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Introduction

2002 marked the anniversary of 20 years on the establishment of the Galilee Society. Although this document will only report on 2002, it is a great achievement for the GS to have become one of the largest Palestinian Arab developmental organizations in Israel serving the Palestinian population to achieve equity in health, environment, and socio-economic conditions. One of the highlights of the year was the celebration of the GS twentieth anniversary despite continued postponements primarily because of political events. The GS published a book featuring twenty years of its work in the Palestinian community. A number of the GS founders and active members were honored in a celebration at the Health conference. This honoring and reflection on the past with all its good and difficult times is an indicator of the strength, continuity and an expression of the well-being and great heritage of the organization.

Galilee Society Honorees

The Galilee Society worked extensively during the months of the first incursion by the Israeli occupying forces into the West Bank, by activating and coordinating the relief committee and recruiting the staff, part of the administration, and some members of the organization for this purpose. Work in medical relief posed vast and new challenges regarding finding

innovative ways, methods of coordination, local networking, and providing the opportunity for hundreds of activist volunteers, many local committees and national organizations to successfully participate in making the work decentralized, leaving the rich public action without a central framework. The Galilee Society tried not to play a solitary central role, but was obliged for a short time to act as the main coordinator, and organizer. The relief committee was able to mobilize teams of doctors and nurses to visit various villages in the West Bank equipped with medications to provide aid and treatment to the suffering Palestinians. These teams also demonstrated at the Israeli army checkpoints and were able to enter Jenin camp on April 20, 2002 shortly after the Israeli troops left the camp and were able to extend medical aid to many. This experience also provided the GS with a real opportunity to strengthen and improve our local relations through cooperation with the Arab Dentists’ Association, Al-Zahrawi Society, the Triangle Society for Health services and many other relief and local doctors’ committees who worked commendably with many other individuals who have since become active members of the Galilee Society.

Doctors and Nurses in relief trip to Jenin camp April 20, 2002 Despite the winds of war on Iraq that intensified in the beginning of 2003 constituting bad indications for the whole year, we still hold the hope that 2003 will be a year generating a change towards peace for the entire region.

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Health Promotion and Education Department

The Galilee Society has recently witnessed a decline in its public role for several reasons. This decline was especially evident during the ten months in which the Health Department Director position was vacant. Dr. Cameel Makhoul joined the staff as Health Department Director in June 2002, following a year as Board Chairman of the Galilee Society during which he participated in overseeing the Paramedical scholarship program as well as representing the GS in the Special Education Coalition led by Shatil. In that capacity, he initiated a learning disabilities project that became a focal point in the GS as well as a national address for those interested. One of the main achievements of the department in 2002 was convening the conference on the health of the Palestinian community in Israel. Dr. Makhoul's efforts focused on organizing the conference and utilizing it for many possibilities: 1. Return of the GS to its former unique

public position. 2. Attract Arab health professional

resources. 3. Reaffirm the validity of the GS on the

academic and official levels. The Health conference surpassed many expectations by posing a serious challenge and opening new fields of interests. On the one hand, the GS was obliged to pay attention to certain distinct circumstances in our society such as inter-relative marriage and the intense need to create a learning disabilities diagnostic tool that is culturally-appropriate, on the other hand, deal with, as in other developed countries, situations that arise from technological advances such as the emissions from cellular phones and antennas and their affect on public health. The conference also opened new prospects of professional cooperation with several organizations,

which if properly exploited could reaffirm the GS position and through which possibilities for the involvement of the Palestinian minority in Israel in modifying the official health policies for the benefit of the community will increase. This entailed the formation of a health steering committee; the final session of the conference was dedicated to the purpose. The conference aimed at surveying the health situation of the Palestinian community in Israel, defining its needs and attracting the professional specialist skills within it. The wide attendance in the conference from the Israeli academia, hospitals, researchers, and a group of researchers from the Negev and its distinctive scientific level made it an important event at the general health level in Israel, as well as a resource relative to changing the discriminatory official and unofficial health policies towards the Palestinians in Israel. The conference uncovered the extent of negligence and marginalization of the Palestinian community, both at the level of health service provision and in extrication from positions of decision-making, despite the profusion of competence, some very impressive, scientifically and professionally. The conference also revealed the systematic policy of constriction represented by the amassed environmental hazards near our residential areas and in work sites restricted to Arab workers. Prominent representatives of the Ministry of Health at the conference exposed the extent of discrimination and irresponsibility in dealing with the needs of the Palestinian community and the necessity to provide urgent health services especially with regard to children’s health and development centers, women, elderly, and psychological health. The negligence of Arab children with special needs and the intentional disregard for high percentages of hereditary diseases in the Palestinian community without gaining official recognition, which has excluded it from the health services package. The lack of health education was clearly shown because of the unavailability of

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mechanisms and budgets to raise awareness of preventative health measures as a method to ensure individual and community health. On the other hand, many of the interventions showed scientific facts regarding positive features in the Palestinian community attributed to structural and cultural characteristics that must be encouraged selectively, especially as the possibility of improving the health situation of our community is great if we succeed in adopting preventative health behavior approach such as cessation� of smoking, reduction of obesity, and raising awareness of the importance of medical supervision during pregnancy. On another level: 1. The conference proved the reality of

the magnitude of the projects that the Galilee Society strived to implement throughout many years, whether it was the Mobile Clinic, planning and implementing the Paramedical students capacity building project, active participation in the coalition for special education issues, the initiative to consider the issue of Learning Disabilities as fundamental for the future, or in diligently working to create opportunities for the improvement of the environment and raising awareness of hereditary diseases, inter-relative marriage, etc.

