MASHAV 2000 Annual Report

Foreword

Israel's international development program draws mainly on its own development experience, applying accumulated know-how, innovative technologies and creative tested solutions for rapid sustainable development. In its early years after independence Israel faced overwhelming development challenges: absorption of hundreds of thousand of refugees from a then devastated Europe, mass immigration of entire North African Jewish communities, malaria, food shortages, desertification, education and community building - all in a land poor in natural resources.

Thus, as far back as 1958, the tenth year of Israel's independence, a modest program of international development cooperation was launched, offering then emerging nations a share in the knowledge and development experience of Israel's experts . As a small country with limited resources, Israel's best option for cooperation was capacity building of professionals in developing countries, by training in Israel, or in on-the-spot courses, and by long - and short-term consultancy missions.

Since its beginning, the Center for International Cooperation (MASHAV) has trained approximately 175,000 trainees from 140 countries in the developing world in courses in Israel and abroad, and has developed dozens of projects in fields of Israeli expertise worldwide. While the scale of MASHAV's activities has grown considerably since it was first established, the unique principles which guide Israel's cooperation remain the same:

1. MASHAV activities focus on areas in which Israel has a comparative advantage and/or accumulated expertise. MASHAV believes that our greatest possible contribution can be made in fields where Israel has experience directly relevant to emerging nations, the range of which is extensive, including: irrigation, desert agriculture and combating desertification, water management, early childhood education, community development, emergency and disaster medicine, refugee absorption and employment programs, and many many others.

2. MASHAV is committed to cooperation throughout the developing world. We do not limit our activities to a small number of target countries. MASHAV's focus is thus on areas of expertise rather than on geographical areas. We in MASHAV extend our hand in partnership wherever Israel's experience can be of use, often in coordination with efforts of other donor organizations.

3. MASHAV prefers small-scale activities aimed at "bottom-up" development. Our activities often target the grassroots level. We endeavor to identify micro-project activities that can serve as a catalyst for wider-scale development. These micro-projects often have an impact on macro-policies.

4. MASHAV's focus is on human capacity building and training. MASHAV's belief is that training of trainers and other capacity building activities is the best way to achieve maximum impact of development activity. Education leads to empowerment - the surest guarantee of sustainable growth. Israel's large reservoir of foreign-language speakers in all areas of expertise enables MASHAV to offer a particularly rich training program worldwide, both through courses and project-focused training activities.

5. MASHAV seeks cooperative projects with other development organizations. MASHAV offers partnership, in subjects in which Israel has comparative advantage, to all development agencies, governmental as well as non-governmental, international agencies and development banks. MASHAV's experience with such joint projects, often on a cost-sharing basis, has been very positive, broadening the impact of MASHAV's potential contribution and the efficacy of the projects undertaken.

6. MASHAV believes that development cooperation can and should be used to forge bonds of peaceful cooperation with Israel's neighbors. Consequently, MASHAV endeavors to be active throughout the Middle East, wherever and however possible, regardless of the political climate.

In the year 2000, as every year, MASHAV has striven to bring these principles to bear in all of our activities worldwide. It is my pleasure to present to you our Annual Report as a comprehensive account of that which MASHAV has accomplished in the past year and which guides us as we move towards the future.

Arie Arazi
Deputy Director General
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Head of the Center for International Cooperation (MASHAV)

CONTENTS

MASHAV Organizational Chart

MASHAV at a Glance: