MASHAV Activities Update - August 1996

The African continent rates top priority in the world for international assistance, and Mashav has increased its activity on this continent by setting up agricultural and medical projects and providing instruction in Israel for African trainees in the fields of Agriculture, Social Affairs, Education, Medicine, Welfare, Technology, Administration, etc.

Exhibition in the Yatta Project in Kenya:

An exhibition was held at the Yatta Agricultural Farm, where some 150 farmers, office workers in agricultural fields and media personnel visited. Model plots were demonstrated and the local media interviewed Mashav experts.

PFDJ Mission Visits the Gahtalai Agricultural Project in Eritrea:

A delegation of the People's Front for Democracy (PFDJ) numbering more than 150 members visited the Farm, at their request. Members of the delegation were given explanations, and expressed great enthusiasm about the project.

Humanitarian and Medical Assistance to Malawi:

A Mashav expert in Malawi is performing many eye operations to restore eyesight to local inhabitants. He was asked also to diagnose malignant diseases among his patients. The lack of medicines generated an emergency dispatch of medicines from Israel to Malawi, with the cooperation of the Israeli Ministry of Health and Mashav.

Mashav Medical Team Visits Malawi and Mozambique:

For the first time, a Mashav medical team visited Malawi and Mozambique. Meetings were arranged with senior government officials, and cooperation in medical fields was discussed, including the function of the eye doctor stationed in Malawi under Mashav auspices.

Eye Surgery Camp in Namibia:

In Ushaketi, Namibia, a camp has been set up for performing eye surgery, in conjuction with Mashav and local authorities. A Mashav team of three eye doctors was dispatched, taking with it medicines for local patients. The Namibian Health Minister and a hospital staff attended the inauguration, following which the visiting surgeons performed about 340 eye operation. Mashav expert, Dr. Shai Kaplan, a member of the team, accompanied a local doctor to an additional hospital for further operations. The camp is being operated for three weeks, to allow the maximum number of patients to be treated.

First Training Course in Angola Completed for Converting Army Medics for Civilian Clinics:

The first field training course organized by Mashav in Angola for retraining army medics to serve in civilian clinics has been completed, comprising 37 trainees. At the closing ceremony the Angolan Chief of Staff, the UN Secretary-General's representative in Angola and all leading army commanders were present. The Angolan army's chief medical officer announced officially that his Corps requested Israeli cooperation in additional fields and intends to acquire Israeli-produced basic equipment for army medics.

Senior Officers from Angola Study Economy:

A one-month course on setting up an advanced school for economy and administration has been held at the Development Study Center in Rehovot for 17 trainees who are senior officers from the Angolan army, including one lieutenant-general and four major-generals. The intention is to use the school for demobilized soldiers in Angola. The participants undertook simulation studies for potential functions by retired officers in the business sector, public services, and economic institutions, following the country's move to an open-market economy. The final exercise was to consolidate the organizational structure of the college. Upon returning home, they will train the school's faculty. At the conclusion of the course, the Angolan deputy chief of staff led a visiting delegation to Israel and were impressed by the experiences of the trainees. They met with Dr. Dafna Schwartz, the director of the Development Study Center.

Cooperative Studies Start in Kenya:

A regional field course on Cooperatives has begun in Kenya. I.C.A. and I.L.O. representatives attended the opening, as well as officials from the Kenyan Cooperatives Office and a member of the Israeli Embassy. It includes 12 trainees from Tanzaniya, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia and Swaziland.

Intensive Care Unit Inaugurated in Eritrea:

An intensive care unit contributed by Mashav and the Israeli Ministry of Health has been inaugurated in Eritrea, at the Central Hospital in Asmara. It was handed over by the Israeli Ambassador to the hospital management in an official ceremony held on the lawn of the hospital. The Eritrean Deputy Minister of Health, and W.H.O. and UNICEF officials in Eritrea participated. The equipment from Mashav to the Asmara hospital included an intensive care unit worth $100,000, and was sent by private plane with a delegation from the Ministry of Health, including six Israeli doctors who will set it up.

The "Rocky Valleys" Project in Senegal:

A meeting was held between the Deputy Director of Mashav and Abdulay Sene, head of the Rocky Valleys Authority with the rank of a Senegalese minister. The project has great national importance, and when it is completed, large areas in northern Senegal will be flooded to revive the entire region and make it suitable for agricultural activities.