2. The conference also verified the need for the Health department to structurally plan to enable it to become a center for health issues efforts.

3. The conference embodied the real possibility to interact and interconnect between the different departments of the GS, as all the branches – staff and administration – showed a high level of coordination, commitment, and integration. A session of the conference was dedicated to the R&D Center and Al-Maissam achievements and research.

4. The conference revived old relationships in addition to creating new ones of strategic importance, such as the relationships with professionals and researchers, the ICDC, the Gurtner

Institute, the School of Public Health at the Hebrew University and others.

5. The Galilee Society has proved its ability to combine between methodical research to realize many accomplishments for the benefit of the community and ensure its general health and providing direct services such as in the Negev and the Paramedical students' project.

6. The health conference lifted the GS to its pioneering position as a professional developmental organization able to connect between our community and the official health institution and the decision-makers, as well as work jointly with parallel organizations locally and internationally.

Pictures from the Health Conference

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Environment Department

In 2002, a lawyer, Ms. Raida Karawani was recruited to work in the Department, starting in April.

The Department undertook several legal cases and environmental action:

1. Iksal Concrete-block Factor. The GS was able to issue a closure order for the factory and remove it from the residential area in Iksal.

2. Establishment of a fuel station in Shefa-Amr. A group of residents from Shefa-Amr approached the GS with a complaint against the establishment of a fuel station near their residences, the department made a field visit to the site and presented professional counsel to them. Objections are being prepared for the local planning committee.

3. Kafr Kanna Antennas. The Kafr Kanna Local Council approached the GS concerning the installation of Mobile Phone Antennas near the Sport Center in the village. The GS met with the Council's Engineer and Manager. Following our consultation, the Council decided not to grant a license for the aerials.

4. Shefa-Amr Incinerator. In October 2002, the GC learned of plans to establish a factory to incinerate garbage in the new Industrial park in Shefa-Amr. The GC has started to collect information and learned that the plans are in the Regional Council being discussed before being made public in order to receive comments or complaints from the community prior to final approval. The GS expects publication in February 2003 and has started to rally public opinion and complaints against this polluting industry. The GS will start legal proceedings if deemed necessary.

5. Tamra – Har Shikhainia Stone Quarry. This Stone Quarry has been in operation since 1980. In 1985 plans

to expand the Quarry were approved. The Quarry owners want to implement the expansion now, members of the Environmental organization, Hasviva, and residents of the area near the Quarry approached the GS requesting assistance in their struggle against the expansion. Information is currently being gathered on the Quarry and from the preliminary data; it has become evident to the GS that the area in which the Quarry wants to expand to is designated as a forest area in the national forest plan TAMA 22. Letters of complaint on the expansion of the Quarry are being prepared, and in the event of refusal, the GS will take legal action.

The Galilee Consortium Many of the department's activities are conducted through the “Guarding the Galilee Project,” an initiative launched in 1998 by the Galilee Consortium (GC) with a grant from the Israel Cooperative Program. The GC is a partnership of seven Arab and Jewish Israeli NGOs and CBOs – The GS (the Coordinator), Citizens for the Environment in the Galilee, Living Waters Charity, El Ain, and Marj Ibn Amer, NAGA and LINK. These organizations form the GC to systematically address the environmental issues facing the Galilee region and to preserve and protect the environmental and health conditions of Galilee residents. The Guarding the Galilee Project focused on five priority fields in 2002: stone quarries, industrial zones, solid waste, and asbestos.

Stone Quarries

� Eilaboun Stone Quarry. Legal proceedings were initiated against the master plan of stone quarries, but the GC was not able to stop the inclusion of this quarry from the plan. Following a professional report by the owners of the Quarry stating that there are no damaging effects to the surrounding environment, they presented the detailed plan of the

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Quarry to the Committee for Building and Planning. The GC and the Local Area Committees are continuing to raise public awareness of the issue and calling on residents of the affected area to submit their objections to the Quarry, as well as coordinating these objections and injunctions. The public campaign is coordinated by a media advertising company, Spin, which the Local Councils have drawn on for services to help raise public awareness of the issue among the residents. A demonstration against the Quarry was held in July, a meeting was held with the Regional Committee for Building and Planning, letters and newspaper reports were published regarding the issue. An Environmental Expert, Dr. Yossi Zuker, prepared a report on behalf of the GC and the Area Local Councils, which disproved the owners report and talks about the damaging environmental effects to the area as the Quarry if established, will be situated next to a nuclear weapons and military storage site, which will enhance the damaging environmental effects on the area residents. The GC sent letters to the army, the ministries of Environment and Interior requesting the deletion of the plan. The Area Plan, Master Plan Tama 14 originally designates the area as a Green Area, the GC and the Area Local Councils utilizing the services of Advocate Bar Sela’, are working on restating the area into an open space or Green Area based on Dr. Zuker’s study. Recently, the Ministry of Environment sent a letter to the Regional Committee for Building and Planning requesting an expansion of the environmental assessment done, because a new settlement, Ramat Arbel, is planned in the area and was not taken into account in the original assessment. Because of these new developments, the plan has been delayed several months. The GC continues to monitor any changes and will take appropriate action when needed. In addition, the GC is also striving to change the plans for the area from designated for a Quarry to a green area.

