Blogpost by Abdallah AlSwaitti

From the 23rd to the 25th May 2024, Tatweer Wa Nahda organized a Knowledge Exchange in Jericho with a series of public and civil society organizations. The Exchange brought together:

• Tatweer Wa Nahda Association: A Palestinian charitable organization focused on community development and environmental issues. Their current MERC funded project (Assessing Environmental and Health impacts of Unregulated E-waste Recycling and Disposal) is a key focus of the visit.
• Jericho Cooperative Association for Agricultural Marketing: An organization supporting farmers and promoting crops in Jericho.
• Canaan Society for Community Development: An Association working on social, health, and environmental issues in Jericho, particularly within the Aqabat Jaber Refugee Camp.
• Jericho Municipality (Health and Environment Department): Responsible for addressing public health and environmental concerns within Jericho.
• Women’s Liberation Bloc: An organization advocating for the Palestinian women’s rights.
• Cooperative Association of Medicinal Plants: An organization supporting farmers and promoting agricultural medicinal products.
• Land Research Center – Arab Studies Society: Conducts research on land, water and environmental issues in Palestine, aiming to promote sustainable development and advocate for Palestinian rights.
• Various Associations from Other Governorates: Participating in workshops and networking.

Thursday, May 23rd: Meeting with the Jericho Cooperative for Agricultural Marketing

The Tatweer team presented their association and the MERC project highlighting its goals of mapping burn sites, collecting olive samples to assess contamination, and conducting a health survey. Following this introduction, Mr. Muaffak Hashim, President of the Jericho Cooperative, provided an overview. Key points included:

• The distinction between charitable and cooperative societies, with details on their structures and regulations.
• Confirmation of waste burning, including e-waste for copper extraction and plastic waste, despite municipal efforts to stop it. Burning is concentrated in rural areas and valleys like Wadi Qilt, Wadi Nuweima, and Wadi Al-Auja.
• The dominance of palm tree cultivation since 1967, with Medjool dates being the most popular variety. However, this has come at the expense of other crops like bananas and citrus fruits. The acreage dedicated to palm trees has doubled since 2018, while banana acreage has significantly decreased.
• Reasons for the shift towards palm trees include water scarcity due to limitations set by the Oslo Accords, as well as palm trees’ tolerance of saline water, wastewater, saline soil, and low humidity.
• Mr. Hashim indicated that the shift towards palm tree farming has not significantly impacted local employment. Most workers prefer to work in Israel, which offers much higher wages than farming. However, he acknowledged that the situation may have changed since the start of the Gaza war Because of Israel’s closure to workers.

Friday, May 24th: Visits to inspiring women entrepreneurs and agricultural projects

The Tatweer team embarked on a series of educational field visits to inspiring women entrepreneurs and agricultural projects in Jericho. These visits aimed to gain insights into the challenges and successes of women in business, explore sustainable livelihood options, and appreciate the natural resources of the region.

Beekeeping Project: Ms. Nour Al Awatleh, an agricultural engineer passionate about beekeeping and rare crop cultivation, showcased her 15-beehive operation. The team learned about beekeeping practices, handling bees, hive inspection frequency, colony splitting, and the different types of honey produced (Seder honey, mountain honey, Zahif honey, and citrus honey). Al Awatleh also secured funding for a greenhouse to grow exotic fruits like dragon fruit and SBS grapes. Ms. Felasteen Al Yamani, the vice president of Tatweer and a recent beekeeping project initiator, received valuable guidance from Ms. Nour.

Restaurant Project: The team visited Ms. Sumaya Al Awatleh, the owner of a restaurant that has persevered through the challenges imposed by the war on Gaza. Despite the economic hardships, Ms. Sumaya’s entrepreneurial spirit has kept her restaurant thriving. The team admired her resilience and adaptability in the face of adversity, recognizing the significance of community support for small businesses during difficult times.

Greenhouse Project & Lunch: During lunch at Sumaya’s restaurant, the team met Ms. Um Tha’er, the remarkable Secretary of the Medicinal Plants Society. She manages a greenhouse project (cucumbers, tomatoes, medicinal plants) located on “Husseini” land (not private property) in partnership with others. She is also the sole provider for her family, including a daughter with special needs. Sarah Al Awawdeh emphasized Tatweer’s efforts to create income for women-led households and the women’s prominent role in MERC activities, particularly the mapping project and the upcoming health survey.

Jericho Springs Tour: Mr. Abdul Qader Al Masharqa, The secretary of Jericho Cooperative Association for Agricultural Marketing, led an afternoon tour of Jericho’s springs: Wadi Qalt Spring, Nuweima Spring, and Duyuk Spring. The team gained insights into spring water distribution and explored Deir Quruntul (Monastery of the Temptation) and Jericho cable cars, appreciating the region’s cultural and natural heritage.

