in the food industry.

Talking with some of the participants revealed how eager

they were to incorporate the course material into their own

work situations back in their home countries. Dr. James Jacob Sasana of Uganda teaches veterinary methods at his

country’s Makere University. He admits that he had read

and always known about food safety and food manage-

ment and the need to install safety procedures from the

very first step until the final production process. “But, read-

ing about all this and then seeing the systems in operation

as we did here, is an entirely different experience. We saw

how milk is measured at every stage for toxic and microbio-

logical substances, saw the excellent computerized quality

control system and, in general, saw how a microbe or any

quality problem in a line is promptly detected and further

production stopped. In my country we do not have such

preventive measures and only act when and after there is a

crisis. As a teacher, I can teach my students the importance

of identifying and properly correcting problems before they arise, as well as implementing a rapid method for

detecting microbes. Here in Israel I saw how problems can

be detected within two hours and then the detection has a

real impact.”

Daniel Yamirua Teklewold from Ethiopia, production

manager of a factory which specializes in making pasta

products, learned “the importance of broadening and ex-

panding his factory’s safety measures. Since I am a trainer,

I learned a great deal about training techniques here.” He

also pointed to the need to train his workers to utilize the

material and statistics they have gathered. “We have the

statistics, but we don’t use them. We have to take the theory

Professional field trip to a factory producing water treatment filters for industrial, recreational

and agricultural purposes, Kibbutz Amiad

4

we have developed and move into the realm of practical

application. When and if properly implemented, the sta-

tistics can help us improve our production and marketing

techniques. We need, for example, more product diversifi-

cation and to know exactly where and how to diversify.”

Of the 24 participants, four were women. “We are

always looking for more women participants”

reported Dr. Gershon. “Although there are not

many women in high positions in many of our

target countries, the level does keep going

up. As these countries move into the 21st century,

their women are similarly moving ahead and be-

ginning to realize that their advancement helps

them as well as their country.”

Dr. Raj Bela Grewal, an

associate professor at a

University Center of Food

Science and Technology in

Hisar, India, was impressed

by the fact that, although she

has been teaching for many

years, here in Israel, she was still

able to “learn many new techniques

and approaches, such as the importance when pre-

senting new technology of expanding the concept of group

discussion, taking a topic in depth and getting every par-

ticipant involved.”

As at all of Israel’s international courses, participants

learn a great deal from each other as well as from the

instructors. As Dr. Gershon reported, “After our first two

courses we got excellent feedback. Participants told how

the course had improved their performance substantially.

Many reported how they had advanced professionally due

to their training here. Even more impressive is the way they

stay in contact with each other, meeting, for example, at

international conventions. We can take credit for triggering

these contacts.”

Oscar G. Acosta of the University of Costa Rica’s National Center of Food Science and Technology echoed the views of many of the participants when he noted that as a teacher and a researcher, he had never seen how his research results were being implemented. He is interested in the practical application of science to improve the quality and safety of food products. “And here in Israel,” he said, “I saw how this can be done. I also learned a great deal from a colleague who already has had practical experience in analyzing and implementing research results, something

we in Costa Rica need very much.”

Listening to the participants and talking with Dr. Gershon,

it was apparent that proper management of food produc-

tion is critical for every country. It is not an exaggeration

to say that safe and good quality food is a major factor in

promoting safe and healthy living – no matter the product,

no matter the country.

Professional visit to the Tnuva milk processing plant

THE MIDDLE EAST REGIONAL

AGRICULTURAL PROGRAM

WORKING FOR PEACE THROUGH COOPERATION

THE WRITER IS HEAD OF MASHAV’S PLANNING AND EVALUATION UNIT AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE REGIONAL AGRICULTURAL PROGRAM STEERING COMMITTEE

BENJAMIN ABILEAH

5

Few are aware that despite the complicated political and security situation in the Middle

East, a cross border program of cooperation in Agricultural Development has been taking

place almost uninterruptedly for the last several years, and now the great news is that a

“Phase II” program is about to begin.

In 1999 an intergovernmental agreement for a Regional Agricultural Program was signed

by Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority with Denmark as initiator and main

supporter. It started with great optimism. Following the success of a trilateral program

involving Denmark, Egypt, and Israel, it was suggested to expand the program to include

Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. All agreed, and representatives of the prospective

partners met in Alexandria to select subjects and objectives of common interest to all

partners. MASHAV and CINADCO represented Israel.

Thus a full plan of activities was prepared on six main subjects: Small Ruminants, Low

Cost Fodder, Dryland Agriculture, Saline Water, Post Harvest Technology and Marketing,

and Women in Agriculture. The planned activities included national and regional

surveys, demonstration farms, applied research, expert meetings, publication of manuals,

development and introduction of computer programs (or translation of programs used in

Israel), training, and more training.

To manage such an intricate, wide scope program, six task forces were appointed – one for

each subject. Each task force was composed of four experts on the subject, one from each

partner country. Leadership responsibilities were assigned for each subject. For example,

Israel headed the Small Ruminants and Post-Harvest Technology, and Egypt headed Low

Cost Fodder. Each task force’s plans for the next months’ activities were brought before the

Steering Committee, composed of two permanent representatives from each partner, for

approval. Each partner country had a national Coordinator, and the Danish International

Development Agency (DANIDA) appointed a resident – full time – Regional Coordinator,

whose role turned out to be vital for the progress of the program.

From the program’s inception, everything was done to make this a regional cooperative

effort between equals for mutual benefit. Nonetheless, tensions and obstacles did arise,

and then the function of the Regional Coordinator’s office proved itself invaluable. When

communication difficulties occurred, the Regional Office took care of it. When certain experts

were unable to travel to a neighboring country for a meeting, the Regional Office arranged a

meeting place in a third country often Cyprus or Italy, allowing the program to go on.

Once again it was proved that in areas of conflict the participation of an out-of-the-region

donor partner contributes to the stability of cross border development work.

Incidentally, in a recent meeting under the auspices of OECD/DAC in Paris, the Middle-East

Regional Agricultural Program was brought as an example of successful North-South-South

cooperation. The forum was gathered to discuss possibilities of trilateral cooperation – that

is – an OECD member donor assisting a “South” country to

assist another “South” country. MASHAV has always favored

such arrangements, which make it possible to offer more

of Israel’s special development experience than it could do

alone.

In recent months, the improved atmosphere in the Middle

East was also in evidence in the last two meetings of the

Steering Committee of the Regional Agricultural Program.

Particularly constructive and intensive activity followed.

Experts met almost every week either in Egypt, Jordan, or

Israel. Three important training courses took place in Is-

rael in the past two months with participants from Jordan,

Egypt, the Palestinian Authority and Israel.

In January all partners met in Jordan to prepare a proposal

for a five year “Phase II” program. Two Danish representa-

tives participated on behalf of DANIDA, Israel was repre-

sented by MASHAV and CINADCO, and Egypt, Jordan and

the Palestinian Authority were represented by experts and

officials of their ministries of Agriculture.

The new program for 2005 to 2010 will have the main

components as in Phase I with some changes. The Saline

Water component will include use of other kinds of

marginal water. Aquaculture was added and Women in

Agriculture will become part of all other relevant subjects.

More emphasis will be given to transfer of know-how to the

farmer through extension and training of trainers.

Phase II is to start in July 2005. Israelis and Palestinians,

Egyptians and Jordanians, are looking forward together to

a brighter future, one in which working together will help

bring peace and prosperity to the people of the region.

Cooperation under the regional program has made friends.

It can also build peace.

Left: Participants and

instructors during

the course on Tillage

Systems in Dryland

Farming, Israel

Right: Demonstration

of Ultrasound

technology during

the course on Small

Ruminants Herd

Management, Israel

6

DECENTRALIZATION, SERVICE DELIVERY AND THE “REHOVOT APPROACH” TO INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT

THE WRITER IS THE

DEPUTY DIRECTOR

FOR TRAINING AND

INTERNATIONAL

COOPERATION OF THE

WEITZ CENTER FOR

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

Two primary processes are currently challenging development efforts in both the rural and

urban regions of developing countries. The first is the need to deliver efficient, affordable

and accessible public services such as education, health, welfare and basic infrastructure.

Although the share of government budgets and international aid diverted to these sectors is

increasing annually, the resulting improvement in service provision is negligible.

The second related event is the decentralization process that most developing countries

have being undergoing in the past decade. Decentralization is the gradual transfer of power

and resources from the central government to the lower levels of local government, such as

the regions, provinces, districts and municipalities. The aim of this process is twofold: 1) to

expedite decision making and allocation of resources and 2) to create more opportunities

for citizens to participate in the society. The assumption is that decentralization works by

increasing participation of citizens, leading to improved services.

While decentralization has been touted as a panacea for many deficiencies of the service

delivery systems in less developed countries, the difficulties in its implementation are

formidable. The Weitz Center for Development Studies has responded to this challenge

by formulating a rational and comprehensive program for the planning, development

and implementation of decentralized service delivery systems: the “Rehovot Approach” to

Integrated Regional Development. (For an overview of the approach see Shalom Magazine

2003-2).

In most developing countries, the public service sectors, especially education and

health, receive a major portion of national (and private) financial resources (second only

to defense/security). While the ministries of education and health are the main public

employers, spending considerable sums in the development, expansion and maintenance

of the systems, most public service systems are inefficient, underutilized, unaffordable and

inaccessible to the poor and rural populations. Problems such as overcrowded classrooms,

a lack of adequate furniture, facilities (laboratories and libraries), educational materials

and under trained teachers in the educational sphere, and a lack of medicines and drugs,

diagnostic and medical equipment and health staff in the health sphere, are just some of the

constraints that development planners encounter.

DECENTRALIZING TO IMPROVE SERVICES

While the decentralization process is in evidence in many developing countries, the reasons for its

implementation vary. In South America, it is related to the deepening democratization process and

attempts to provide more influence to the grassroots population (Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela). In Eastern

Europe it is part of the transition to a market economy and democratization. In Africa it is related to

the introduction of the multiparty political system (South Africa) and in East Asia it is part of efforts

to improve service provision (the Philippines, Indonesia, India). In some countries (Ethiopia, Bosnia

Herzegovina), it is due to ethnic tensions and federal autonomy.

MICHAEL GORELIK

7

8

Decentralization itself has different forms: One widely

used classification of decentralization distinguishes be-

tween:

Deconcentration: when the central government disperses

responsibilities for certain services to its regional branch

offices. This does not involve transfer of power. This is

the actual “decentralization” that has occurred in many

developing countries.

Delegation: Central government transfers responsibility for

decision-making and administration of public functions to

local governments or semiautonomous organizations that

are not wholly controlled by the central government, but

are ultimately accountable to it. In this case there is usually

a self interest of the local government to act in accordance

with central government wishes.

Devolution: This is the most prevalent form of decen-

tralization. The Central government transfers authority

for decision-making, finances, and management to quasi

autonomous units of local government. Devolution usually

transfers responsibilities for services to municipalities that

elect their own mayors and council, raise their own rev-

enues and have independent authority to make investment

decisions.

Implementing decentralization policies does not necessar-

ily improve or transform service delivery. The experience

of the experts and professional staff of the Weitz Center

for Development Studies indicates that the real, behind-

the-scenes motivation for the decentralization must be

identified before effective programs can be proposed. Is the

motivation due to political, fiscal or service objectives? Very

often the central government is only interested in solving

short term civil unrest by “rewarding” the peripheral areas

or minority ethnic groups with more “autonomy” and “deci-

sion making” leeway. The required administrative regula-

tions or financial resources are not provided. Local govern-

ment units can be efficient providers and regulators of local

services. But clear regulations and the clarity about who

does what must be clearly defined and agreed upon. Great-

er autonomy may sometimes increase mismanagement and

corruption that decrease the benefits of decentralization. A

good integrated program linking the national and local

authorities in shared objectives and sound management is

needed to make decentralization work.