� Alon/Sajour Stone Quarry. A closure order was issued against the Quarry, which specified that if any work is done in the quarry, the owners will be subject to huge fines. A letter was sent to the Local Committee for Building and Planning in Bekat Bet Hakerem (Majd el Kroum) stating that the closure of the quarry is being closely monitored to assure it is not in operation, and if any work is done, attention will be brought before the courts. The Quarry continued to operate in spite of all the warnings. The GC sent letters to the Regional Planning Committee, the Interior Ministry Building Official, and the Attorney General to enforce implementation of the court’s closure order and bring charges against the owners for contempt. The GC Planner and Community Activist met with the Attorney General in May who recommended that the GC approach the local Committee for Building and Planning – Bekat Bet Hakerem. A letter was sent to the Head of the Committee allowing for 14 days for a response or the matter will be brought before the Supreme Court and the Head of the Environmental Ministry in the North. To date, no response has been received; the GC is starting the legal process in the Supreme Court. The GC anticipates the case being submitted in the Supreme Court in the coming months.

� Kinneret Stone Quarry. The owners appealed to the court for postponement of the closure order. In December 2001, a final closure order was issued by the Supreme Court. The GC continues to monitor the closure order and is seeking approval for the restoration of the quarry by the Ministry of Infrastructure, who sent a response that this possibility is being studied and considered.

� Sheikh Danoun Quarry. The GC continues to monitor and struggle against the establishment of the Quarry. To date, no detailed plan is available. A case will be opened if

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further steps are taken towards establishing the Quarry.

� AlJish Stone Quarry. This Quarry is located near the village of AlJish in the Upper Galilee. The Quarry has been working illegally on a small area of land and is expanding without licenses. The local Committee for Building and Planning in the Upper Galilee has started legal proceedings to close the Quarry. The GC is currently examining the possibility of also initiating legal action against the Quarry.

� Fasouta Stone Quarry. This Quarry is located near the village of Fasouta in the Upper Galilee. The Quarry has been working illegally and the issue was brought to the attention of the GC by complaints from the public. The GC has started legal action by sending letters requesting the immediate closure of the Quarry to the Interior and Environmental Ministries, the local Building and Planning Committee "Maa'le Naftali", as well as a formal complaint in the police department. The response from the Ministries was positive and at the end of December a closure order was issued by the Ministry of Environment. The Quarry has closed and all machinery has been removed from the site. The GC will continue to monitor any changes that occur.

� Lobby National Planning Committee.

The National Plan, Tama 35 is still in the pre-implementation stage and has not yet been finalized or approved. The GC is continuing to lobby the national TAMA 35 planning committees to give full consideration to the impact of stone quarries on sustainable development in the region.

� Campaigning for environmental restoration of stone quarry sites.

The GC is continuing to raise awareness of the need for restoration of stone quarry sites, investigate new sites for restoration and will serve as a contact organization between the local municipalities and government offices

who will utilize government funds designated to clean up the sites. The following factors are taken into consideration when choosing restoration sites: 1) the willingness of the local municipality to cooperate in restoration efforts; 2) whether the land is publicly or privately owned (restoration of public lands is easier); 3) the severity of environmental damage of the given site (the GC will focus on restoring the worst sites); and 4) government cooperation. The GC is trying to gain approval to restore the Kinneret Stone Quarry and have received a response from the Ministry of Infrastructure that it is being considered, as previously mentioned. A Quarry near the village of Nahaf has recently been restored and has become a public park. The GC monitored the restoration process.

Industrial Parks

� Western Galilee Industrial Park. After three years of targeted GC lobbying and legal action against the Western Galilee Industrial Park, the Ministry of Interior approved a change in Master Plan #2 transforming the Industrial Park area into an open space zone. The GC continues to monitor the site and encourage non-polluting initiatives for its use.

� Tzippori Industrial Park. At the end of 2001, the residents of the villages of Mashhad and Kafr Kana filed complaints to the board of the Tzippori Industrial Park and the GC concerning pollution from the Phoenicia Flat-Glass factory. The GC also followed with letters of protest. The response from the factory was that the filters had broken down. The GC had previously waged a successful campaign to secure the installation of pollution prevention and monitoring devices for this factory. In 1995, the Industrial Park and the Ministry of Environment also installed 3 devices to measure the pollution levels in 3 locations around the Park area. These pollution prevention and monitoring mechanisms were installed following

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an agreement between the Galilee Society and the Factory obligating them to keep these systems running continually. These devices were in operation until the beginning of 2000 when they were shut down for lack of funding.

The GC requested:

1. All work in the factory must be halted until the filters are fixed.

2. The pollution monitoring devices must become operational again, and if pollution levels are high, then work must be stopped until levels return to normal.

