The Asturias region of Spain, under the leadership of Vice-President Jose
Ramon Garcia Canal, and the Israel Europe Foundation recently (May 1997)
initiated "The Seminar on Mediterranean Cooperation" with the cooperation of
MASHAV in Israel. Within the framework of the Committee of Regions of the
European Union (EU), 17 representatives from Spain, Turkey, the Palestinian
Authority and Israel came together for discussions on a regional approach to
cooperation which characterizes the policy and worldview of the EU at the
end of this century.
On the first day of the two-day seminar, held at Kibbutz Ramat Rachel near
Jerusalem, participants focused on presenting options for specific projects
which would address opportunities for regional cooperation and the
development of partnerships. Of particular interest were 1. MATNAS, a
comprehensive, multi-disciplinary and community renewal project for
neighbourhood rehabilitation, including youth at risk; 2. developing solar
energy, fighting desertification, agricultural ventures, R & D; and 3.
entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprise (SME) development.
On the second day of the seminar, held in Tel Aviv, discussions were opened
to a wider audience of 50 professionals from Israel. These discussions
considered the entire range of cooperative programs proposed by the EU and
focused on financial instruments for cooperation among Mediterranean
countries. MEDA programs include URBS (networks among local authorities),
MIGRATION (migratory issues), CAMPUS (networks among universities), INVEST
(SME cooperation) MEDIA (mass media cooperation) and TECHNO (renewable
energy assistance) and other instruments, such as the European Investment
Bank, the European Community Investment Partners and grants to NGOs.
During the seminar, conducted by Albert Benabou, Senior Advisor to MASHAV,
a number of participants developed working relationships: Mazal Renford,
Director of the Golda Meir Mt. Carmel International Training Centre in
Haifa, and Victoria Katan, of Ecopeace (the regional branch of an
international organization working on environmental issues) agreed to
organize a seminar for 30 Palestinians at MCTC in August 1997.
Oran Fikri, Head of the Turkish Authority for Small Enterprises, and Shmuel
Bahat, Manager of the Small Business Authority in Israel, decided to
cooperate on the promotion of joint projects. Several others also decided on
joint ventures: Yael Aferiat, from the Jewish-Arab Centre for Economic
Development in Herzliya, Ebru Ilter, from Istanbul University in Turkey,
and Blanca Herrero, from Asturias, Head of Joint Projects between Spain and
Palestinians, decided on a joint project.
A representative from the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, Dr. Issa Salim of
the World University Service, agreed to ongoing contact with Albert Benabou,
MASHAV. Representatives of the municipalities of Nazareth and Ashkelon
expressed the desire for a continuing relationship with the delegates from
Asturias for the promotion of projects with the cooperation of MASHAV.
At the close of the seminar, the Spanish delegation (Natalio Grueso, Adela
Barrero and Yvan Corbat) and the Israeli Delegation (Albert Benabou, Shemuel
Bahat and Dr. Yohanan Manor) formulated an agenda for the pursuit of
Mediterranean cooperation:
In our transitional phase of history, we note the following developments:
- changing international relations within the political world's structure -
the disappearance of the two-block system - and the resulting ambiguities in
the balance of power.
- revising the function of the United Nations and redefining the purpose of
non-governmental organizations.
- changing aspirations of the nation-state in a culturally open world with
an emerging global economy.
- shifting from industrialization to a new era characterized by robotics
and high technology, accompanied by a trend to economic slowdowns provoking
mass unemployment and instability.
The aim of the seminar was to encourage a process of Interim Confidence
Building Measures (ICBM), to establish and progressively develop
arrangements and mechanisms between and among contiguous (bordering)
communities in conflict which are striving to distance themselves from
violence (as symbolically projected by the same term ICBM, standing for
Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles).
States which decide to relinquish the cycle of hostility are invited to
develop natural contacts between their respective populations, motivating
them to implement joint projects in a frame of confidence building measures
at the grassroots level.