To be effective, decentralization must be comprehensive,

starting at the national level and continuing through the

provinces, districts, municipalities and villages. It must be

felt and appreciated at the local village clinic, the district

health station, the classroom, the village water cooperative,

the road maintenance units etc. It should strengthen the ac-

countability between the politicians, the providers (govern-

ment line agencies, NGOs) and the inhabitants. Three main

areas are crucial for efficient decentralization to function:

a. Availability of resources at the local level

b. Clear division of administrative responsibilities between

central and local governments

c. Capacity and skills training at the local level

ETHIOPIA: Transporting

bags of wheat from

international assistance

programs. The

decentralized system

identifies the needy

households, registers

them and provides

the monthly food

allocation. The children

earn some money by

“renting”the donkey

and transporting

the bags to the

isolated huts.

9

AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES

In most cases that the Weitz Center has been involved in,

the main proposal was that the local government should

take upon itself the provision of basic public services such

as preventive and curative health and basic education

services. Frequently, the central government “gladly”

volunteers to devolve those services which are inefficient,

costly and difficult to operate. The central authority

actually “dumps” the problematic service delivery sub-

sectors on the local government without providing the

necessary funds and administrative backup to the local

government. It is generally our recommendation that the

central government responsibilities should include the

establishment and setting of minimum standards (for

quantity, quality and access) and financing according to

agreed upon norms. Moreover the transfer of resources from

the central government should be simple, transparent and

predictable for a period of several years.

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

Devolvement of administrative responsibilities should be

conducted parallel to the political and fiscal decentraliza-

tion. The local government officials must be aware of the

new laws and regulations governing their responsibilities

and identify the boundaries between the responsibilities of

each devolved level. Effective service delivery in rural areas

of less developed regions is an overwhelming task for any

administration. Attempting to improve service provision

while implementing decentralization, is even more daunt-

ing. Local government officials need all of the ongoing

support of the central government as well as international

assistance.

BUILDING LOCAL CAPACITY

One of the justifications put forward by politicians and

policy-makers for delaying an impending decentralization

process is that the local officials and professionals do not

have the required skills and professional capacity to tackle

the complex and challenging tasks involved. In many cases

we have found that this is true. However, it is the result of a

vicious cycle that must be broken.

Initially the administrative structure of the country is high-

ly centralized, with all the major decision-making, plan-

ning and budgeting conducted by the central authorities,

usually in the capital city. The staff at this level is the most

highly experienced and trained and talented and experi-

enced personnel from the periphery are often “snatched”

by the ministries and moved to the higher levels of govern-

ment. The officials remaining at the local level do not have

the opportunity to augment their professional skills or gain

relevant knowledge and experience. The various govern-

ment bodies then maintain that decentralization in the

absence of adequate local capacity is undesirable. It is our

opinion that this view just perpetuates the apparent inad-

equacy of skills. The experience of the Weitz Center staff, in

over 30 projects world wide, indicates that local capacities

expand and improve in line with the development of the

decentralization process.

KENYA: The classroom

and the equipment

are supplied by the

community and the

parents in a school

that was constructed

by the community

after decentralization

of various services.

The fire wood in the

background is cut,

collected and donated

by the parents to be

used for cooking the

school lunch.

10

PLANNING FOR DECENTRALIZED

SERVICE PROVISION

Planning in the “decentralizing environment” is a most

difficult and challenging task to the planner. It affects a

wide range of issues such as service delivery, poverty re-

duction, macroeconomic stability, political and traditional

power bases etc. Management of decentralization requires

intimate knowledge of local institutions and stakeholders

and the process itself often clashes with historically ac-

cepted local customs and traditions.

The “Rehovot Approach” to Integrated Development Plan-

ning (IRD) that is promoted and advanced by the Weitz Cen-

ter for Development Studies has the theoretical framework

and practical tools to design clear, rational, implementable

and affordable service delivery programs within a devolv-

ing economy. The IRD approach considers all of the relevant

socio economic sectors of the region (agriculture, industry,

services, environmental and social aspects) within the

relevant tiers of government (national, regional, district,

municipal and household levels). The capacity of each

level to initiate, program, plan, implement and operate

each of the service units is critically analyzed. The required

regulatory and statutory laws are studied, the flow of funds

and resources identified and an integrated service delivery

program formulated. The final output of the IRD program

is a list of prioritized projects. Each is financially feasible

and viable by itself, but also provides additional economic

and social benefits to the community and region. Each of

the proposed projects and programs is tailor-made, accord-

ing to the capacity of that particular administrative level to

initiate, plan, fund, establish and operate the service unit

and in accordance with national objectives and guidelines.

Thus, for example, a basic community level health post,

conventionally staffed by one health volunteer, can be op-

erated at the village. A higher level health station, staffed

by a doctor, nurses and health assistants, will require the

capacities of a small town or a cluster of villages to fund

and operate it efficiently. A district hospital that includes

specialized doctors, a large staff, equipment and facilities

for higher level curative treatment will necessitate the ex-

pertise, experience and funding of a larger town or city.

The approach developed by the Weitz Center for Develop-

ment Studies provides a systematic and consistent meth-

odology that enables the planners to formulate logical and

viable service systems within a dynamic and devolving

environment.

ETHIOPIA: Devolving infrastructure systems to the district level compels the local authorities to provide irrigation and

potable water to the rural population. In this case the village population collaborates and pools resources in order

to dig a water hole for collective use.

10 YEARS AFTERMASHAV AND MCTC WORK IN THE SPIRIT OF THE

BEIJING 1995 PLATFORM OF ACTION

THE AUTHOR IS THE

DIRECTOR OF THE

GOLDA MEIR MOUNT

CARMEL INTERNATIONAL

TRAINING CENTER. SHE

WAS A MEMBER OF THE

ISRAELI DELEGATION TO

THE UNITED NATIONS

49TH SESSION OF THE

COMMISSION ON THE

STATUS OF WOMEN,

HELD IN MARCH, 2005

In the struggle for sustainable development, the issue of poverty eradication has long been

one of the main priorities. Yet the gender dimension of the problem and the necessity to

address the particular concerns of women in poverty started to gain recognition by many

governments only after the Beijing Fourth World Conference on Women of 1995.

While globalization of the world’s economy presents new challenges and opportunities

for sustained economic growth and development, it is recognized that there is ongoing and

growing inequality between the sexes and that today women still bear a disproportionate

burden of poverty. Women’s empowerment is obstructed by discriminatory policies, and

women’s work and contribution to society grossly undervalued. Of the 1.3 billion people

living in absolute poverty today, about 70% are women.

Aware that women in poverty lack access to the power, influence and material resources

which would give them effective management of their everyday lives and the ability to

participate in decision-making in their societies, in 1961, MASHAV established the Golda

Meir Mount Carmel Training Center (MCTC).

During the past four decades, MCTC has expanded its activities, while maintaining its

original emphasis on human resource development by training women and men towards

sustainable development for their communities.

Every two years an International Conference for Women Leaders is held at MCTC to enable

high-ranking women from all over the world - ministers, members of parliaments, judges,

NGO chairpersons, educators and journalists - to gather together and discuss a theme of

international importance. Such conferences provide a forum for dialogue among women

at the policy-making level, enabling them to examine culturally rooted constraints in a

favorable environment, to call for greater government/NGO collaboration and for improving

women’s access to training, credit, marketing networks and technology.

MCTC cooperates with a number of governmental and non-governmental organizations

(ACWF, CCBCC, SOROS), international aid agencies (USAID, OAS, IDB, GIFRID, WBI),

international women’s organizations (Soroptimist International, Women’s Mediterranean

Forum, International Council of Women) and United Nations specialized agencies such as

ILO, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNCTAD and UNDP.

MCTC training courses and workshops in Israel, as too its on-the-spot (OTS) courses

abroad, center on three main spheres: Community Organization and Development, Early

Childhood Education, and Organization and Management of Microenterprises - all with an

emphasis on gender issues and the contribution of women to development. Reports are

frequently received from past seminar and workshop participants regarding their success

in the implementation of philosophies, methodologies, technical and management skills

gained from MCTC courses, and the transfer of these to colleagues in their organizations.

Since MCTC opened its doors, more than 11,500 women from Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe,

MAZAL RENFORD

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Central Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Middle

East have been trained in socio-economic issues within its

programs. Practical training activities, targeting mostly

middle-level professionals, are carried out throughout the

year at MCTC. Thousands more have participated in on-the-

spot courses on different continents.

Thus the work conducted by MCTC is closely linked to

many of those areas laid out in the Platform of Action

adopted in Beijing, most notably those concerning:

Women and Poverty

Education and Training of Women

Women and Health

Women and the Economy

Women in Power and Decision-

Making

Women and the Media

The Girl-Child

The following examples of some of the Center’s activities,

serve to illustrate the linkage between the critical areas of

concern as detailed in the Beijing Platform of Action and

the responses and contributions of MCTC.

WOMEN AND POVERTY

MCTC wages the war against poverty through recognition

of the fact that, since time immemorial, women have been

marginalized in almost all spheres of human endeavor and

feminization of poverty remains a global phenomenon.

Some recent examples of training activities carried out by

MCTC illustrate its attempts to make inroads into the fight

against poverty:

✽ In coordination with the Human Resources and Poverty

Division of the Economic Development Institute of the

World Bank, MCTC has conducted five courses on Income

Generation and Management of Microenterprises, in-

cluding important modules on Grassroots Training Man-

agement. GTM trains trainers to work with semi-literate

and illiterate women to help them manage projects,

groups and businesses more efficiently and profitably.

✽ In 2001, in celebration of 40 years of activity, MCTC

chose as the theme for its biennial International Women

Leaders Symposium, ‘The Impact of Women’s Training on Socio-Economic Development’. Distinguished women

leaders, headed by United Nations Assistant Secretary-

General, Angela King, Special Adviser on Gender Issues

and Advancement of Women, attended this gathering,

together with MCTC past-participants who had made a

proven impact on the lives of their communities and who

spoke about their practical efforts to alleviate poverty

and improve the quality of life for the people around

them through initiatives they had taken.

✽ MCTC experts conduct income-generating project

workshops on women and entrepreneurship in South

India, Africa and Latin America, where poverty remains

a way of life in the rural villages and where job creation

is of supreme importance.

✽ In Central Asia, seminars continue to be held for people

engaged in planning, management and marketing

of tourism as one of the solutions to the problems of

the peripheral, under-developed and poverty-stricken

regions of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

OF WOMEN

Recent workshops given at MCTC and by MCTC in Africa,

Asia and Latin America reflect the close linkage between

education and the family and child development. These

were devoted to:

✽ Language Acquisition and Reading Disabilities

✽ Education and Welfare of the Pre-School Child in

the Family

✽ Parental Involvement in Early Childhood Education

✽ Early Childhood Education Settings as an Agent of

Change in the Community

✽ Art , Music and Science in the Pre-School

✽ Bilingualism and Multilingualism in Early Childhood

Participation of numerous educators from Latin America

over the years has, moreover, resulted in the publication

of textbooks, now part of the academic curriculum in

their individual countries, and others have established

Pedagogical Resource Centers, based on the Israeli model.

13

With World Bank cooperation and financial support,

Chilean kindergarten teachers have attended courses for

five consecutive years. The World Bank has also supported

Study Tours to MCTC for educators from Sri Lanka in the

last three years as part of the educational reforms of their

country. In 2004 a second joint International UNESCO/

MASHAV Seminar held at MCTC, explored the prime

importance of Education for All (EFA) in the early years.

WOMEN AND HEALTH

MCTC’s gender-sensitive training courses and workshops

cover health care topics, whether directly or indirectly.

Programs on Services for the Elderly and the Community are held annually, in either Spanish or English. Such services

of course include the aspect of health-care as a major factor

for the older population, especially older women.

WOMEN AND THE ECONOMY

MCTC views this whole sphere as an essential prerequisite

for sustainable development. Its training courses and inter-

national dialogues on the topic have stressed the practical

steps that must be taken to increase women’s employability

and to support them in their business initiatives.

In 2005, for instance, the United Nations Year of Micro-

credit, MCTC will be broaching the subject directly in its

international workshop on ‘Microcredit and other Support Systems for Women in Small Business’.

Other examples of MCTC activity, relevant to this vast area

include:✽ The 1996 International Symposium for women lead-

ers on Economic Development, Entrepreneurship and Gender hosted participants from 32 different countries. It highlighted the marginalization of women in the eco-nomic sector and called on governments to facilitate women’s access to training, credit, marketing networks and technology, by creating gender focal points in all agencies for exchange of information and coordination.

✽ Courses and workshops on Organization and Manage-ment of Microenterprises are one of the main spheres of training offered by MCTC. Youth are specifically targeted, through programs sponsored by the World Bank and the Organization of American States.

✽ A series of activities in Latin America on support for microenterprises continues to be an ongoing activity of MCTC. Since 1993, workshops on this subject have been regularly conducted in different provinces in Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico and Venezuela.

✽ New programs have been designed on Support Systems for Women and Microenterprise Support in a Time of Technological Change, ensuring that participants now receive training emphasizing institutional support and systems for initiating and sustaining microenterprises.

✽ Study Visits to MCTC by mayors of small towns from

the former Soviet Union have focused on the role of

local government and on promoting entrepreneurial

activities.

On-the-spot course

on Gender and

Development:

Organization and

Management of

Income Generating

Projects, Cameroon

14

WOMEN IN POWER AND

DECISION-MAKING

MCTC’s work with NGO development and support to build

coalitions and partnerships has included the following

projects in recent years:

✽ On-the-spot courses and study tours on Management of Non-governmental Organizations for managers and

heads of NGOs from Cyprus and Azerbaijan to observe

Israeli NGOs and establish links with their counterparts

in Israel.

✽ The 1998 international seminar which was held on

the theme of Women’s Leadership – Help Women Help Themselves, and an international workshop held

periodically on the topic of Leadership Development for Women.

✽ In 1999 a Seminar was held at MCTC on ‘The Changing Roles of Women in Society’ for professional Palestinian

and Israeli women, providing a forum for interaction

and exchange of views on topics of mutual concern,

relating to women’s status in society.

✽ A Women’s Leadership Development Project was co-

sponsored by USAID and MASHAV in 2002 at MCTC

for women from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,

Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. A follow-up visit to those

countries a year later enabled the project leader to eval-

uate the areas needing further input and consultancy

seminars were carried out in the region.

✽ An international workshop took place at MCTC on

Strengthening Civil Society through NGOs in 2003.

✽ ‘Women’s Voice in Conflict Resolution and Peace Building’ was the topic of the 2003 International Women

Leaders’ Symposium. High-level women from over thirty

countries looked at ways of building solidarity among

women through correct use of the media, education and

support structures, and learned from the testimonies

of women who had lived for years in areas of conflict.

Since that Symposium, a series of dialogues has been

conducted at MCTC between Israeli and Palestinian

women on the topic of ‘Building a New Reality.’

✽ Through a combination of international workshops at

MCTC, on-the-spot courses in China and study tours

in Israel, tens of members of the All China Women’s

Federation from many different provinces were exposed

to courses and workshops in Management of Non-Governmental Organizations, Women and Development and Women, Development and Entrepreneurship during

the years between 1998-2002.

✽ MCTC has cooperated with Winrock International and

UNESCO to develop the capacity of national women’s

organizations in West Africa and to train local women

trainers to transfer knowledge and skills to rural

women’s groups. To this end, 82 women and 17 men

have participated in four workshops held in Ivory Coast,

Senegal (twice) and Mali, from 1998 to 2000.

1 2

15

WOMEN AND THE MEDIA

✽ MCTC has instituted a regular international workshop on

‘Media Strategies for Social Change’. This is attended

largely by reporters from different media in the develop-

ing world.

✽ A Plenary Session on Media and World Conflicts

formed part of the 2003 International Women Leaders’

Symposium, where women involved in media explored

and explained attitudes towards them.

THE GIRL-CHILD

By its very nature, this area of concern overlaps and is

interwoven with much else that MCTC offers, in terms of

advancement of women in general, and of its courses on

early childhood education, in particular.✽ One of the many examples of the benefits of these

workshops is seen in the work of a former participant

from Nepal, who has established an Alternative

Traditional School for Girl Child Workers. Her school aims

to: ‘liberate and enlighten the girls… to enable them to develop their village by themselves in a small, simple and sustainable way.’

✽ In addition, through this same participant’s initiative,

Girl Child Peace Camps have been set up in Nepal to

try to counteract ‘the low social values and economic exploitation’ of girls.

✽ Workshops conducted by MCTC in the fields of Community

Development also tackle frankly the distressing negative

attitudes and practices towards young girls, particularly

in less developed countries around the world. At the

1998 and 2003 International Seminars for Women

Leaders, the serious international problem of trafficking

in women and girls was brought up in different contexts,

whether the primary cause was socio-economic or the

results of a war situation.

✽ OTS courses are regularly given in the Central Asian

countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and

Azerbaijan on topics such as Organizing Shelters for Battered Women, Prevention of Violence against Teen-agers and Gender Violence.

✽ The subject of Psycho-Social Intervention with Children at Risk as a Result of AIDS was introduced, in coopera-

tion with UNESCO, in Zimbabwe and Malawi, in 2002.

✽ A workshop on Aspects of Holistic Infant Development for Doctors and Psychologists has developed from a

course originally designed for educators.

FOLLOW-UP

As pointed out by some ministers for women’s affairs

(former MCTC participants), some of the significant and

widespread progress achieved in the domain of women’s

3

1. MCTC-UNESCO

Seminar “Education

for All – Dream or

Possibility,” Israel

2. Course on Early

Childhood

Education at MCTC,

Haifa

3. Women’s Leadership

Development

course participants

on an observation

visit, Israel

16

advancement may be attributed to the ceaseless efforts

of the heads of women’s organizations and NGOs who

have attended MCTC programs and then demonstrably

implemented the knowledge and experience gained.

Examples of such implementation include:

✽ Increase in the number of appointments of women to

decision-making positions

✽ Professional training programs for women, with empha-

sis on entrepreneurship and credit for women

✽ Initiation of programs for human rights education and

the prevention of domestic violence and education for

peace

✽ Legislation prohibiting gender-based discrimination in

the workplace and violence in the home.

CONCLUSIONThis overview of some of the Center’s activities gives a

broad picture of the linkage between many of the critical

areas of concern of the 1995 Beijing Platform of Action and

the ongoing commitment of MASHAV/MCTC to these areas

and to the UNDP Millennium Development Goals.

Though proud of the progress that has been made and the

achievements that have been reached in the last decade, we

are nevertheless painfully aware of the ongoing dire state of

women and the urgent need for constant and continuing

action in all the above arenas to ameliorate the situation.

To paraphrase from the Beijing Declaration itself:‘We at MCTC dedicate ourselves unreservedly to addressing these constraints and obstacles and thus enhancing further the advancement and empowerment of women all over the world’.

FIRST INTERNATIONAL DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM IN INTEGRATED RURAL-URBAN DEVELOPMENT (IRUD)

It is our pleasure to inform you that MASHAV has launched an innovative Distance

Learning Program on the subject of Integrated Rural-Urban Development (IRUD).

The program is based on the case study of Israel and its accumulated experience

attained over the last five decades in all of the fields related to rural and urban

development, particularly in agriculture, education, water management and spatial

planning.

The program’s three phases begin with a Face-To-Face Workshop in Israel, designed

to train facilitators in the technological aspects of the program. The second phase

will be delivered by Distance Learning methods and will employ Internet, video-

conferencing, and synchronous and asynchronous methods as the main features of the

training program, and thereafter the final phase of Implementing Workshops in each

of the participating countries.

The inputs for this program have been compiled and contributed by the MASHAV

experts and its professional affiliates: The Weitz Center for Development Studies,

CINADCO – The Center for International Agricultural Development Cooperation, and

The Peres Center for Peace.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE PROJECT DIRECTORS:Mr. Uzi Israeli: admin@mashav-irud.org

Mr. Yitzchak Abt: abt@peres-center.org

Mr. Michael Gorelik: michael@weitz-center.org

NURTURING THE GIFTED

DANIELLA ASHKENAZI

In 2004 and early 2005 a series of special courses on Education for Gifted Children were

held at the Aharon Ofri Educational Training Center. Unlike most MASHAV courses, all the

participants came from one country – Korea. The tailor-made course was the product of a

specific request from KEDI – the Korean Educational Development Institute in Seoul. By

February 2005, graduates included 40 classroom teachers from Seoul, 28 teachers from

Daejon, 34 from Busan, and 82 from Gyeoongi.

Dr. Yaffa Gev, Director of the Aharon Ofri International Training Center in Kibbutz Ramat

Rachel outside Jerusalem, where the courses are all held, provided a brief overview of

Ofri’s programs: The Ofri Center, she explains, focuses on educational areas that are

deemed essential to society-building and lead to economic development: science and

technology education, community education and education management. Under these

themes, curriculums are actually very broad ranging from urban renewal and prevention

of drug abuse to democracy and civic education, migration and integration, media and

visual communications and e-learning. Courses are divided into two types, all running

approximately three weeks: The first type includes international courses designed and

sponsored by MASHAV. Two of the most recent, held in late 2004-early 2005 included

a course in School Management and Leadership and a course in Special Education for

Children with Learning Disabilities.

The second type of course is single-country courses and seminars that are tailor-made for

a particular country. They are developed at the request of the guest country and funded by

it. These specially designed courses combine frontal teaching, workshops and professional

study tours. For instance, in the summer of 2003 a seminar for judges from Colombia focused

on the workings of the Israeli judicial system. Another example is the course in Education for

Gifted Children for Korean educators.

WHY DID KOREA CHOOSE ISRAEL?

Shalom Magazine asked Dr. Gev and her colleague, Dr. Shlomit Rachmel, Head of the

Gifted Children Education Department of the Ministry of Education that develops and runs

all of Israel’s gifted children curriculums, what prompted the Koreans to request Israel to

organize a special course for them on educating gifted pupils?

Yaffa Gev: First of all, Korean educators were attracted by Israel’s renown for creative

thinking and innovation that have become an ‘engine’ for Israel’s impressive economic

growth and stature as a hi-tech society.

Shlomit Rachmel adds: Korean educators sensed that the Israeli education system’s

encouragement of creative thinking is a key factor in these achievements. In Korea, people

excel in dedication, studiousness, engagement and ability to improve on an idea, but not to

innovate from scratch. Korean educators say both parents and educators have put too much

17

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emphasis on scoring high on competitive tests, rather than

gaining lifetime intellectual coping skills and going beyond

stock answers. What is missing is the ‘creative spirit’ they

observe in Israelis. Korea, therefore, is striving to upgrade

education for the gifted to nurture creative thinking and

use it to reform the system as a whole for the betterment

of its society and economy. (See BOX: “Korea’s Gifted Educational Law and Reform”).

Yaffa Gev: While other countries have this same ‘innovative

spirit,’ most programs for the gifted in places like the United

States and Europe are private initiatives. Israel’s gifted

programs are a ‘State-run system’. Furthermore, while there

is a tendency elsewhere to emphasize math and science,

the Israeli program is extremely broad and innovative.

Shlomit Rachmel adds: For example, we have a curricu-

lum that combines principles of physics and circus arts. It

provides a ‘supermarket’ of cutting-edge, hands-on tech-

niques (not theory) in one small country.