Saturday, May 25th: A workshop on social, health, and environmental challenges at the Jericho Municipality

On Saturday morning, the Tatweer team went to a workshop in coordination with the Canaan Society for Community Development and the Health and Environment Department of the Jericho Municipality. The workshop was attended by the Canaan Society’s administrative staff, represented by its President Zidan Al Razem, Jericho Deputy Mayor Mr. Fathi Al-Brahma, and Engineer Mohamed Saeed, the director of the Joint Services Council, and other municipal members.

Opening Remarks: Mr. Al-Brahma opened the meeting by commending the role of associations and their partnership with municipalities in addressing the social, health, and environmental challenges facing residents.

Tatweer Presentation: 

Ms. Sarah Al Awawdeh began by introducing the association, its nature of work, its vision, goals and its various activities.

Abdallah Alswaitti then presented the association’s most prominent activity, the MERC Project (Assessing the Health and Environmental Impacts of Unregulated E-waste Recycling and Disposal), explaining its three main areas of focus:

• Mapping burn sites using QGIS.
• Olive sampling campaign to assess the potential presence of heavy metals and other pollutants caused by burning e-waste.
• An upcoming health survey to investigate the health impacts of e-waste burning.

Hamada Al Sharahah then spoke about Tatweer’s history with the camps, where Hamada was a child participant in the association’s camps and grew up to become a volunteer and supervisor in the camps.

Ms. Muntaha Shrawaneh presented the recent impactful first winter environmental camp, highlighting its role in instilling environmental consciousness in younger generations.

Ms. Felasteen Al Yamani spoke about the tire recycling project, an innovative approach to waste reduction and income generation.

Ms. Iman Al Awawdeh highlighted the important role played by Tatweer’s staff and volunteers in achieving the success of the association’s activities.

Finally, Dr. Nelly Leblond gave an insightful presentation via Zoom that included her experience with Professor Yaakov Garb in working with Tatweer and communities from a researcher perspective.

Discussion: Mr. Mohamed Saeed was impressed by Tatweer’s work, particularly the mapping work. He expressed a strong interest in collaborating on future initiatives and coordinating efforts. A question regarding Jericho’s waste burning issue, especially concerning e-waste, was raised. The response acknowledged the ongoing problem of burning various types of waste, with plastic and household waste being the most significant. The municipality highlighted its efforts to prevent e-waste burning by stopping harmful recycling businesses and burning attempts early on. They emphasized the importance of continued collaboration between institutions and associations to address this complex issue effectively.

Canaan Society Visit:

After the meeting, the Canaan Society took the team on a tour of the Hisham Archaeological Palace and showed them its various facilities. Tatweer team was amazed by the ancient architecture, especially the mosaic floors made with great skill and intricate geometric shapes.

The visit continued to the Canaan Association headquarters located in Aqabat Jaber Refugee Camp. They showed the team the association’s facilities, which include a building and a soccer field.  Here, Ms. Sarah Al Awawdeh expressed the association’s dream of having a permanent building to better serve the community.

The Canaan Society talked about their successful campaign with the local community to halt a plastic factory project, which was causing pollution to the camp, through advocacy and relentless pressure. Their efforts culminated in relocating the factory from the camp’s vicinity to an industrial zone in Jericho.

The Canaan Society, particularly impressed by Felasteen’s tire recycling project, expressed their desire to learn from this successful initiative to reduce waste and generate income.

Recognition was given to Tatweer for their exceptional work during the winter environmental camp, emphasizing the importance of nurturing positive environmental values in young people.

Women’s Liberation Bloc Recognition:

Later that day, Ms. Amal Abu Shousha, representing the Women’s Liberation Bloc, presented a certificate of appreciation to Tatweer in recognition of their outstanding work in tackling various community issues.

Additional Workshop:

Tatweer Association also attended another workshop in Al Awsaj agricultural village, organized by the Jericho Cooperative Association for Agricultural Marketing and the Cooperative Association of Medicinal Plants. This workshop, conducted by the Land Research Center – Arab Studies Society, focused on legal knowledge crucial for countering Israeli-imposed regulations on confiscated and threatened lands, demolition orders, and legal procedures to resist or limit the enforcement of such military orders on agricultural, commercial, or residential establishments.

The workshop included participation from various associations from different governorates, fostering a space for networking and knowledge sharing. Tatweer had the chance to present their activities, particularly the MERC project, and discussed the challenges they face in their work. Ms. Sarah Al Awawdeh inquired about potential strategies and avenues for obtaining funds to construct a building for the association.

Conclusion

The exchange visit to Jericho proved to be an invaluable opportunity for knowledge exchange, collaboration building, and networking between Tatweer Wa Nahda Association and various organizations in Jericho. The visit provided a platform to:

• Share best practices and expertise on environmental issues, sustainable agriculture, and community development.
• Discuss common challenges faced by Palestinian communities, such as waste management \ burning and water scarcity.
• Explore opportunities for future collaboration on projects that address these challenges and improve the lives of the Palestinian people.
• Strengthen relationships between civil society organizations, municipalities, and local communities.

The recommendations presented here are designed to translate the successful exchange visit into tangible outcomes. Through continued collaboration, we can achieve a more sustainable and prosperous future for the Palestinian communities.