Mashav Seminar on Desertification in Senegal:

To encourage Mashav cooperation with Senegal on the environment, a seminar was conducted in Dakar on desertification, a subject of top national priority in other African countries. It is financed by UNESCO and about 40 trainees from various African countries are attending, including Mashav graduates.

Israeli-Zambian Mashav Cooperation:

The government of Zambia has requested technical cooperation with Israel and it was decided to renew the operation of the successful eye center which functioned there in the past.

Profit-Earning Workshop in Nairobi:

A field course on profit-earning projects has concluded in Nairobi, where a workshop on Israeli methods of managing small businesses, involving 12 trainees, was conducted by Mashav. Most of the trainees were running their own private businesses, with two of them serving as consultants to other small businesses.

Israel maintains annually increasing economic and commercial ties with the countries of Asia. Mashav's contribution to the developing and developed nations in Asia finds expression in establishing model farms, administrating agricultural projects, and accepting trainees for courses in Mashav's training centers in Israel.

Pacific Nations' Congress in New Caledonia C.R.G.A.:

At a congress of delegates from the Pacific nations, the chairman of the organization stated that Israel's work is known and appreciated in the Pacific Region, and he conveyed the organization's gratitude and that of the countries of the region to the Israeli government and Foreign Ministry.

First Anniversary of Establishment of Farm in China:

At a meeting one year after the establishment of an agricultural farm in China, the Chinese Minister of Agriculture reported to visiting Israeli Agriculture Minister Tsur about the doubling of crops by Chinese farms through new crop-raising methods developed and taught by Israelis. At the farm, Israeli companies displayed means for increasing crops and saving water, by using Israeli seeds and techniques. The crops were double the average size achieved in China, and there was a 70 percent increase in exports of Israeli agricultural systems and equipment to China, reaching a total of $190-million.

Israeli Ambassador Visits Sino-Israeli Training Center:

The Israeli Ambassador to China, Mrs. Namir, met with the president of the Chinese Agricultural University, who thanked her for Israel's contribution to setting up the Training Center. He said more than 300 trainees from all over China had already passed through the center and emphasized the importance of training for agricultural development in China, on the one hand, and the proven ability of Israel in technology and agricultural training on the other. The 12th training course dealing with dairy cattle was inaugurated, with 30 trainees from 14 Chinese provinces.

Joint Israeli-Japanese Cooperation in China:

The Model Farm in China established by Mashav was visited by a delegation of 25 Japanese government international cooperation personnel and Japanese Embassy members. They came to study the goals and methods of the farm, as well as the benefits from the project for local farmers. Following the visit, it was decided to arrange a meeting to discuss continued cooperation between Israel and Japan in this area.

Mango Project in the Philippines:

At the end of the mango field training course provided by Mashav, the first stage of the project was inaugurated for raising mangos in the Philippines with mango saplings of a local strain. The second stage will proceed with the arrival of saplings from Israel. The ceremony was attended by the Philippines Minister and Deputy Minister of Agriculture, the local district directors and members of the national Congress.

Annual Congress of Agricultural Engineering
in the Philippines:

The Annual Congress of Agricultural Engineering, which lasted one week at the University of Central Luzon in the Philippines, was attended by 700 engineers from the public and private sectors. There was an address by a representative of the Israeli Embassy about modern irrigation methods and the 1996 Agritech Exhibition in Israel, and the "drip-irrigation" equipment was displayed as part of an agricultural exhibition held during the Congress.

First International Cooperation between Israel and Cambodia:

A local project called "Hagar" has been established in Cambodia, jointly by the government and a Christian non-governmental organization, for housing homeless women and children. Mashav experts were dispatched to the area to train local personnel in farming the land and sowing crops. The "Hagar" Project has been awarded a Gold Medal by the Cambodian Government for its important contribution in rehabilitation.

South Koreans Visit Mashav Model Farm in China:

A South Korean international cooperation delegation visited a model farm set up in China by Mashav, with emphasis on technologies and activity on a commercial level. Later, the delegation was hosted by Mashav in Israel. Their aim was to observe advanced agricultural technologies and the development of farming sectors so as to develop quality exports to the markets. It was decided to send a survey team to South Korea to determine a suitable place for a Mashav project there. The main purpose would be for commercial potential, to develop a model project for exports to the Japanese market.