In Korea, each province has its own autonomous school

board. KEDI leads development of curriculum material

and does educational research, including programs for

gifted and talented children. KEDI initiated the contact

with the Ofri Training Center and recommended that the

provinces review and consider the Israeli system. The

Korean educators were attracted not only by the fact that

the Israeli program is both governmental and systematic,

but also that it is a fully-operative system with structured

year-by-year curriculum formulated by the Ministry of

Education, provides a number of models to choose from,

and addresses all the needs of the gifted child – scholastic,

social and emotional.

HOW GIFTED EDUCATION HAS EVOLVED IN ISRAEL

In the past, most education for ‘children with special needs’

focused on children with disabilities, not exceptionally

gifted children, says Yaffa Gev. It is relatively recently

that educational systems around the world have begun

to recognize the needs of gifted children and re-prioritize.

This shift is true of Israel as well. As part of this change

of orientation a special department catering to the needs

of gifted students was founded in 1973. Over the years,

appreciation of what the special needs of gifted students

actually are has broadened and deepened.

In most countries – including the most advanced countries

– often the only site for gifted education are colleges and

universities. However university/college-based enrichment

has three drawbacks: Location, cost and narrow focus. It

is a fact of life that few outstanding institutions of higher

learning are located on the periphery, and tuitions at

such institutions run high. Thus, their programs are

less accessible to gifted children from disadvantaged

backgrounds or areas on the periphery. This is doubly so

when parents are the ones responsible for finding and/or

funding suitable frameworks for their gifted children.

Thirdly, such frameworks can only address the scholastic

needs of gifted children, not their social and emotional

needs. Virtual courses based on distance-learning make

such education more accessible. They indeed draw on

the strengths of gifted students as curious and self-

motivated persons, fast-paced and independent learners,

and effective consumers of knowledge, but they are weak

in encouraging social interaction between teachers and

students, and gifted youngsters and their peers.

In other countries, parents are expected to ‘manage’ – and

are often the ones to discover that their child is gifted.

By contrast, in Israel, the State ambitiously took upon

itself to identify gifted children by surveying the entire

population, and to establish a host of different frameworks

for gifted youngsters that are the fiscal and organizational

responsibility of the State – independent of what universities

Korean educators at Aharon Ofri International

Training Center

19

provide. Frameworks for nurturing these talents operate

throughout the country – center and periphery. At present,

12,000 pupils in the 3rd to 12th grade – Jews and Arabs, new

immigrants and offspring of veteran Israelis, rich and poor,

from cities and from small towns and villages – partake in

tuition-free programs designed for gifted youngsters.

IDENTIFYING GIFTED CHILDREN – ON A NATIONAL SCALE

How does the Israeli educational system identify gifted

children? Shlomit Rachmel explains: The process is based

on combining absolute national criteria and relative local

criteria. That is, children who achieve the best results on

a national standard test are identified within their specific

local community – so the ‘best and the brightest’ in any

given area benefit from the program, offsetting the built-in

advantage children from the strongest communities with

affluent parents, small families and the best schools have.

The search for such children is currently conducted in the

3rd grade. The annual testing process is two-stage – the first

in the school, the second in special testing centers. At the

school level, reading comprehension and math abilities are

evaluated in tests administered by local teachers. Those

scoring in the top 15% are sent to national second-stage

testing. The second stage is similar to psychometric tests,

although changes are being planned in this regards. The

top 1.5% from each geographical area in the second stage

of testing are enrolled in gifted programs; the top 3% in

each area are eligible to participate in extra-curricular

programs in the afternoon. Thus the most talented children

in every locality participate. There are special tests for

Arab, Druze and Bedouin children to eliminate language

and cultural bias. New immigrants and children with

learning disabilities, hyperactivity and ADHA are tested

individually.

Yaffa Gev stressed that the concept that gifted children

always excel in all fields (‘the straight A student’) no longer

holds: Teachers look for creativity and special abilities as

well. A special talent may not be in math, but in plastic

or performing arts or music or special talent in picking

up foreign languages. There is growing awareness that a

young person can be gifted in a specific focused area and

be average or even below average in others. There is also

a realization that a child can be born gifted and at the

same time be challenged by congenital special learning

disabilities. For instance, a child may be gifted in language

skills, but dyslectic and need special help to overcome this

challenge. Therefore, even today, teachers can refer a child

in their class for second-stage testing whom they feel is

gifted, but whose potential is not reflected in the child’s

test scores.

Rachmel adds: Since 2000, Ministry policy is to strive

towards development of testing tools that can identify a

Participating in the International Symposium on Israeli

Education: Dr. Yaffa Gev and Shlomit Rachmel

(third anf seventh from righ respectively)

KOREA’S GIFTED EDUCATIONAL LAW AND REFORM

In 2000, the Korean Parliament passed a Gifted

Education Law that went into effect in 2003.

The new law requires the central and local

governments to plan, implement and support

continuous and systematic gifted education. The

legislation mandates three kinds of educational

institutions that are similar to Israel’s three-model

program – pull-out programs at gifted education

centers, special classes for the gifted in regular

schools and special schools for the gifted. KEDI,

the Korean Educational Development Institute,

has been designing programs for the gifted

since the 1980’s. At present they are developing

programs in the same inquisitive spirit as Israel’s

combination of ‘physics and circus arts.’ For

example, a program called Geometry in Real Life

is designed to give students new insights into

geometry and mathematical principles through

analyzing the architecture of famous historical

buildings.

20

broader range of special talents, going beyond standard

tests of general ability based on mastery of language skills,

math and spatial relationships.

A UNIQUE SCOPE AND HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE

Three models for educating gifted children are employed

in Israel (See BOX: “Three Israeli Models of Gifted Children Education”) with different kinds and degrees of

integration and interaction with ‘regular children.’ Each

structure special classes of gifted students within a regular

school, ‘pull-out’ programs for gifted students studying in

‘regular classes,’ and special schools for the gifted. Three

configurations allow local educators to choose the most

suitable framework for them.

What makes the Israeli program unique is its development of material for all three programs by a State entity; its scope - operating throughout the country; its pluralism – allowing local school boards to choose among various models; and its character - that all three programs are based on a holistic approach – addressing both scholastic, and social and emotional growth.

Veteran educators remember times when acceleration

through the regular system by taking college courses

parallel to high school studies or skipping grades and

entering college early was considered a suitable response

to gifted children. No longer. Educators now realize that

advanced learning cannot succeed if it is isolated from

social integration and parallel emotional growth. Today,

gifted children programs do not focus solely on academic

achievement. The Israeli program strives to be holistic. This

includes encouraging social integration with peers and

dealing with behavioral problems.

The holistic perspective seeks to integrate cognitive, social

and emotional growth. Therefore in addition to activities

that encourage the development of creative and inter-

disciplinary thinking, the Ministry of Education has created

special programs that expose youngsters in the gifted

program to social and ethical dilemmas that require moral

decision-making, team work and sensitivity to others.

BALANCING SPECIAL NEEDS AND INTEGRATION

All the models employed in Israel put special emphasis

on parents playing an integral role in their gifted child’s

education. Parents actually undergo training on how

to deal with their gifted children at home. Schools

and extracurricular programs view parents as active

participants in their children’s activities. As partners,

they are taught to encourage their children’s intellectual

growth and creativity, not merely push them to get good

grades and test well. The Israeli emphasis on social values

– working in groups, social responsibility and conscious

nurturing of ‘a sense of belonging’ as integral elements in

good gifted education, is viewed by Koreans as an essential

component, not a frill.

Rachmel says that the Koreans hope that the adoption

of such components can stem the ‘brain drain’ of their

brightest students, all too many of whom go abroad for

post-doctorates and don’t come back.

This effort will be strengthened by the 144 Korean educa-

tors who participated in the three-week Ofri Center courses

in Israel. These classroom teachers have returned to their

respective provinces to share their experiences with col-

leagues – enriched both by exposure to methodologies and

techniques used in Israel, and the opportunity to observe a

seasoned, full-blown State-run system in operation.

THREE ISRAELI MODELS OF GIFTED CHILDREN EDUCATION

■ Gifted students study in heterogeneous class-

rooms in elementary and middle schools

and are ‘pulled out’ for special enrichment

sessions on a one-morning a week basis and

go to afternoon extra-curricular activities at

a center (on a college campus or at a local

community center) developed and run by the

Ministry of Education, augmented by summer

camp programs. The one-morning a week

format is the most widespread in Israel, (al-

though the second model was the first to be

developed by the Ministry.)

■ Special classes comprised entirely of gifted

students within ‘regular’ elementary and sec-

ondary schools – a structure that provides a

customized advanced curriculum with content

and pace in keeping with the pupils’ abilities,

while allowing the gifted students to interact

with other peers in student councils, school

newspaper, sports and other activities.

■ Special secondary schools where the entire

student body is gifted in the arts or the

sciences, a structure that operates in the main

cities parallel to the other models.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT SOME CONFLICTING DILEMMAS

ZVI HERMAN

21

THE WRITER IS THE

DIRECTOR OF THE

CENTER FOR

INTERNATIONAL

AGRICULTURAL

DEVELOPMENT

COOPERATION

(CINADCO)

Sustainable Development is the management and conservation of the natural resource base and the orientation of technological and institutional change in such a manner as to ensure the attainment and continued satisfaction of human needs for present and future generations. Such sustainable development (in the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors) conserves land, water, plant and animal genetic resources, is environmentally non-degrading, technically appropriate, economically viable and socially acceptable.

(FAO Trainer’s Manual, Vol. 1, “Sustainability issues in agricultural and rural development policies,” 1995)

Sustainable Development, Agriculture and Rural Development, represent a global

issue that challenges both developed and developing countries. This places a significant

commitment and challenge on the International Development Agenda given the fact that

about three-quarters of the lower income and poor people derive their livelihood from

agriculture and the rural natural resource base.

The complexity is clearly reflected in the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals:

“Achieving a sustainable path of development is a global strategic priority for the survival of our planet. Low income countries need to grow at a per capita rate of 3.6% per year if the 29% of the world’s population living on less than $1 a day in 1999 is to be halved by 2015.”

This multifaceted situation requires a broad-based integrated development approach.

Complex issues are involved such as: natural resource management, environmentally

sustainable production practices, human and institutional capacities, even-spread of

benefits, financial resources, multi stakeholders participation, and other interrelated

issues.

This article presents some thoughts regarding the complexity of the issue and highlights

some of the policy parameters and operational measures undertaken by Israel’s Ministry

of Agriculture and Rural Development following the Israeli Government’s adoption of the

Plan of Implementation resulting from the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in 2002.

It also describes how the Johannesburg Conference guidelines are reflected in Israel’s

International Agriculture and Rural Development Technical Cooperation Agenda, as carried

out by MASHAV and CINADCO with the developing countries.

In Israel, agricultural and rural development has been influenced by the country’s limited

natural and agricultural resource base. This has led to a pattern of development that com-

bines critical elements for practical solutions such as: applied research and development,

22

fast transfer of know-how to the farming communities

through extension, research and development of effective

technologies, improved genetic and planting materials,

and cautious considerations of production practices, sub-

regional and micro-climate, and water-shed and under-

ground water management. This needs to be combined

with an overall integrated development approach to over-

come limited natural resources in order to cater for both a

secured and diversified food production and supply, and for

an overall economically sound agriculture and rural sector.

Sustainable development is a complex issue that involves

international institutions, NGO’s, governments and the

farming and rural dwellers the world over. This has been

clearly noted by the FAO – the Food and Agriculture

Organization of the United Nations’ Agriculture and

Rural Development Agenda. The FAO has stated the need

to undertake policy and practical measures that serve

both conservation of natural resources, and enable the

development of technologies for improved productivity,

while taking other related issues into consideration, such

as the ability of low income rural farm holdings to purchase

such technologies and critical inputs.

Under the Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development

Program (SARD): “Development technologies that enhance

productivity conserve natural resources… Needed is

expanded funding of public sector agricultural research

and extension, possibly in closer partnership with the

private sector. The potential research agenda includes

development and dissemination of production systems

that limit the depletion of land, water and biological

resources caused by agricultural intensification, and of the

development of environment-friendly technologies. These

include integrated management systems (e.g. organic

agriculture, integrated pest management, zero tillage,

agro-forestry), and technologies that guarantee food safety.

The potential benefits that genetic modification technology

may offer in the future should not be ignored.”

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT -ISRAEL’S CASE

The Government of Israel has fully endorsed and adopted

the “Plan of Implementation” of the Johannesburg Summit

and instructed each of the relevant ministries and govern-

ment offices at large to undertake the preparation of a

“Strategic Program for Sustainable Development.”

The outline of the program has been determined by an in-

ter-ministerial steering committee (Director-general level),

under the auspices of the Ministry of the Environment, to

coordinate and facilitate the preparation of the above-men-

tioned strategic plan, involving all government ministries.

Within the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

a professional steering committee has been appointed to

formulate a Program framework for sustainable develop-

ment that coincides with the Ministry’s development policy

for the economic growth of the agricultural sector with em-

phasis on major topics such as: spatial spread of agriculture

Introduction of

innovative forestry

planting material for

a Biological Drainage

and Agro-forestry

Project in Uzbekistan:

Uzbek workers

preparing poplar

cuttings during the

winter for spring

planting in salty soil

23

(involving all rural forms of farming structures), export, and

efficient use of production means (water, capital, labor).

The Program’s main focus areas are:

■ Water-saving and efficient use of potable, recycled,

and marginal water

■ Agricultural wastes – removal, use and recycling

■ Agricultural inputs - reduced use of agricultural

inputs, increased use of environmentally friendly

substitutes

■ Development of the rural region – land use

considerations, drainage and erosion prevention,

planning principles supporting sustainable

development.

The program will take into consideration the following

environmental issues:

■ Soil preservation against erosion and soil depletion

■ Agricultural soil preservation of arable and cultivated

rain-fed lands during water shortages

■ Environmentally friendly agriculture (organic

agriculture, extensive farm practices, etc.)

■ Agriculture as a sole “consumer” of saline and

marginal water

■ Protecting the rural setting vis-à-vis urbanization

processes

■ Continuity of open spaces

■ Landscape agriculture combined with rural and

agro-tourism

■ Preservation of heritage values

This inter-ministerial cooperation created a fruitful inter-

disciplinary dialogue among professionals and between

and within the various ministries, opened and started a

systematic dialog with representatives of the general public

and various “Green” organizations, and fostered interactions

with professional private and public institutions.

The process led to the preparation of a comprehensive

document (submitted and adopted by the government for

further implementation) reflecting the different dimensions

of sustainable development, and the inter-disciplinary ap-

proach required for both current and future development.

With reference to the international, technical, and pro-

fessional cooperation agenda and programs, sustainable

Left: Planting day with local women in

the Ferghana Valley, Uzbekistan:

Achieving sustainable

development by using tree

plantings to address flooding and

water-logging while providing a

means of livelihood

for the region

Right: Finding alternative solutions to

increase environment-friendly

agriculture production:

Using appropriate greenhouse

technology for biological pest

control

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development at large is an integral part of the overall ag-

ricultural and rural program, practically integrated in the

various training, consultancies, projects, learning and aid

materials and in the actual program implementation.

Over the years, MASHAV and CINADCO have made the

process of sustainable development a prime priority with

an emphasis on development as it relates to environment

and ecology. This is increasingly reflected in MASHAV and

CINADCO’s training and consulting activities, covering

subjects such as sustainable agricultural development;

environment-friendly agriculture and waste treatment;

agro-forestry agricultural development and desert

agriculture and desertification. An example of this is

the training course held in Israel in November 2004 on

“Ecological Considerations for Sustainable Agricultural

Development Projects.” Among other activities are a

Biological Drainage and Forestry Program in Uzbekistan’s

Ferghana Valley and a Program for the Economic and

Environmental Rehabilitation of the Lake Kambash Region

in Kazakhstan’s Aral Sea Disaster Area (See Shalom Magazine 2004), both projects in cooperation with USAID.

Another example of Sustainable Development in the

international arena is the “Montreal Agreement” for the

depletion of Methyl Bromide worldwide. This program

involved collaboration with various international bodies

including UNEP (the United Nations Environment Program)

and UNIDO (The United Nations Industrial development

Organization), under which an international workshop was

conducted in Israel. The workshop focused on professional,

technical and practical field-level practices adopted and

appropriate alternatives used in the efforts to reduce the

use of Methyl Bromide in agriculture.

In conclusion, the complexity of the issues points to the di-

lemmas of the appropriate interaction between agriculture

as a provider of food, source of employment, and way of

life and tradition, versus “externalities” measured in terms

of general public goods, vis-à-vis the sustainable utilization

of natural resources.

This complex issue will require further and continuous

intellectual and capital investment in terms of policies,

research and development; technologies, capacity build-

ing, exchange of know-how, public and private interaction

and not less important, vision and solidarity among all

stakeholders.

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The Annual Conference of Latin

America and the Caribbean Shalom

Club Presidents was held in Venezu-

ela in October 2004 with the participation of

over 40 representatives from eight countries:

Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador,

Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and

Venezuela. The main theme of the conference,

held under the auspices of the Israeli Embassy

in Caracas, was the Value of Volunteerism. Dis-

cussions included procedural and theoretical

topics of interest.

A special meeting of the Shalom

Club Uzbekistan took place in

Bukhara with the participation of

MASHAV training courses graduates from the

districts of Bukhara and Navoi. Also present

were representatives from the local NGOs,

personnel from the Center for Small and

Medium Enterprises, and staff from the Israeli

Embassy in Tashkent. Later on the participants

enjoyed a festive dinner followed by the

performance of a local traditional Bukharian

musical group.

The Fifth Annual Event of

MASHAV graduates from the city

of Shanghai and the provinces of

Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang took place in

February 2005. Over 200 people participated

in the event, among them graduates from

MASHAV training courses, representatives

of governmental and public organizations,

academic institutes, members of the written

and electronic media and many distinguished

guests. The event was hosted by the Consul

General of Israel in Shanghai Ilan Maor who

gave a review of MASHAV activities in China

and expressed his hope of expanding these

activities next year. This event marks ten years

since the inauguration of the Israeli Consulate

in Shanghai.

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25

Development Ministries, distinguished guests

and members of the written and the electronic

media. The program also included a review

of the Shalom-Salaam Club activities in 2004

and the newly designed working program for

2005.

The Annual Shalom Club Peru meet-

ing took place in Lima in December

2004, with the participation of

MASHAV courses graduates from all over the

country and the staff of the Israeli Embassy.

The general theme was agriculture and the

program included lectures and presentations

on a variety of subjects such as: The agricul-

tural reality in Peru, the potential of agricul-

tural export, Israeli agricultural innovations,

and more. Later on, the participants discussed

future activities.

The Shalom Club Vanuatu met

this past February to renew their

activities. The meeting took place

in Port Vila with the participation of about 20

Shalom Club members, and was organized

Earlier this year, the Israeli Embassy in Beijing

sent all members of the Shalom Club in China

a beautiful publication including updated

information regarding MASHAV’s activities

and articles written by the participants

themselves. In the introduction the editors

wrote that “The main function of Shalom Clubs

around the world is to strengthen and keep

alive the connections between MASHAV’s

training courses graduates. The main purpose

of the Israeli-Sino cooperation is to share

with our Chinese colleagues the knowledge

and know-how Israel has gathered in many

training activities around the world, and to

apply this knowledge for the benefit of the

course participants’ communities.”

Together with the Israeli Embassy,

Shalom Club members in Eritrea

organized February’s “Peace Train,”

a fund raising activity for the local Asmara

Abraha Bahta Blind School. Over 170 people

traveled aboard the train; among them were

members of the diplomatic community,

representatives of foreign aid agencies, staff

of the Israeli Embassy, Shalom Club members,

and children from the Asmara House of the

Blind School. The funds that were raised were

presented to the director of the institution.

rivaler107@hotmail.com.

A special meeting was organized

by the Israeli Embassy staff at the

International Press Center in Baku

to present MASHAV’s planned activities in

Azerbaijan for the year 2005. Present were

members of the Shalom-Salaam Club, repre-

sentatives from the Agricultural and Economic

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by the Club president, Mr. Godwin Ligo, a

MASHAV graduate from a Journalism Course

which took place in Kfar Saba in 1994.

The event for the reunion was the first visit

of Sharon Polishuk, Second Secretary at the

Israeli Embassy in Australia accredited to

Vanuatu. The Shalom Club members are

getting ready for a conference of Christian

Friends of Israel in April in Port Vila. The

conference will gather people from several

pacific islands such as Fiji, Papua New

Guinea, Solomon Islands and more. Other

planned activities include: A reception to

welcome the Israeli Ambassador designate

who will present his credentials in July and

a possible visit to Israel to participate in the

festival of the Pentecost. The Israeli Embassy

in Australia has offered to computerize the

Club’s data base. The Shalom Club is also

getting ready to host in the near future an on-

the-spot course for the Quarantine Service.

culture@canberra.mfa.gov.il

The Shalom Club in Nouakchott

renewed its activities on January

2005. Shalom Club members, media

representatives and distinguished guests met

at the residence of the Israeli Ambassador to

Mauritania, H.E. Boaz Bismut. The President

of the Shalom Club, Nouakchott’s University

Professor Muhammed El Mukhtar Ahmadu,

greeted the participants. He stressed the

important role of the Shalom Club in strength-

ening the relations between Israel and

Mauritania.

The Israeli Ambassador in Japan,

H.E. Eli Cohen-Artzi, hosted a fes-

tive lunch for 35 Shalom Club repre-

sentatives in September 2004 to discuss future

Club activities. The Shalom Club members

agreed to meet again to examine concrete

proposals.

The Shalom Club Benin met this

past March 2005 in Cotonou on

the occasion of the visit of Israeli

Ambassador H.E. Michael Arbel, resident

in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. The Shalom Club

President Col. Lawani and the Club’s members

decided to renew their activities in benefit of

the community. During his visit, Ambassador

Arbel discussed future implementation of

MASHAV’s development activities in Benin,

including an on-the-spot course on drip

irrigation planned to take place in September

2005.

The first meeting of the Shalom Club

Romania took place in Bucharest this

past March, with the participation of

over 100 MASHAV training courses graduates

from throughout the country and many

important and distinguished guests. Arie Arazi,

Deputy Director of the Ministry of Foreign

Affairs and Head of MASHAV was present at

the event and addressed the participants. The

evening concluded with a festive dinner and

the participants’ commitment to meet again.

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MASHAV-USAID-PFID PROJECT FOR UPGRADING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN NICARAGUA

A new project to upgrade Nicaragua’s agricultural and

dairy production by introducing new agro-technologies

is on its way. The project is being carried out by MASHAV

in cooperation with PFID – Michigan State University’s

“Partnerships for Food Industry Development Project,” and

USAID – the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The project targets three main areas: Matagalpa and Gino-

teca; the Sebaco Valley; and the Leon and Chinandega re-

gion. The first phase’s goal was to identify the most suitable

areas to carry out the project and to determine the appropri-

ate crops and technologies to be introduced in each area.

The project includes open field and greenhouse crops and

state of the art irrigation systems, as well as on-site training.

The project is accompanied by a long-term Israeli expert.