3. Participation in the meetings of the Industrial Park's Board to monitor work.

The factory repaired the filters and they were made operational again, but the residents of the surrounding area still complain of pollution. The pollution monitoring devices are still not working and further letters have been sent to the Industrial Park Administration and the Ministry of Environment to make them operational again. Meetings have also been held with the local Councils of Mashhad and Kafr Kana to hear their complaints and to work on a strategy of cooperation in combating the pollution affecting their residents. It was also decided that the Councils would set up a video camera to record the black smoke arising from the Factory in order to secure documentation of the pollution. The GC is planning to have a meeting with the Park Administration and the Ministry of Environment in the next few months. Legal action will be considered if no positive steps are taken.

Asbestos Waste

� The GC lawyer began legal proceedings for the closure of the Sheikh Danoun asbestos waste-dumping site by sending letters to the Ministry of Environment and the owners and managers of the site. This is a formality required by law in order

to give a chance for the owners of the site to provide a solution or an answer. When there is no response, then legal action can be initiated in the courts. These letters did not bring a response from the managers of the site, and the lawyer began legal proceedings in the courts for closure of the site. Several court hearings have been held. Meanwhile, a temporary closure order was issued by the Matay Asher Regional Council for two months. The owners were then able to obtain an operating license for three months after which closure must be implemented. This period ended in July, and was extended and is still in effect till the next hearing. The GC will continue its legal action to attain a permanent closure and cleanup order of the site. The Sheikh Danoun site is the national site for asbestos dumping; after it is closed alternative sites must be found where the asbestos is dumped according to regulation and where the health and environment of the area chosen are taken into consideration so minimal damage is done. The GC has learned that the Ministry of Environment is considering turning the site into a solid waste dumping site. The GC is examining this possibility and the impact resulting from this option. The GC is also examining and monitoring the restoration of the site. A professional study by a consultant of the environmental damage to the Sheikh Danoun site and of the negative health impact of the site's vicinity on the residents of Sheikh Danoun village was completed and used as evidence in the case for closure of the site and for other public awareness raising activities.

� The Ministry of the Environment's asbestos waste survey was completed and the GC is continuing to monitor the process to make sure the results are implemented.

� The GC continues to campaign for public awareness of the dangers of asbestos and location of legal and illegal dumping sites in the region issue by issuing press releases on the

waste-dumping problem in the media and writing letters to government ministries and to local municipalities demanding an end to the transfer of asbestos waste to the region.

� A Study Day on Asbestos waste and its damaging effects was held on December 19, 2002 as part of the Galilee Society's Conference on Health in the Arab community. There were 50 participants in the workshop covering the dangers of Asbestos and its effect on health and the environment.

Solid Waste

The GC was able to initiate legal action in the Supreme Court against 20 illegal dumping sites in the Galilee. In the beginning of 2002, the GC sent letters to the Ministry of Environment and Local Councils in which the sites are located requesting immediate clean-up of these sites because of the environmental hazards and health risks to the residents of these areas. Due to the non-action on behalf of the respected authorities, the GC decided to start litigation in order to enforce cleanup. A case was brought before the Supreme Court in this regard, but unfortunately the Court refused to deliberate the issue, following a report submitted by the Ministry of Environment on the treatment, removal and cleanup of the sites in the case. The Supreme Court Judges recommended that the environmental organizations present trial cases against specific environmental hazards to the local courts while reserving the right to approach the Supreme Court in the future on this issue. The Court also decided to organize a joint tour of representatives of environmental organizations and the Ministry of Environment to the dump sites included in the case.

The GC's next step is organizing a public campaign against illegal dumping and bringing several cases against a few sites.

Joint Effort of the GC member organizations:

To celebrate Earth Day, on 22 April 2002, the Galilee Consortium organized a clean-up of the Wadi Salameh Valley in the Galilee region, north of Israel. The initiative met two goals: (i) conduct the clean-up of an open space polluted with solid waste; and (ii) empower environmental organizations to work in cooperation for the protection of the Galilee.

Fifty people participated in the initiative, including:

Members of the Galilee Consortium (GC), and local environmental activists and residents living near the Valley, including children and their parents.

The Wadi Salameh Valley is a famous tourist site in the Galilee, visited by school-students and tourists throughout the year. Water is present in the valley at all seasons, which makes it a beautiful and green area. However, the flow of people causes environmental damage to the site, where solid waste accumulates (e.g. cans, paper, bottles, glass, etc.).

The participants devoted five hours to clean-up the valley on a 2-km area, picking up the waste and collecting it in plastic bags. At the end of the day, they had a small celebration and dinner. The participants were enthusiastic about the clean-up initiative and said they would like to be informed of such activities in the future.

Pictures from the Clean-up Day

Networking and Information Exchange - Conferences and Meetings � Building and Planning Law Reform

Coalition. The GSED continued to be part of this coalition of environmental organizations such as Shatil, Adam Teva Ve'din, and the Heschel Center for Environmental Studies. The aim of the coalition is to draft amendments to make the national building and planning laws in Israel more environmentally friendly.

� The Arab Center for Alternative Planning. Cooperation on the Northern District Plan 2/change 9 and the National Plan TAMA 35, as well as the alternative plan for the Sakhnin area and a Databank on submission and approval of plans.

� Life and Environment. Participation in meetings of this coalition of Environmental Organizations.

� Adam Teva' Vedin. Cooperation with on legal issues in the environment.

� Heschel Center for Environmental Studies. Cooperation on Environmental Leadership Project as well as research on Environmental Justice.

� The Nahef Development and Welfare Association. The GSED provided counsel and assistance in environmental awareness raising course.