Israel-South Korea Cooperation in the Mekong Valley of Thailand:

Following the agreement between Israel and the South Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), it has been decided to set up a field training course in Thailand, for irrigation methods, with the participation of trainees from countries in the region, including Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and possibly also China and Burma. The course is planned for November this year. The ties between Israel and South Korea are important in the accessibility for Israeli companies in development activity in the Mekong River Valley, and in marketing Israeli equipment and technology.

In the framework of the peace agreements signed by Israel with her neighbors, joint activity is increasing to establish regional projects and absorb trainees from countries of the region in courses in Israel on agriculture, medicine and economics.

Trainees from the Region in Mashav Courses:

The first Jordanian student to reach Israel as a Mashav trainee has ended his studies at the Development Studies Center at Rehovot. He specialized in economics, social subjects, and economic development, while focusing on maritime agriculture.

A four-month training course at the Development Studies Center in Rehovot has been concluded, with two trainees from Egypt and one from Jordan participating. The central theme was "the New Middle East," embracing studies on tourism, water resources management and Israel-Palestinian Authority relations. At the conclusion of the course, the Egyptian and Jordanian trainees said their expectations from Israel has been decidedly different from what they experienced, and their participation in the study program strengthened their belief in peace in the region.

In the annual public health course held at the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, a two-week workshop took place to study reform in health systems, and five Palestinian physicians from the hospitals in Ramallah, Al-Bira and East Jerusalem participated. During the workshop, various health systems were studied, and projects were prepared on the basis of the material learned. The participants proposed projects relating to their various hospitals.

Two courses for Egyptian university graduates were opened by Mashav for instructors from the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture. The course on cattle included 19 trainees, and that on irrigation, 28.

A course in community development was opened in June at the Golda Meir Mount Carmel Center, with the participation of two trainees, a man and a woman, from Morocco.

Irrigation and farm instruction were the subjects of a course at Shefayim in central Israel, in which a Jordanian trainee participated for the first time. He is now managing a farm producing flowers for export. He met with a representative of the Israeli Embassy, and said that the Israeli irrigation methods learned at the Mashav course were successfully being applied on the farm.

Mashav Study Visit to Jordan:

A professional delegation undertook a study visit to Jordan in conjunction with Mashav and the Jordanian Ministry for Social Development. The delegation comprised leading academics and executives, including experts from the Golda Meir Carmel Center in kindergarten work and infant care. They visited the town of Sweileh, where the Institute of Child Health and Development of the Queen Nur Foundation is located. It serves a population of 16,000 and cooperates with UNICEF and the WHO. The delegation also visited a kindergarten of the Orthodox Association, as well as the Queen Alia Foundation, headed by Princess Talal, sister of King Hussein. The atmosphere surrounding the delegation's visit was open and friendly, and information was exchanged between the directors of the Jordanian organizations and the Carmel Center.

Agricultural Cooperation with Jordan:

A Mashav delegation to Jordan met with Minister for Water Resources, Samir Ka'awar, and his associates to discuss the possibilities of cooperation in Mashav fields of activity. He stressed that he saw the highest importance in encouraging cooperation and advancing projects in the agricultural field, and replied affirmatively to a proposal by the Mashav deputy director-general to dispatch Jordanian professionals to Israel for Mashav courses. It was decided that about 20 professionals would come to Israel in the near future. Cooperation in various projects was also discussed. It was proposed to the Jordanians to jointly set up a model farm based on Israeli knowhow in agriculture and cattle-raising. Jordanian Prime Minister Kabariti endorsed the proposals.

The Jordanians requested cooperation in agricultural planning in the Jordan River Valley. In addition, a project was discussed for establishing a private commercial company for planning, raising and marketing farm produce. An expert in industrial agriculture will be sent to Jordan to help in planning and studying the processes, after which a group of Israeli investors will be formed for this project. The Jordanian minister presented a survey of the Jordanian water system and the problem of purifying irrigation water. Mashav proposed extending professional cooperation in purifying sewage similar to the methods used to purify saline water.

