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Friends of the Earth at Kibbutz Lotanby Mark Millstone Naveh on behalf of the Ecology Team In January, Lotan’s Center for Creative Ecology was proud to host a “Sustainability Seminar” for Israeli and Palestinian high school students under the auspices of Friends of the Earth – Middle East’s “Good Water Makes Good Neighbors” program. 1. Background Friends of the Earth - Middle East (FoEME) is an organization that brings together Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli environmentalists, seeking “..to advance both sustainable regional development and the creation of necessary conditions for lasting peace in our region.” Gidon Bromberg, director of FoEME visited our Center and was impressed with what is happening on Lotan in the area of sustainability. He saw the opportunity for students from the different communities of the “Good Water” project to learn at Lotan together. The Lotan Ecology Team together with FoEME planned a three-day creative ecology seminar for Israeli and Palestinian high school students, focusing on the topic of sustainability, and consisting of both academic and experiential components. The activities planned included workshops, lectures, hikes, and becoming acquainted with the challenges of settlement in the desert. Five communities were chosen: the Jewish Israeli Kfar Noar Eshel Hanasi and Emek Hefer, the Arab Israeli Baka al Garbiah, and the Palestinian Bakah al Sharkiah and Tul Karm. Each community selected five or six youth aged between 13 and 17. As a result of a pilot tour of Lotan’s educators to the communities, we changed our goals slightly. As well as teaching the techniques of sustainability, we wanted to concentrate on consolidating a group with a varied population, Jewish and Arab. For some, if not most of the youth, it would be the first time they would have such a close encounter with the members of their neighboring, yet socially segregated, community. 2. The SeminarFinally after much thought, planning, tinges of trepidation and a long bus ride it happened. From 25 to 27 January, Kibbutz Lotan hosted 28 high school students in the framework of Friends of the Earth Project, Middle East FoEME: “Good Water makes Good Neighbors”. In addition to the 28 students aged 13 to 17 there was one adult from each community as well as two adult workers from FoEME. The group members interacted spectacularly throughout the program. In addition to group study and work, they went on a guided hike along one of the nature trails near the kibbutz. They happily spent an evening sitting together under the stars in our desert geodesic dome and bonfire talking and playing music with volunteer youth from the kibbutz (Israelis doing a year of service on kibbutz before joining the army). They eagerly contributed to discussions in the evenings, which focused on environmental awareness and activism. Breakfasts in our organic garden added to the special atmosphere. Sustainability was taught through alternative building and gardening. Students learned how to build benches from mud, tires and garbage and had hands-on experience of organic gardening and composting. The workshops were taught in Hebrew with simultaneous translation to Arabic. What they learned- What we learnedParticipants spoke about how much they had enjoyed the workshop and how much they had learned. Many spoke excitedly about how good it would be to return to their communities to put into action what they had learned. The experience had allowed them to get to know people from the different cultures and this was very valuable. Several even spoke about changing opinions that they had held previously towards the people of the other community. FoEME is interested in running another seminar on Lotan, perhaps this time with participants from Jordan. The workshop was a successful experience for the adult escorts as well. Next time, there will be more efficient use of Arabic in the teaching material, and some fine-tuning to the two-language teaching format. For Lotan's ecology team, the seminar was without doubt the realization of a dream - the chance to bring into reality a unique combination of environmental education and coexistence. We have every intention to facilitate future seminars. AcknowledgementsThe Ecology Team members, Mark Millstone Naveh , Mike Kaplin and Alex Cicelsky thank those who helped to make this seminar a success. On Kibbutz Lotan this included those who work in tourism, the Eco-Center, the kitchen and dining room. Special gratitude and awe go to FoEME's staff, Sharon Carney and Georgina Abu Rizik who were invaluable and apparently inexhaustible. Communities Magazine – Building Bridges of Clay, Mud & Straw Contact Lotan Center for Creative EcologyLeah Zigmond |
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