SHALOM CLUBS 2000

The second meeting of Latin American Shalom Club Presidents took place between June 23-25, 2000, in Quito, Ecuador. Over 40 representatives from 17 Latin American countries were joined by some 30 Shalom Club Chapter presidents from Ecuador and 40 Shalom Club - Quito members. The presidents came prepared for the work sessions in which decisions were made regarding future activities. Each president told those present about Shalom Club activities in his/her country, and all agreed on the importance of the Clubs. They expressed their appreciation to MASHAV and the Israeli Embassies in their respective countries for their continuing support and their desire to expand their activities in the future and strengthen ties with Israel. The convention was organized by the Israeli Embassy in Quito together with the local Shalom Club members. Many people also contributed to the meeting's success, among them Quito's Mayor, who met the presidents in his office; individuals from the Technical University of Quito; the Ministry of Tourism (the Minister herself is a MASHAV graduate); and Quito's Jewish community in whose premises the event took place. The participants were also the guests of the Israeli Irrigation Company ISRARIEGO.

A meeting of the Shalom Club - Eritrea took place in March, 2000, in Asmara, with the participation of some 70 graduates from MASHAV training courses. The event was very successful and the participants expressed their satisfaction at the Israeli Embassy's initiative to publish a local bulletin, where the graduates will be able to share with others their experiences while implementing the knowledge they gained in their courses.

A meeting of the Shalom Club - Latvia took place this past March, 2000, with the participation of some 60 graduates from MASHAV training courses. Also participating in the event, which took place in the Old City of Riga, were representatives from the Ministries of Economy, Treasury, Agriculture, Education and Foreign Affairs. The main purpose of this meeting was to draw up guidelines for future Shalom Club activities in Latvia. To achieve this, the participants were divided into work groups according to their areas of expertise. Some of the decisions made were: to continue the Club's sponsorship of the orphanage in the city of Daugavpils; to try and establish a vocational business center in the city of Liepaja; and to convert the premises of a library in one of Riga's neighborhoods, suffering from a high unemployment rate, into a community center. At the end of the evening the new Shalom Club Board was elected. Mrs. Inete Ielite is the Club's president.

In a moving ceremony inaugurating the Garden of Peace in Kathmandu this past May 2000, a neglected corner of the city was turned into a beautiful park, with trees and flowers, benches, swings and slides for local children and elderly. Established by the Israeli Embassy and initiated by the members of the Shalom Club - Nepal in cooperation with the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, it commemorates 40 years of cooperation between Nepal and Israel. The tree planting ceremony was attended by some 200 Club members and guests, who braved heavy rains to participate. Among the guests were Kathmandu's Deputy Mayor, the president and members of the Israel-Nepal Friendship Association and representatives of the neighborhood committee. The guest of honor was Mr. Sher Bahadur Deoba, former Prime Minister of Nepal, who planted an olive tree and addressed those present. The children of a local school, whose headmistress is a MASHAV course graduate, delighted everybody when they sang a song for peace.

The Shalom Club - Azerbaijan had its first meeting in Baku with the participation of some 60 MASHAV course graduates and honored guests, who expressed their desire to continue to expand Shalom Club activities.

An International Book Fair took place this past June, 2000, in Lusaka. The Israeli stand, tended with great enthusiasm by Shalom Club members in their first organized activity, displayed a wide selection of books. Among the many visitors was Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda, Zambia's Minister of Education, who showed interest in MASHAV courses and in local Shalom Club activities.

The annual meeting of the Shalom Club - Senegal took place in May, 2000, in the Douta Seck Cultural House in Dakar, with the participation of over 400 guests. The guest of honor was Prime Minister of Senegal Moustaffa Niasse, who graciously accepted the Israeli Embassy invitation to inaugurate a special exhibition: "Senegal-Israel: Une Histoire d'Amitie" (A Story of Friendship), portraying the relations between the two countries in the years 1960-1973. The Senegalese Ministers of Culture and Communications, Planning, Education and the Minister for Professional Training accompanied him. Also present were representatives from various international organizations in Senegal.

Israeli Ambassador in Senegal Doron Grossman opened the evening, thanking Prime Minister Niasse for participating in the event. He spoke about the ongoing relationship between the two countries, mentioning MASHAV's activities, both in training courses in Israel as well as in on-the-spot courses in Senegal, with special emphasis on the Israel-Senegal demonstration farm operating in the northern part of the country. He asked Mr. Abdoulaye Sene, coordinator of the demonstration farm project, and Mr. Yoram Zvieli, the project's Israeli expert, to step forward, and together they officially invited the Prime Minister to visit the farm. Ambassador Grossman presented Prime Minister Niasse with a basket of fruit from the farm's latest produce.

In a spontaneous and moving speech, Prime Minister Niasse spoke about the importance of the transfer of Israeli technology and know-how to Senegal. He shared with the participants his personal experiences from his visit to Israel in 1994, describing the agricultural innovations he witnessed. He challenged the Shalom Club members to assist in the implementation of this technology in Senegal.

Among the speakers was also a graduate from a 1964 MASHAV course, who thanked the Israeli Embassy in name of the Shalom Club members for all the assistance in organizing the Club meetings. A film about Israel was screened later on, followed by a musical performance of a local band.