Mashav Activities with Egypt:

In the framework of normalization of relations between Egypt and Israel and furthering agricultural cooperation, the Egyptian Agriculture Minister, Dr. Wali, announced Israel is a country with much farming knowhow and it is fully intended by the Egyptian government to cooperate with Israeli experts and to continue joint Mashav training programs in agriculture, and perhaps also in genetic engineering. He denied claims that the Israeli agriculture could "take control of" Egyptian agriculture and praised the Egyptian Mashav trainees for wishing to settle desert areas with the modern Israeli irrigation technologies.

The course for vegetable planning and irrigation, at Shoresh, near Jerusalem, with 28 trainees from all over Egypt, has been completed. Organizers were thanked for their warm welcome and Israeli agricultural-technological capability was praised. Their experience had also strengthened belief in the importance and need of peace.

Israel-Egypt Joint Mashav Committee Meets:

The Joint Agricultural Committee, including Mashav's Deputy Director General, decided on the parameters for Israeli involvement in the project for resettling Egyptian university graduates in the Nuburia region. In the first stage, a model unit will be set up at a training center at Maryut, with equipment and technology provided by Israel.

Egyptian Delegation as Mashav Guest at Agritech 96 (Agricultural Exhibit):

As an indication of the special cooperation between Mashav and the Egyptian Agriculture Ministry, Mashav decided to host 120 members of an Egyptian delegation (totalling 160 members) to the Agritech 96 Exhibition. It was the biggest delegation from an Arab country ever to visit the exhibition. Mashav also hosted some 20 ministers and senior personalities connected to Mashav activities abroad from countries in the C.I.S., Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Mashav, Denmark and Egypt in Training Project:

The 1993 agreement for cooperation in training Egyptians in agricultural technology with Danish cooperation, was renewed in Cairo by the Israeli and Danish ambassadors. It has brought more than 1,600 Egyptian trainees to Israel in Mashav courses, and more than 1,000 trainees have attended field courses in Egypt under the program, financed jointly by the three countries.

Administrative Course for Urban Development for Palestinians:

A three-week Mashav "tailor-made" course in administration and urban development for 15 Palestinian trainees from various towns in the Gaza District and the West Bank, has been completed. The closing ceremony was held in an open, warm atmosphere. Another course at the Galilee College for Palestinians, financed by UNESCO and attended by 15 trainees, has also been completed.

First Field Course in Morocco:

The first field course was inaugurated in Morocco for new irrigation techniques, at the local agricultural training center, with 30 trainees.

Meeting with Oman Envoy in Israel:

At a meeting between the Mashav Deputy Director-General and an envoy from Oman in Israel, agricultural technology development in Israel was discussed. The envoy showed great interest in the different systems and responded positively regarding future cooperation possibilities.

MASHAV COOPERATION WITH THE UNITED NATIONS

A primary priority of Mashav has been to extend humanitarian aid to developing countries and nations in the region. Mashav combines its regional and international activity with the United Nations and international organizations, with the aim of advancing economic and humanitarian projects.

Cooperation with the United Nations:

A meeting was held with the UN Under Secretary (Development) during his first visit to Israel, with the Mashav Deputy Director General, and Mashav activities and cooperation with UN agencies were reviewed, as was the cooperation agreement being prepared with UNESCO. It was decided to continue the efforts to advance this subject, and another meeting will be held in a wider context.

The director of CINADCO stressed the shortages of food, the population movement from villages to cities, and developing the use of water sources, as possible fields of cooperation. The UN under secretary praised Israel's technical assistance to developing countries, while stressing the Mashav activities in China, and expressed confidence that it would be possible to engage in cooperation in many fields.

Mashav Cooperation with FAO:

To advance cooperation with the FAO, a Mashav-initiated study tour was arranged for the Swiss Agriculture Ministry's envoy to the F.A.O., coordinated with the "Netafim" drip-irrigation company and CINADCO. At the end of the visit, it was decided that the guest would submit a proposal for cooperation between Mashav and the F.A.O. for the benefit of developing countries.

*Desert Sciences Summit: Cooperation with the FAO:

The Director General of the FAO, Jacques Diouf, and the Chairman of its Council, Dr. Lopez-Portillo, met with Professor Pohoryles of Israel, the associate chairman of the Steering Committee of the Desert Summit. They discussed the FAO's joining the desertification program in the framework of developing desert areas. The FAO leaders showed great interest in the Desert Sciences Summit due to be held at the start of 1997, and agreed in principle to participate in its program at Prof. Pohoryles' suggestion. It was decided that material would be sent to the FAO offices in Rome for study so the executives can determine future cooperation.