� Israeli Cancer Association. � Legambiente. The Largest

Environmental Organization in Italy. The GSED Director participated in an environmental conference for NGOs working in the environment in the Mediterranean basin organized by Legambiente in November 15-18. The conference was funded by the European Union and was held in the Italian city of Grosito. The conference was attended by representatives of NGOs from Italy, Spain, Israel, Portugal, Lebanon, Jordan, Greece, Cyprus and Turkey. The main objectives of the conference were: - Introduction to organizations and

environmental association working in the Mediterranean.

- Exchange of expertise, working methods, and experience of the organizations in confronting environmental hazards.

The participants in the conference presented their activities, problems and environmental hazards they deal with. Overall environmental harms in the Mediterranean basin and ways to combat them were explored as well as possibilities of cooperation between the different organizations on various projects.

� The Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies. The Institute has funded research on Stone Quarries, which is being carried out by the GSED Director.

� Boston University survey on Sustainable Development and the Johannesburg Conference.

Study Days and Workshops The GSED took part in study days and workshops on the Environment: � The Wadi Shagour Environmental

Unit. The GSED gave a lecture on the Planning and Building law.

� "Power of the Environment" Conference The purpose of this annual conference is to bring together environmental organizations in Israel to raise discussions about various environmental issues affecting their work, as well as encourage networking between groups. This year, the GSED presented a lecture on Environmental Justice.

� The Kafr Yassif Cultural Center. The GSED gave a lecture on combating on the installation of Mobile Phone Antennas in Kafr Yassif.

� Alternative Planning Center. Participation in land and Residence Issues Conference in Nazareth.

� Technion. Participation in a study day on "A healthy environment – a healthy community".

Student Research Exchange. Every year, the GS offers students of Environmental Studies or Urban Planning from the Technion and Haifa University, as well as

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Environmental Engineering students from the Western Galilee College the opportunity to utilize the information available in the Department for their research and studies. Media The GSED Director, Naim Daoud used the local and national media on numerous occasions during 2002 to raise public awareness on illegally operating stone quarries in the Galilee, industrial zones, asbestos waste, and the water crisis in Israel.

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Databank Department

Since 1998, and with the support of the Ford Foundation, the GS Databank (GSDB) Department designed and operated an innovative computerized information system to address the need for information on the Palestinian citizens of Israel. The Rikaz Databank was officially launched at the GS Health Conference on December 19 and can be accessed at http://www.rikaz.org. Rikaz is a unique Internet information system, based on relational database technology, for the storage, retrieval, and manipulation of up-to-date, accurate, statistical data on the Palestinian minority of Israel. A valuable characteristic of the Databank is that the information available relates to both the Palestinian and Jewish citizens of Israel. Rikaz will allow potential users at the local, national or international levels - NGOs, universities, research centers, students, and others - to easily retrieve precise data via the Internet, which is currently unavailable in an accessible form from any other source. Activities in phase 2 of the project can be divided into three main areas; technological development, database concept development and marketing; 1. Technical progress has focused on

the development of the socio-economic subsystem using Data Analysis Methodology. This provides users with interactive tools to conduct research and identify patterns/pertinent comparative indicators from the available data. Data identification, analysis and extraction have now been completed in seven major socio-economic fields for the years 1995, 1998 and 1999. This has been

formatted and made accessible through the website. The OLSDB-SE is divided into three different components: A. The Application Component,

including the division of data into seven main fields: demography, education, labour force, employment, living standards, socio-economic indicators and health, and according to several variable categories, including; gender, nationality, age group, marital status, level of education, religion, locality, district, sub-district, employment status etc;

B. The System Component, comprised of user feedback, help system and user interface;

C. The Software Development and Installation Component, including; tools for Web development, system management, development and production environments, and configuration management.

The Progress accomplished for each of these components in Phase 2 of Rikaz development is detailed below;

A. Application Component The socio-economic sub-system now comprises seven application components, which have been developed in the following way during Phase 2: Demography: Data for this field was derived from the 1995 Census and the Labour Force Survey (1998-99) and then prepared, filtered and imported into the data resource files of the Oracle database. The team also developed a model to forecast population distribution over the next 20 years, based on the parameters: district, sub-district, locality, religion, sex, age group, religion, and on data from the 1995 Census of Household and Population. Suitable information classification was developed, leading to the establishment of the following information categories, which were then divided into around 50 further data-sets:

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� Historical and Projected Population Distribution – available by district, sub-district, locality, religion, gender, age group and religion, from 1995 until 2020.

� Household Distribution – available by nationality, religion, household, housing density, employment.

Labour Force: Data for this field was extracted and analyzed from the following sources: Census 1995, Labour Force Survey 1998 and 1999, National Insurance figures (1998). The data was prepared, filtered and imported into the data resource files of the database and has been arranged into the following categories (around 100 data sets): � Civilian Labour Force - participation

of civilian population of working age (15-64) in the labour force, divided into the following variables; gender, nationality, age group, last school type, level of education, district and marital status.

� Employment Rates - by nationality, gender, religion, age group & marital status

� Unemployment Rates – by nationality, gender, age group & marital status

� Estimated Work Places needed – by district, locality, gender, age group and religion

� Employment Intensity Data - by employed/self-employed status, and working months

Education: Information for this category was derived from the 1995 Census and the Labour Force Survey (1998-99). This was then analyzed and divided into the following data sets: � Population Distribution by Academic

Achievement – by locality, nationality, religion, gender, age group, economic branch.