NEPAL: 25 YEARS OF COOPERATION WITH SETO GURANS

Mazal Renford, Director of the Golda

Meir Mount Carmel International

Training Center (MCTC), traveled to

Nepal together with Tsila Halevi,

MASHAV coordinator of On-the-Spot

Courses, and Janette Hirschman,

MCTC Director of Early Childhood

Education, to mark the 25th Anniversary

of partnership with the Seto Gurans

Early Childhood Education Network in

Nepal. Agatha Thapa, the founder of

this unique organization, participated

in the late 1970s in an eight-month

course on Early Childhood Education at

MCTC. In her final project at the course,

Agatha proposed the establishment

of a kindergarten in Kathmandu for

children of “untouchables,” and within

just five months of her return home,

the dream had become a reality. Thus

the first of the Seto Gurans’ National

Child Development Services was

born. With support from international

organizations such as UNICEF and

SCF, the organization today covers 52

of Nepal’s 71 districts. MCTC continues

to train candidates recommended

by Agatha and the Seto Gurans staff,

thus ensuring that tomorrow’s young

Nepalese will also enjoy the benefits

of the Mount Carmel experience. The

MASHAV-MCTC team also visited Sri

Lanka for a follow-up survey, and met

with officials from the local Ministry of

Education and graduates from MCTC

international training courses.A Seto Gurans kindergarten outside

Kathmandu, Nepal

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MASHAV IN ETHIOPIA

MASHAV JOINS FORCES WITH USAID TO ASSIST THE DEVELOPMENT OF ETHIOPIA’S AGRICULTURE

MASHAV and USAID are cooperating in a joint program with

Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to

assist the development of Ethiopia’s agriculture. In February

2005, at the successful conclusion of a series of working

discussions, the late Israeli Ambassador to Ethiopia H.E.

Doron Grossman, U.S. Ambassador H.E. Aurelia Brazeal,

and the Ethiopian State Minister of Agriculture and Rural

Development H.E. Belay Ejigu, signed an agreement for

a three-year, US$1.2 million program to provide technical

support in order to accelerate the transfer and adoption

of modern agricultural technologies and practices in

Ethiopia. With USAID budget assistance, MASHAV will be

implementing the activities specified in the agreement

that focus on capacity-building for small holders and

commercial farmers, cooperative members, and water

user groups as well as government officials in the areas of

dairy herds improvement, small scale irrigation and water

management, horticulture crop production, soil conservation

and biotechnology. Training and technical assistance will be

provided by MASHAV experts in the fields of disease and

pest control, soil management, post-harvest handling, drip

irrigation, water use efficiency, and water harvesting. The

biotechnology component will build capacity to use tissue

culture for rapid propagation of food and tree crops and

may use embryo transplants to improve livestock breeds.

MASHAV AND SAVE THE CHILDREN NORWAY ESTABLISH JOINT PROGRAM IN ETHIOPIA

The Embassy of the State of Israel and Save the Children

Norway Ethiopia (SCNE) signed a three-year cooperation

agreement aimed at establishing a joint program to support

child development activities in Ethiopia. The agreement

is part of an on-going and growing collaboration with

SCNE. It will enable MASHAV and SCNE to strengthen

the capacity of Ethiopian organizations dealing with

child development issues, by benefiting from the training

programs to be provided in Ethiopia, at the Golda Meir

Mount Carmel International Training Center and at other

training centers in Israel. According to the agreement,

MASHAV will also assist in bringing Israeli experts both for

on-the-spot training and short-term consultancies that will

take place in Ethiopia as well as facilitate and coordinate

the participation of Ethiopian trainees in international and

tailor-made programs in Israel.

SEMINAR FOR SENIOR EXECUTIVES OF NEPAL’S AGRICULTURAL

DEVELOPMENT BANK

A 10-day study visit and professional seminar for senior

managers of the Agricultural Development Bank of

Nepal took place in November 2004. The members of

the delegation were guests of MASHAV, and the visit was

organized and conducted by the Weitz Center. During the

seminar the group met with MASHAV officials and visited

many rural and agricultural sites, with special attention

given to supporting services to agriculture which have been

instrumental in the rapid development of agriculture in

Israel and are relevant to rural development in Nepal.

At the signing ceremony (from left to right): US Ambassador

H.E. Aurelia Brazeal; USAID representative Mr. William

Hammink; Ethiopian Minister of Agriculture Mr. Belay Ejigu;

and the late Israeli Ambassador H.E. Doron Grossman

30

MASHAV’S FIRST COURSE ON SECURITY

OF EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

MASHAV broke new ground in April 2005 when it

coordinated a unique on-the-spot course on “Security

of Education Institutions” together with the Aharon Ofri

International Training Center and the Israeli Embassy in

Moscow. MASHAV organized this challenging tailor-made

course held at the local Teachers’ Training Center in Samara,

Russia, at the request of the Samara Regional Ministry of

Education following the devastating terrorist attack in

Beslan. The 36 participants included teachers, educational

supervisors, security-coordinators and representatives from

the regional Ministries of Interior and Emergency Situations.

At the opening ceremony, the regional Minister of Education

stressed the importance of such a course for both the

education and the municipal systems. MASHAV is at present

considering additional requests to conduct similar courses

in other regions of Russia

COOPERATION WITH GUYANA

MASHAV initiated its first-ever international cooperation

project with Guyana. The purpose is to upgrade the

Central Public Hospital in Georgetown. To this end four

Israeli doctors have been sent at one-month intervals

for two-week missions. The medical areas to be covered

are: Internal Medicine, Oncology, Radiology, Gynecology,

Cardiology and Nursing.

STUDY TOUR FOR MAYORS AND MUNICIPAL LEADERS

FROM LATIN AMERICA

The Golda Meir Mount Carmel International Training Center

(MCTC) recently hosted a distinguished delegation of 32

mayors and high-ranking municipal and governmental

officials from 12 Latin American countries. The study tour,

under the auspices of MASHAV, provided the guests with

a glimpse of municipal development in Israel, both in the

Jewish and Arab sectors. During the closing ceremony the

delegation members festively announced that during their

stay they co-signed Twin Cities Agreements between 14 of

the cities represented.

MASHAV AND UN-HABITAT SIGN MEMORANDUM

OF UNDERSTANDING

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed in

March 2005 between MASHAV and UN-HABITAT (The

United Nations Human Settlement Program). The MOU,

co-signed by Dr. Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka, UN-HABITAT

Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, and Ron

Prosor, General Director of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign

Affairs, will provide a framework for collaborative efforts

on international programs and activities to advance the

technical training of professionals in the field of human

settlements. Cooperation will be through training activities

in various areas such as water management, community

development, gender issues, agricultural development and

agribusiness. The UN-HABITAT high ranking delegation

also visited The Weitz Center for Development Studies.

The visit coincided with the opening of MASHAV’s 25-day

International Course on Income-Generating Activities in

Rural Areas. Taking part in this course are 22 participants

from 17 countries.

At the signing ceremony: Dr. Anna Kajamulo Tibaijuka

and Ron Prosor

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MASHAV PUBLISHES NEW CATALOGUE: OVERSEAS TRAINING PROGRAM

IN HEALTH CARE MANAGEMENT AND NURSING

The last decades have been characterized by technological,

economic, epidemiological and social changes. These

changes have influenced health systems the world over.

Most countries are in the process of reforming and adapting

their health system to new realities characterized by

rapid technological development and an explosion of

information. In this newly designed catalogue MASHAV

presents the courses, workshops and seminars given in

cooperation with the Nursing Division of the Israeli Ministry

of Health in various countries.

MASHAV RECOGNIZED FOR ‘BREAKTHROUGH

OF THE YEAR’

MASHAV’s Demonstration Farm project in Yongeldian,

China received special recognition at the annual “Person

of the Year” awards ceremony held in Jerusalem in August

2004. The award for “Most Impressive Breakthrough of

the Year,” was jointly accepted by Arie Arazi, Deputy

Director General of the Israeli Foreign Ministry and Head

of MASHAV, Lior Yaron, the expert in charge of the project

on behalf of CINADCO (Center for International Agricultural

Development Cooperation), and Yossi Shemer, Director of

“Tzaham Afikim”, which provided the milking equipment

for the farm.

Within the framework of the agro-technological cooperation

between Israel and China, H.E. Mr. Silvan Shalom, Deputy

Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel,

presented a donation of a communications system by

Gilat Satellites Networks. The donation was given by the

Israeli government through Haigud Society for Transfer of

Technology to CABTS – The Central Agricultural Broadcast

& Television School.

CABTS was established in 1980 by the Chinese Ministry

of Agriculture in order to function as a national center

for scientific and technological training of the farmers

throughout China. It is one of the world’s largest e-learning

organizations, with 23,000 classes and 46,000 teachers all

over China, who work with more than 1,000,000 farmers

every year. The size and spread of the farming sector in

China makes training and transfer of information very

difficult. As a result, CABTS established an e-learning

system in the year 2000, using technologies of the Israeli

company ‘Gilat Satellites Networks’. In addition to the

existing 54 local training centers, the donation will allow

CABTS to expand its e-learning system to another 330

training centers in China.

AGRO-TECHNOLOGICAL COOPERATION BETWEEN ISRAEL AND CHINA

H.E. Mr. Silvan Shalom, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister

of Foreign Affairs of Israel presenting the donation to the

President of CABTS, Prof. Zeng Yi Chun (GPO/Moshe Milner)

Receiving the “Person of the Year” award from Cabinet Minister Tzippi Livni (from left to right): Arie Arazi, Head of MASHAV;

Yossi Shemer; expert Lior Yaron, and Minister Livni

32

HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

BLINDNESS PREVENTION AND EYE-CARE MISSIONS

For many years MASHAV has been conducting blindness

prevention and eye-care missions in partner countries with

limited eye treatment facilities. These missions, designed to

treat patients suffering from various degrees of blindness

and ocular disease, are undertaken by teams of 2-3 Israeli

ophthalmologists and operate on the premises of local

hospitals or clinics. Hundreds of surgical procedures are

performed by the visiting Israeli teams which work together

with local staff, restoring sight to many of the patients.

Israeli ophthalmologists also train the local personnel, and

ophthalmologic equipment and supplies are donated by

the Government of Israel. During 2004 and the beginning

of 2005 such missions took place in Angola, Azerbaijan,

Cameroon, Kenya, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau,

Peru and Tanzania.

Eye camp organized by MASHAV in Peru: Israeli ophthalmologists, Dr. Yoseph Phikkel and Dr. Itay Ben-Zion, performed close to

200 sight-restoration procedures in 11 days. The eye camp was coordinated by the Israeli Embassy and held under the patronage

of the First Lady of Peru, Eliann Karp; the Peruvian Minister of Health, Dr. Pilar Mazzeti; and the local Jewish community

AID TO SOUTH EAST ASIA

Following the devastating earthquake that struck South East

Asia the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through MASHAV,

organized immediate assistance to the victims of the coun-

tries affected: Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia. A coordi-

nating umbrella body was created: The Israel Campaign for

South East Asia Disaster Relief, including 45 organizations

and spearheaded by IsraAID – the Israel Forum for Interna-

tional Humanitarian Aid - a coordinating body of Israeli and

Jewish NGOs. Donation points were organized throughout

Israel, collecting tons of food and humanitarian supplies.

The State of Israel transferred a donation to UNOCHA

(United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian

Affairs), which coordinated the provision of assistance to the

victims of the Tsunami. Israeli assistance was presented at

the UNOCHA Donors Conference which took place in Janu-

ary 2005 in Geneva. The following is a short resume of some

of the aid presented by the State of Israel and Israeli NGOs

to South East Asian countries.

Ambassadors of good-will:

children at the beach in Sri

Lanka with Israeli flag

Ron Prosor, General Director of the Israeli

Foreign Ministry presenting Thai officials

with medical supplies for tsunami victims

IsraAID nurse in Israeli renovated

clinic, Sri Lanka

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SRI LANKA

On the initiative of the Foreign Ministry and the IDF (The

Israeli Defense Forces), a plane carrying medical personnel

and 82 tons of food, medical equipment and other

humanitarian assistance was immediately sent to Sri Lanka.

A second plane carrying 10 tons of emergency equipment

arrived in Sri Lanka at the beginning of January carrying

emergency food kitchens able to provide 4,000 hot meals a

day. Later on a team was sent to oversee a Feeding Station

and to provide logistical and humanitarian assistance.