Investment Center Opened in Azerbaijan:

Mashav is involved in setting up an investment center in Azerbaijan together with the United Nations Development Project and the B.S.A. Company of Professor Ben-Shahar. Mashav will support the project by financing the dispatch of short-term experts and training activity.

Mashav-UNICEF Cooperation in Eritrea:

A survey of nomads in Eritrea has been completed. During the visit by experts, wide areas where nomands exist were combed. Planning for the second stage will soon begin, with a planning workshop for work programs in cooperation with local organizations, and financed by UNICEF.

Mashav Physician Continues with UN Peace Forces:

The contract of Israeli physician Dr. Yaakov Adler, chief medical officer of the UN Peace Forces, has been extended by one year, in his capacity as a Mashav expert serving abroad. He will also engage in Mashav projects, in addition to his UN activities, in countries where the UN has programs.

Mashav Delegation to Kirghistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan:

A Mashav delegation visited Kirghistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. In Uzbekistan, they toured greenhouses of a private agricultural company interested in acquiring Israeli irrigation technology and met with the deputy minister of agriculture on cooperation between the two countries. Mashav promised to help in providing field courses. The deputy minister requested help in advancing the study center at Andijan and setting up dairies in the Pargana area.

In Kazakhstan, a model farm was visited, and meetings were held with the minister of agriculture and his deputy, and the director general of the private farmers organization, as well as the director of the national agricultural university. American representatives of USAID were contacted about financing Israeli companies engaged in agricultural projects in the area.

The Kirghistan visit featured meetings with the agriculture minister and the governor of the Tchaoui district and chairman of the government purchasing committee, to plan expanded Mashav activities in the country. Here, too, there was a meeting with American experts to discuss the possibility of broader cooperation in locating and supporting private farmers.

Akorgan Project in Uzbekistan Holds Model Day:

In the Akorgan collective unit in Uzbekistan, a model display day was held on the occasion of the opening of the food center in the framework of the local Mashav project. Food-production equipment, a computer room, a dairy and home vegetable gardens were put on show and visitors received explanations from a Mashav expert and the "sovhoz" unit managers. The U.S. ambassador greeted those present and said it was one of the successful projects in which the U.S. International Development Agency participated, and suggested attaching an American expert in international cooperation to the Israeli Mashav expert.

MASHAV ACTIVITIES IN LATIN AMERICA

Assistance to Earthquake Victims in Ecuador:

Food supplies sent to earthquake victims in the Pujili area of Ecuador were personally distributed to them by a delegation headed by the Israeli ambassador accompanied by a Mashav expert from the Shalom Club, and by an Israeli reporter.

Jerusalem 3000 Forest in San Jose, Costa Rica:

At the ceremony of planting the Jerusalem 3000th Anniversary Forest in a park in San Jose, the vice president, foreign minister, cabinet members, the mayor and many Mashav graduates took part. The speeches emphasized the ecological aspect of planting a forest, and the cooperation between Costa Rica and Israel in the field of the environment. The plaque at the site was donated by a former Mashav trainee in cooperation with others, and, altogether, they planted some 2,000 trees and 213 flowering plants.

MASHAV COOPERATION WITH BLACK COMMUNITIES IN THE U.S.

In the course of cooperating with universities and the heads of Black communities in the U.S., future cooperation between Mashav and Clark University and the Carter Center in Atlanta was discussed in the field of Israeli agricultural knowhow utilized on the African continent, and exchanges of students and experts.

Congress at Carter Center, Atlanta:

An international congress on development was held at the Carter Center in Atlanta with the participation of former President Jimmy Carter, senior officials of the World Bank, the Inter-American Bank, UNDP, and USAid Administraton, the head of the Canadian Assistance Agency, and the head of the Norwegian Aid Authority. The Cindaco director spoke about Mashav activities. Former Pres. Carter stressed that Israel was one of the leading countries in agricultural knowhow and training ability.

Visits to Universities in the Southern U.S.:

The Cindaco director visited Clark University in Atlanta and the University of Georgia, presenting ideas for cooperation with Mashav for the establishment of projects, and visits by students and experts to workshops in Israel.