� Population Distribution by Last School Type – by nationality, age group, gender, marital status, economic branch, detailed occupation type.

� Years of Education – by nationality, age group, gender, marital status, economic branch, detailed occupation type.

Employment: This data was derived from the Census and Labour Force Surveys and then analyzed and standardized to ensure accurate comparison between years and data sources. Occupational Data � Employed Persons by General

Occupation Type (CBS Census 1995)- by nationality, gender, level of education, marital status, and district.

� Employed Persons by Detailed Occupation Type (CBS Labour Force Survey) by nationality, gender, level of education, marital status,

Economic Branch Data � Employed Persons by General

Economic Branch – by nationality, gender, highest academic achievement, age group, marital status, last school type, and district.

� Employed Persons by Detailed Economic Branch (CBS Labour Force Survey) – by nationality, gender, last school type, age group, and marital status.

Living Standards: Data Source is the National Insurance and Census. This information is divided into three main fields, comprising around 33 data sets: � Income Group data – by the variables;

district, sub-district, locality, nationality

� Earnings data – by the variables gender, locality, relative to min/average wage

� Home and Car ownership data – by the variables; district, sub-district, locality, nationality, religion

Health: Data derived from National Insurance figures, in just one unit: � Medical insurance membership,

according to locality.

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Social Indicators: This section includes comparative data, selected from other areas of the database, which highlight the most meaningful and dramatic trends specified by Rikaz. These statistics will also be comparable with similar indicators available on other minority groups in different countries.

B. System Component The system components have been built to enhance the accessibility and usability of the on-line statistical database. User Feedback: users can now contact the databank team or submit their views, questions and comments through the following media: - an online forum (discussion group)

aimed at canvassing feedback, providing a communication platform for users to discuss socio-economic matters, helping users utilize the system and accepting inquiries on data needs.

- e-mail/ mailing addresses on the website

- an online survey, canvassing user needs and potential subscriber profiles

User Interface: The publicly accessible pages have now been launched onto the internet, including homepage, logo, links, log-on pages, data samples, charts, research articles and subscription information. Meanwhile the subscriber-only pages have been completed, detailing all the aforementioned data categories, including links and drop down menus for relevant variables, data sources and years. On-Line Help System; An online dictionary of parameters and terms used in the database has been structured, written and installed onto the website. C. Software Development and Installation Component To make the statistical database accessible through the Internet with a standard browser, we have built web applications using Oracle Web

Development Environments. This process has included: - the creation of a socio-economic home

page, links and new domains, according to the requirements of the data-sets

- the import of CBS, National Insurance and Census statistics, after analysis, into the Oracle database

- Definition of about 170 data-views based on the data-sets, and extraction of relational data-views through reverse engineering.

- Generation through Designer 6i of about 170 web modules using the relational data-views.

- Design and implementation of user feedback functions

- Design and implementation of a data projection model for the informational units - Population Distribution and Population Entering the Labour Force.

- Design and implementation of all GUI aspects of the website

- Construction of dialogues in all seven parameters of the Database

- Testing of website, dialogues, models, links and effects of multiple asynchronous users

- Launch of Rikaz socio-economic database onto the internet – December 2002

- Potential for revisions, new data inclusions to be constructed in development environment before subsequent releases

System Development The tools used to develop and maintain the Database include: - Oracle 8i: holds the database. - Designer 6i: specifies the data and web

modules, and generates the web applications.

- PL/SQL: develops stored procedure and PL/SQL procedure, where it cannot be generated by the designer.

- Oracle 9ias: hosts the application. - Web Alchemy: converts HTML code

to PL/SQL code.

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- FrontPage: generates part of the HTML code.

- HTML: generates and customizes the user interface, and is used to create cascading stile sheets for the different regions and types of the web pages.

System Management - Software: Completion of the

installation process of Oracle 8I version 8.1.7, Oracle Designer 6i, and Oracle 9ias Internet application server.

- Definition of a security concept on both levels – web server and database – to restrict access to the website and its content to registered users.

- Design and implementation of procedures to separate the production environment from the development environment

- Development of a concept to control source code and configuration management, covering the needs of the Rikaz application; this includes version and maintenance management.

- Weekly backup: Oracle data files, Designer export files, and developed scripts and packages.

- Performance tuning for data views to improve the response times to dialogues where response time is not satisfactory.