Following a request from the Sri Lankan Government re-

garding the provision of psychological support, a delega-

tion of doctors and social workers was sent to the capital

Colombo. The delegation aimed to provide guidance to pro-

fessionals working with the population in the disaster areas.

The program, coordinated with the University of Colombo,

continues today.

A delegation of medical personnel from the Magen David

Adom Organization arrived in January to establish a First

Aid Treatment Centre in the city of Matara, working in a

donated mobile clinic.

Air-water machines that operate on solar energy and extract

up to 500 liters of pure water per day from air humidity

were also provided. A delegation was sent to formulate a

multi-stage program involving the provision of drinking

water in badly affected areas.

THAILAND

Immediately after the Tsunami, the Thai authorities

requested that Israel dispatch a police forensic unit to

assist in the identification of victims. A medical delegation

including 13 doctors and 3 nurses, and a delegation of

12 experienced personnel, including a police forensic

crew and members of the Zaka Rescue and Identification

Organization were dispatched to Thailand four days after

the Tsunami disaster hit the country. The initial delegation

provided assistance to the Thai authorities and 11 additional

personnel joined the delegation later on. Thousands of body

bags, hundreds of gas masks and special protective suits

for the disaster areas were also provided. Baby food, 2 tons

of blankets and clothes and 5 tons of medicines were also

donated.

INDONESIA

On January 12, a plane carrying 75 tons of equipment

landed near the Tsunami-affected area of Aceh. This was

only the second time an Israeli plane had ever landed

in Indonesia, a country with which Israel does not have

diplomatic relations. The cargo included: 16 tons of

baby food; 30 tons of rice, flour, water, sugar and grains;

5 tons of plastic sheeting; over 20 tons of medicine; 10

communications networks; and a water purification system,

all donated by private Israeli companies.

The Israeli Government and Israeli NGOs continue to be

active in South East Asia providing medium to long-term

assistance to the affected regions.

MASHAVhttp: / /mashav.mfa.gov.il News

News

DR. JONATHAN JOSLIN

REPORT MALTA

I was one of the candidates chosen from around the

world to participate in the 5th International Trauma

Course at Rambam Hospital in November 2004, and

coming from the small Island of Malta I felt truly

privileged. I must say that this was a unique experience

and I have praised your commitment to improve trauma

care around the world with my peers.

Participating in the Trauma Course at Rambam Hospital

provided the opportunity and advantage of being shown

19 different Health Care Trauma Systems from four

Continents and was able to highlight both the strengths

and weaknesses of various trauma systems as well as the

characteristics of patient outcomes.

This is the main teaching point of the course. It is not to

adopt a different country’s Trauma System but to develop

one’s own guidelines and implementing a system which

is right for the country’s needs. Many lessons can be

taken from the advanced Israeli model of Trauma Care,

however due to national differences in the delivery of our

trauma system, local trauma care must be adapted and

improved to fit local conditions.

Deficiencies in our system must first be identified and

evaluated and then changes should be implemented.

These changes should then be assessed to determine

the quality of trauma care through a dedicated quality

assurance system and detailed trauma registry where

accurate trends in mortality and morbidity figures can

be produced. Only in this manner can trauma care be

improved to give the best possible care to our patients.

The 5th Trauma Course showed me a clear view of where

trauma care in Malta should be heading. There are many

deficiencies in our system which should be addressed.

Many answers to these deficiencies can be answered in

the way Israel deals with major trauma.

The trauma course also presented an in depth view

of terrorism and its effect on the community, through

various lectures and presentations. The unfortunate

incident in the Jewish Market in Tel Aviv on November

1st. where 4 people died and over 30 were injured was

taken by the Faculty staff as an opportunity to experience

34

terrorism at first hand. A visit to the accepting hospital the very next day allowed discussion and

practice at the very Emergency Room where mass casualty management took place only the day

before with the same doctor and nursing staff to recount their experiences. This exercise served

as an eye opener to management scenarios which are difficult to carry out in Malta fortunately

due to the paucity of these events. The highlight of the day was to meet and actually talk to the

victims still in the hospital and hear them relate their and their relatives’ shocking experiences of

what actually happened in the market and consequently in the hospital.

Finally, how best to improve on the local trauma situation can be most accurately summed up in

three criteria: Commitment, availability and making sure one uses all the available resources in

the country. In addition one has to have a plan which is backed up by protocols and guidelines.

Since leaving Israel I have kept in contact with some of my new friends from around the world

who had also participated in the 5th Trauma course. One realizes that there is much more to the

trauma course than actual trauma care in Israel - the whole world opens up to you in experiences

and different cultures.

From the bottom of my heart, I must thank MASHAV, the Rambam Administration especially

Dr. Moshe Michaelson, Ms. Gila Hyams and Dr. Eran Tal-Or, and the course directors for the truly

rewarding learning experience in trauma care.

DR. JONATHAN JOSLIN

MD FIMC RCS (Edin)

jonathanj@waldonet.net.mt

Dr. Joslin (standing, last row, first from left) and fellow participants

on the International Trauma Course

35

ALEXANDER DE LA ROSA

REPORT - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Alexander de la Rosa (left) with Israeli

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon

Of very particular note is a phrase that I heard from

a MASHAV course participant from Colombia. He said:

“Israel gave us a new skin”. This is absolutely true;

the changes that MASHAV course participants under-

go when they are in Israel lead, in one way or another

to a “transformation”.

My rich personal and professional experience has

enabled me to grasp different aspects of the Israeli

reality. I was President of the Circle of Diplomatic Of-

ficers of Latin America and during that period I orga-

nized, together with Tel Aviv University, a Program of

Specialized Studies on the Middle East. Subsequently,

I developed a Research Project on the participation of

the countries of Central America and the Caribbean

in the creation of the State of Israel. I am currently

carrying out this project, with the support of former

Israeli President, Mr. Yitzhak Navon and with the Tel

Aviv University School of History.

During the period in which I was responsible for the

Embassy, I organized the first official visit of a Do-

minican President to Israel, and the first visit of a for-

mer Israeli Prime Minister to the Dominican Republic.

I also organized Israeli business delegations to Santo

Domingo, exhibitions of Dominican products in Israel

and a Dominican Cultural Week in Tel Aviv.

All of us together, the alumni of the MASHAV course,

have created an organization called ONWARD (a

Spanish acronym for Organization for the Develop-

ment of Latin America and the Caribbean). ONWARD

came into being in February 2002, in Lima, Peru.

Its aim is to contribute to the development of Latin

America and the Caribbean as a large nation sharing

interests, problems and cultures.

It came into being as a response to the initiatives un-

dertaken by its members in different Latin American

countries. Its members bring different knowledge and

methods of work that contribute to integrated local

development for the benefit of their peoples. In an

effort to achieve its mission, ONWARD has carried out

specific actions contributing to the development of

our region. For more information on ONWARD’s activ-

ity, please visit our site: www.onward.org.br

ALEXANDER DE LA ROSA

adelarosa70@yahoo.com

It all began in 1999 when I was chosen by the Is-

raeli Government, through MASHAV, The Center for

International Cooperation, to participate in a course

called “Cooperation and Enterprises in Non-Tradi-

tional Areas” at the International Institute-Histadrut,

in Beit Berl.

The group was composed of 27 people from differ-

ent Latin American countries. However, this did not

prevent us from finding an immediate harmony and

from becoming as close to each other as if we were a

real family. At the end of the course, we all promised

to stay in touch. I also promised to “come back to

Israel”.

During this course I was fortunate enough to get to

know the then Ambassador of the Dominican Republic

in Israel, the late Mr. Alfonso Lockward, who inspired

me to enter the Diplomatic School and then the For-

eign Service of the State Department of Foreign Affairs

of my country. It was thus that in the year 2000, after

completing my studies, I was appointed by the Presi-

dent of the Dominican Republic, Dr. Leonel Fernández

Reyna, as First Secretary and Consul of the Dominican

Embassy in Tel Aviv. My promise had been kept.

Since then I have served in Israel as a diplomatic

officer. I was promoted to Deputy Chief of Mission

and for the last two years I have served as chargé

d’affaires ad interim.

36

INZA PENOTT

REPORT – VENEZUELA

I am a graduate of MASHAV’s course on “Women

in Management and Implementation of Production

Projects” held at the International Institute in the

year 2000. The course opened doors for me in

production work with the women of the Federación

District, Falcón State, Venezuela, and the possibility

of applying what I had learned in Israel for the

benefit of women living in rural areas. Immediately

on my return home, I assembled the communities

with which I work and proposed that they join

the Enterprising Project in Rural Communities.

This project promotes women’s participation in

activities concerning growing of vegetables in family

vegetable gardens, growing of fruit trees, production

of food and canned goods (preserved fruit, jams and

pickles), raising of goats and cattle, and production

of footwear and clothing.

Execution of this proposal commenced in 2001. First it was necessary to carry out a research-action type study that would allow us to characterize the women participating in the program and place them in income generating activities for their family livelihood. This analysis laid important foundations for continued promotion of the participation of women in the Agricultural Extension Program through the drafting of a strategic plan to provide better training for women, equality of conditions and opportunities of credits, organization, production means and vocational integration in labor associations and cooperatives.

This work project met with a very favorable

reaction. Because of it I received the “Woman of

the Earth Award” in 2002 and was invited to the 7th

Congress of Gender Study carried out at the University

of Salta, Argentina, where I presented a paper on

“Gender Experience in Agricultural Extension”. The

project was also approved as a Thesis Project at

the University of Los Llanos Ezequiel Zamora, for

the postgraduate degree of “Integral and Strategic

Specialist in Agricultural Extension”.

At present, I am working as an extension officer

of the CIARA Foundation Agricultural Extension

Program, run by the Civil Extension Association

(ACE). One of my duties is to draft production

projects with gender focus. Currently I am working

on organizating women producers in cooperatives; I

have succeeded in forming 100 cooperatives where

60% of the members are women from rural areas.

I love these women as if they were my own family

and thank them for allowing me to enter their homes

and work plots. I send regards to Sergio Gryn and

Yuval Rosenberg, instructors at the MASHAV course I

attended. I want you to know that in Venezuela this

marvelous experience is as fresh in my mind as on

the first day.

INZA PENOTT

inzapenottq@starmedia.com

Joining the Enterprising Project in Falcón State: Inza Penott (in blue shirt) with the cooperative members

37

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

January 2005

Dear Editor:I was a participant on MASHAV’s

course on Infection Control and the

Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases

held from July 22 to August 11, 2002 at

the Kaplan Academic School of Nursing

in Rehovot. There were 25 participants

from 17 different countries and I spend

the best three weeks of my life in Israel.

I also got a once-in-a-lifetime oppor-

tunity you visit the holy sites in Israel.

The wonderful memories of this trip

remain forever in my heart and mind.

The course was very useful to my coun-

try where infectious diseases are widely

spread. Since my return from Israel I

setup a group of health workers in the

hospital I work and held a 10-days lec-

ture on Infection Control and Infection

Prevention. I have also prepared a pro-

posal on Infection Control and the Epi-

demiology of Infectious Diseases. I’m

really grateful to the State of Israel for

giving me this opportunity. Greetings to

all my teachers, the entire staff of the

Kaplan Academic School of Nursing

and to my fellow course participants.

I’m always happy to receive Shalom

Magazine which I find informative and

helpful.

Best regards,

ABEBECH BASORE

P.O.BOX 478

Code1033

Addis Ababa

ETHIOPIA

mchlpoul@yahoo.com

!

Dear Readers:

Israel is facing domestic and international challenges brought on by a strong desire to achieve peace and normalization in the region. Over and above political issues, MASHAV, the Center for International Cooperation of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, continues its development work throughout the world, training thousands of professionals each year and striving to alleviate shared global problems.

MASHAV encourages its graduates to adapt the knowledge acquired in the training courses to their respective cultural and social realities, economic potential, natural resources and regional priorities.

Shalom Magazine continues to be a strong link between MASHAV and its graduates everywhere, addressing the many issues that lie at the core of development.

This is your magazine and we invite your input. We welcome your letters, project reports, photographs and articles on work activities, and on work-related issues and achieve-ments.

From now on, you can follow MASHAV’s activities on an ongo-ing basis through our Web site at: http://mashav.mfa.gov.il where you can also send comments and suggestions.

Although painful cutbacks have curtailed our output to just one issue per year, Shalom Magazine will continue to bring the word of MASHAV to its graduates, all of whom share a commitment to strive for the development and advancement of their countries.

With warm regards,

AVNIT RIFKIN

Editor

Shalom MagazineP.O.Box 34140Jerusalem 91341ISRAEL

shalom@haigud.org.il

38

January 2005

Dear Editor: Thank you for sending the Shalom Magazine. I still have a very fresh

memory of Israel. I am one of the

MASHAV participants of the Crop

Weather-Modeling Course conducted in

April 2003.

We were considered “The unique

group” since the training was

conducted at the beginning of the Iraq

war. Those days are unforgettable to

all of the course participants. Thanks

to the Israeli government and our

instructors especially Michal Alon

who was always with us sharing our

feelings. I would also like to thank Dr.

Lomas, a wonderful teacher who share

with us his advice and life experience.

Sincerely yours,

AYELE KEBEDE

ETHIOPIA

ayeleke@rediffmail.com

!

February 2005

Dear Editor:I was a participant in a MASHAV course

on The Role of Labor Movement in

National Development, held from 19th

November - 16th December, 2002. We

were 24 participants from 13 countries.

I would like to express my heart-felt

gratitude to the Government of Israel

for the exposure and training given

me. As a trade unionist, I learned a

lot about the important role the Labor

Movement can play in the development

of our nations, especially if trade

unions could move away from the

classical activities into non-bargaining

activities, as it is mostly done in Israel.

I was excited to visit the historical

places in Haifa, the Galilee, Eilat,

Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. My

visit to Massada and the Holocaust

Memorial moved me to tears and

gave me an understanding about the

bravery of the people of Israel.

Thanks to MASHAV, the Institute

especially to my course coordinator

Fabian Bachar, and our welfare officer

Sister Leanne. I am still getting more

education and information through

the Shalom Magazine and would be

grateful to receive more copies.

Best regards,

SELINA DABUOH

C/O P.O.BOX 299

Bolgatanga

Upper East Region

GHANA

!

May 2005

Dear Editor:I participated in the 1st International

Course on Horticultural Crop Production

for Subtropical and Tropical Climate,

held at the Faculty of Agriculture of the

University of Jerusalem at Rehovot from

October 31 to December 1988.

I lost all my contacts with other

students in my group and with the

staff at the Faculty. I also changed my

address and would like you to publish

it to get contact with all of them again.

Congratulations for all your efforts

in sending us Shalom Magazine. I

hope to here from my fellow course

participants soon.

Sincerely yours,

MOISE SMITH JACQUES

ITHAT (Ecole d’Agriculture)

P.O.Box 2198,

Port-au-Prince

HAITI

haitismith@yahoo.co

!

39

January 2005

Dear Editor:Over 40 years have passed since I

participated in the Youth Leadership

Course which took place in 1964 in

the Gadna Camp in Tel Aviv. During

this time, I remained in contact with

MASHAV through Shalom Magazine.

It is very informative and had

good articles that can be used for

further reference in the area of city

development. Thank you for sending

me this useful magazine. Please accept

my wishes for much success in the

future.

Sincerely yours,

WANCHAI BOONYASURATNA

126/82 Muban Wangtal Villa

Mu 2 Tumbol Pahdad

Amphur Muang Chiang Mai 50100

THAILAND

!

The following letter was sent to Joyce Fried, Course Coordinator at the Hebrew University Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Quality Sciences in Rehovot:

January 2005

Dear Joyce,It’s been a year or so after I had

attended the one month training on

Ruminant Production but it seems still

so fresh in my mind. It was really a

wonderful experience knowing more

about Israel. I’ve really learned a lot,

not just on your advance ruminant

production but about your advanced

agriculture as a whole. It is so amazing

to know that a small country with a

very small population has developed

so rapidly. I can say that Israel is a

country endowed with much beauty,

advanced agricultural technology and

great people.

My one month stay in Israel taught

me a lot of things in life - discipline,

respect and being considerate which

I think are present in the people of

Israel.

Sometimes I can’t help myself to

compare our agricultural sector from

yours and it just left me smiling and

telling my self “why compare a giant

with a dwarf” which is a complete

opposite of the other.

The educational field trips included

in the course had been a great

help since they broaden more my

perspective and view point on what

advanced agriculture is. I keep on

sharing the experience and the

knowledge I acquired whenever we

conduct training on small ruminant

production in our region and this

serves as an eye opener to our farmers.

At least in my own little ways, I’m

giving them hope, motivating them

and inspiring them that everything is

possible. As one is raised in a family of

farmers I know their hardship.

I want to thank the Government of

Israel for having such programs to

develop the capabilities of people who

are thirsty of advanced education. I

hope your program will continue and

reach many more people.

Long live Israel!

MARY JANE ALCEDO

THE PHILIPPINES

lungayban2001@yahoo.com

!

March 2005

Dear Editor:I am glad to inform you that I have

received your letter of November 25,

2004 and the copies of the Shalom Magazine well packaged. I thank you

for publishing our report. I will be

sending to you the recent report on the

successful launching of the Renewable

Energy Project jointly by the British

High Commission, UNIDO Nigeria

and Ebonyi State Government. This

project presented by CENSIRT (the

NGO born in Israel during my training)

aims to develop two salt lakes in the

State and design a sustainable energy

program for the State, including the

establishment of energy cells. The

project will be later on replicated for

all other States in Nigeria using Ebonyi

State as a case.

I first got in contact with UNIDO

through the Internet following the

advice of Prof. Gabby Saya who taught

us in the class. It is wonderful that

a whole State will benefit from my

training in Israel.

I continue to thank the State and

people of Israel for their contribution.

I thank you and all staff of Shalom

Magazine immensely for making the

world to hear the progress of MASHAV

Alumni.

Yours sincerely,

EVANGELIST CHUKWUMA ELOM AND THE

STAFF OF CENSIRTNIGERIA

censirt@yahoo.co

!

This letter was sent to Arie Arazi, Deputy Director of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Head of MASHAV:

February 2005

Dear Mr. Arazi:

I have read your foreword to Shalom

Magazine 2004 and the historical

background of MASHAV’s international

cooperation. I am also a member of the

“family” of MASHAV and very proud

of it. I spent 6 weeks in Israel at the

beginning of 1996 as a participant

in a MASHAV course. Many alumni

have become government ministers

and presidents of their country. I also

40

became a minister in Hungary a couple

of years ago. It was my privilege to

be and train in Israel. I am happy

that MASHAV remains committed to

its mission. Your website allows me

to follows MASHAV activities, and I

wish more activities will take place in

Hungary.

I hope I can contribute to MASHAV’s

commitment and to the good Israeli/

Hungarian relationships.

Yours sincerely,

PROF. PAL PEPO

Head of Plant Genetics and

Biotechnology

University of Debrecen

HUNGARY

pepopal@helios.date.hu

!

This letter was sent to Dr. Zippora Gershon from the Faculty of Agriculture in Rehovot:

March 2005

Dear Zippora,How fast the time flies! It seems that

we were just few weeks home from

Israel, when we had our training in

Food Technology. I wish to thank you

very much from the bottom of my

heart, together with Joyce and Miri.

You have been my inspiration here,

since I had learned so many things. I

see in you the epitome of very strong

women. I told my self that I can do

also greater things as what I had seen

from you. And so it was. Two months

after the training, I was promoted

and become the head of CIPAD, one

of the divisions of our agency taking

care of seminars and lectures for the

consumer information and awareness.

I gave even one of my lectures about

Salmonella in Fresh Meat which was

my final project there. I am very busy

with my new assignment, delivering

information on food safety, meat

quality; food borne illness, etc. I was

also chosen to represent our region

on environmental management

programs. I was also chosen to be a

member of the team doing GMP/SSOP

lectures and seminars to different meat

establishments in our jurisdiction,

Region IV-A, which comprises six

provinces, a very vast area.

I know I still have many things to

accomplish. For if we can be trusted

with small things, God will add more

to your bosom. Right now, I am

thinking of ways on how I can help

my townsfolk alleviate their poverty,

especially in rural area.

May the God of the bible continue to

bless your country and protect you.

Yours Sincerely

TERRY MAGNO

THE PHILIPPINES

theresadsmagno@yahoo.com

!

This letter was sent to Miri Ben-Haim, Director of the Division for External Studies of the Hebrew University Fac-ulty of Agricultural, Food and Environ-

mental Quality Sciences in Rehovot:

November 2004

Dear Miri,I am very glad to receive all the letters

from you and find you are fine at the

Faculty where I spent a wonderful

period. Although the time in Israel

was too short it gave the opportunity

to learn about the Israeli culture and

people.

At present I am working in a R&D

Center of Tsingtao Brewery Co., Ltd. I

am engaged in the research of non-

pasteurized beer. Our company is the

most famous brewery in China with 101

years history. The annual production

gets to 30 million HL.

Two years have past since I attended

the 2nd Post-graduate International

Course on Food Management, but I

still remember you all. I will be

always your best ambassador. I

cherish the certificate you awarded

me for the course.

Thank you very much for the

sincerely greeting from so faraway

place. Thanks MASHAV for their

scholarships.

Sincerely Yours,

SOFIA (SHI YUANYING)CHINA

shiyy@tsingtao.com.cn

!

This letter was sent to Sharon Polishuk, Second Secretary at the Embassy of

Israel in Australia:

November 2004

Dear Sharon:Shalom and coming seasonal greetings

from Papua New Guinea. I take this

opportunity to express my heartfelt

sincerely Toda Raba for the sponsorship

to attend the MASHAV course in Israel.

It was a privilege and a pleasure to

meet rich resourceful human resources

you have, and see your ever beautiful

lovely country.

Truly my eyes have seen and my

heart believes that Israel has lot more

to offer in development to Papua New

Guinea. I pray with hope that we will

have the chance to pursue our heartfelt

interest for MASHAV involvement for

development in our programs.

Shalom and best regards,

PETER INARA

P.O.Box 7757

Boroko

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

kllgspa@online.net.pg

ED

ITO

RIA

L B

OA

RD

41

EDITORIAL BOARD

ARIE ARAZI

Deputy Director General

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Head of MASHAV

Jerusalem

MERON REUBEN

Director

MASHAV Policy Planning and External Relations

Department

Jerusalem

YAACOV ABUTBUL

Deputy Director General

Haigud Society for Transfer of Technology

Jerusalem

ZVI HERMAN

Director

CINADCO

The Center for International Agricultural

Development Cooperation

Ministry of Agriculture

Bet Dagan

MAZAL RENFORD

DirectorGolda Meir Mount Carmel InternationalTraining CenterHaifa

YAFFA GEV

Director

Aharon Ofri International Study Center

Jerusalem

MICHAEL GORELIK

Deputy DirectorTraining and International CooperationWeitz Center for Developing StudiesRehovot

JOYCE FRIED

Course Coordinator

Division for External studies

Faculty of Agricultural, Food and

Environmental Quality Sciences

Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Rehovot

EDITOR: Avnit Rifkin

PRODUCTION &GRAPHIC DESIGN: Youval Tal Ltd.

COVER PHOTO: Tsila Halevi

PUBLISHED BY: Haigud Society for Transfer of Technology P.O.Box 34140 Jerusalem 91341

Printed in Israel

ISSN 0792-8262