- Hosting Services – an external hosting firm has been chosen, with responsibility to: - Monitor connectivity and activity

on the server - Interface with the ISP for remote

trouble shooting - Maintain and provide operational

support for Oracle - Administer website users - Ensure firewall security - Generate reports on website

traffic, according to GS specifications

2. Development work has focused on

identifying ways to sustain and manage the Database, including the

identification of new information sources and the broadening of existing sources. In view of this, GS submitted a third proposal to the Ford Foundation for Phase 3 funding which was accepted in November 2002. Key issues include the: a) Identification of updated and new

data sources to make the Databank as relevant and useful as possible to potential users. To date, this has far included the purchase, analysis and inputting of data from the latest Census (1995), the 1998 and 1999 CBS Labour Force Surveys and 1998 National Insurance statistics. The 2000 and 2001 Labour Force Survey has been purchased and will be analyzed and programmed into the site, giving depth to existing dialogues. One of the potential new information sources, which Rikaz hopes to feature, are health ministry statistics from the government. Initial contacts have already been made in this regard and will be followed up in Phase 3. Meanwhile, data from existing sources will also be exploited further, through the addition of parameters regarding migration and poverty.

b) Discussion of management models – initial discussions have already taken place concerning the long-term management of the databank, and include the following options: ongoing management and development by the GS, separate board and management for the Databank with close links to the GS, shared responsibility for the Databank with suitable partners, or sale/transfer of the Databank to a suitable organization.

c) Ensuring the long-term sustainability for the project required further development in the fields of data sourcing, maintenance and marketing. This led to a further GS proposal to the Ford Foundation in November 2002, which was accepted for a

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two year period. This funding allows the Databank team to enrich existing data sources, input new data to compliment existing data, and above all make sure the Databank reaches the widest potential audience, including planners, researchers, NGOs and campaigners for Arab minority rights. It is hoped that the enrichment of existing data and the wider marketing effort to win paying subscribers will help the project become self-sustaining and a permanent asset for those seeking to improve minority rights.

3. Marketing work to secure the long-

term success of the database has begun with the identification and initiation of consultations with local organizations and NGOs who are likely to want this data. Wider scale promotion began with the site's live internet launch in December 2002, allowing the site to act as a self-promoting entity, alongside direct contact and marketing with healthcare professionals and local authorities at the GS Health conference, 19 December 2002. In Phase 2, preliminary marketing activity, mainly the identification of potential subscribers and market research to define user requirements, has been conducted. This can be divided into the following categories: a) identification of possible users –

these were divided into 4 groups – Israeli Palestinians, Israeli Jewish, institutes outside Israel and specialist sectors.

b) market research on user needs conducted with 200 potential users.

c) one-to-one contact with 15 potential local subscribers in order to obtain direct feedback and attract subscribers.

d) website design and launch in December 2002 as a tool to support marketing and publicity.

e) publicity – alert e-mails to nearly 200 potential subscribers on website

launch; marketing materials (including brochure) prepared and distributed to local users; 20 minute presentation on the databank given at The Galilee Society health conference, 19 December 2002.

f) online subscriber questionnaire (including reduced fees) to identify potential user needs, modifications and additions to existing data, pricing strategy, etc.

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Negev Department

The Arab Bedouin living in the Negev account for 12% (about 120,000) of the Palestinian minority in Israel, which constitutes 20% of the total population of the country. The Arab Bedouin of the Negev constitute one of the neediest populations in Israel. Presently, about 56% of the community lives in seven government-established towns – Rahat, Hura, Tel Sheva, Lakia, Segev Shalom, Kesifa, and Aror. These recognized towns rank at the bottom of all national socio-economic indicators: they have the highest rates of poverty and unemployment, the lowest levels of educational attainment, the poorest housing conditions, and the worst health status in comparison with Jewish communities in Israel. The remaining Arab Bedouin in the Negev (44%) live in “unrecognized villages” scattered throughout the desert, they are excluded from official maps because they are viewed as illegal, and deprived of the most basic government services and resources because of this status. The Galilee Society's Negev department focuses on two main goals, which it believes most effectively contribute to improving the conditions of this marginalized community: - Projects to improve the health

conditions of the Negev community - Projects to increase the educational

opportunities and achievements of the Arab Bedouin children

These goals are targeted through the following initiatives: - Advocacy, public campaigns and legal

action to compel the Israeli government to assume its responsibilities towards its citizens in the Negev

- Direct services in the case of urgent requirements, and only as a first step

towards wider advocacy efforts to achieve systematic changes in the field of health and education

- Efforts to increase Arab Bedouin women’s health awareness, including personal hygiene, food hygiene, sexual health, pre and post-natal care and nutrition

- Efforts to encourage Arab Bedouin women to act as health resource persons within the community due to their central role as home makers with control over early childhood care, family nutrition and healthcare

- Training programs to enable Arab Bedouin to act as pre-school assistants and teacher assistants

- Work within local groups and community organizations to coordinate and maximize the effect of these activities

Program Activities

Mother and Child Clinics – 7 + the GS Mobile Clinic

Campaigning, advocacy and the use of model services to demonstrate community support and need, resulted in the groundbreaking High Court ruling of 1999 which ordered the Israeli government to set-up 6 on-site Mother and Child Clinics in the unrecognized villages of the Negev. After a further appeal on a motion of contempt by the Galilee Society and ‘Adalah; the legal center for Arab minority rights in Israel, the Ministry of Health established 5 of these clinics in 2001 and has set-up 2 more this year (2002). These clinics are working well for the communities with access to them, although the Negev Bedouin are still under-resourced in terms of mother and childcare. A part of this need is met by the mobile GS clinic, which receives half of its funding from the Israeli government, following the High Court ruling. In the last year, the government provision of mother and child services in larger villages has allowed the GS clinic to concentrate on outlying areas and other

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underserved districts. It operates for 3 days a week – serving areas including Al-‘Azazmeh, Al-Atrash, Al-‘Asem, Al-Nabari, and Al-Derjawi. The clinic averages 10-12 visits a day, providing care and treatment to pregnant women, children and women with young families. The initial establishment of the mobile clinic, the public campaigning and advocacy and the court action to compel the Israeli government to meet its legal obligations to provide such care to the Negev has made important inroads into improving mother and child healthcare provision. The project has also been a vindication and recommendation of the Galilee Society’s working methods – research, direct action, public campaigning, official lobbying and legal action. The GS plans to use a similar approach to redress the lack of pre-school facilities available to Negev 4-5 year olds. What remains now is to improve the provision of mother and child healthcare to other villages in the region, an effort which includes persuading the government to take on the full costs of the mobile clinic, so that GS resources and efforts can be concentrated in the most effective way. Health Awareness and Education This project area remains one of the key GS focuses, as it empowers individuals, and particularly women, to take informed decisions to improve their own health and those of their families. This year the GS has undertaken the following courses and awareness raising exercises: Oral and Dental Care Day – This education day attracted 68 children and 32 women. Activities included:

� Presentations for mothers about oral

and dental hygiene � Practical sessions on these issues

targeted at children; free toothbrushes, toothpaste and information sheets were given out to children

� Dental examinations by a mobile clinic; 53 village children between the ages of 6-12 were examined

This day was more successful than expected in terms of providing immediate dental treatment to children in Tel al-Maleh: � 25 children were in need of urgent

dental treatment � only one child had previously visited a

dental clinic � only two children had teeth in good

condition � 18 children had problems with at least

two teeth

All of these factors confirm the need for action in this field by means of prevention and early discovery. GS Negev will write an official professional report on this and send it to the relevant authorities. There is also an urgent need to repeat this program in other villages. Presentation on Bone Health - The village of Tel al-Maleh is home to a large family called al-Nasasira, in which marriage between close relations and multiple wives is extremely common. This has been a direct factor in the increase in the number of children with special needs in the village. For this reason, one of the GS Paramedical scholars, Fatima Abu Jaber, was invited to speak in the village about problems relating to childhood bone and spinal development and the possibility of identifying these problems early on in the child's life. This talk attracted 25 women from the local area. Household Accident Courses – this program of lectures ran for a total of 40 hours across the unrecognized villages, and attracted nearly 500 women to learn about common household accidents and ways to prevent and treat them. The lectures were given by Arab Paramedical students who had benefited from the GS Paramedical Scholarship program. This scholarship program, funded by the Helen Bader Foundation,

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has provided funding for over 100 students in the past two years, with the aim of increasing the provision of Paramedical professionals in the Arab sector, particularly in the Negev, and the quality of treatment for children with special needs. Part of the scholarship guidelines included a provision to provide health-related courses within their communities on household accidents and work within the government sector for two years after qualification.

Health in Ramadan – This program of four lectures dealt with health issues arising out of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting and (sometimes) dietary excesses. Around 22 women attended each of these culturally-relevant courses which were held in Tel al-Maleh, Lagiyya and Kesifa.

Early Childhood Care Most of the work within this field is undertaken within the Early Childhood Network, a group of four NGOs concerned with early childhood education in the Negev and coordinating on these activities for best effect. Participation in Preschool Nurseries - The four preschool nurseries funded by members of the ECN (1 at Tel al-Maleh, 2 at Qafar al-Sir, and 1 at Awjan) continue to operate, giving 100 children in these areas a chance to benefit from nursery education. The GS has also been involved in lobbying, meeting with education officials and research on the implementation of the compulsory education provision law for children aged 3-5, in order to encourage systematic change in this regard. .

In the next year, the GS and ECN will concentrate on pushing forward its advocacy efforts for preschool education, including lobbying, campaigning, and public information efforts, in order to compel the government to meet the extreme need for more such facilities in the Negev.

Model Nursery Proposal – As part of these advocacy efforts, GS Negev is putting forward proposals to set up a model nursery in the Negev with above average facilities and tuition to irrevocably demonstrate the requirement and local support for these facilities in the area. Some government departments have argued that the Bedouin community doesn’t want/ or won’t utilize these facilities for their children. This model will immediately become a point for campaigning, information and lobbying purposes and will likely become a central argument in any legal action to compel the Israeli government to recognize its legal obligations to Negev preschool children.

The GS feels that only government resources and expertise in this field will suffice in the long-term to allow Bedouin Negev children the quality of preschool teaching available to Jewish children and give them the best start in their academic lives. Administration - Adnan al-Sani’ continues to direct the Negev department, hiring freelance personnel for specific projects and presentations. However, the Negev department continues to feel the lack of a female nurse/educator due to insufficient resources.

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The Regional Research & Development Center (R&D Center)

The Regional Center for Research and Development (R&D Center) is the scientific arm of the Galilee Society. Scientists at the R&D Center conduct independent applied research in cooperation with local and international research institutes and universities on issues related to water conservation, the environment, and agriculture. The Center has gained official recognition as an R&D center with support from the Ministry of Science, and is affiliated with Haifa University. The R&D Center also works to enhance high school and elementary curricula through the provision of practical resources and hands-on expertise in subjects such as environmental conservation, biotechnology, organic agriculture and medicinal plants. Goals: � Absorb Arab scientists and researchers

and provide opportunities in their fields of advanced specialties.

� Perform advanced scientific and technological research that seeks economic growth based on progressive industry and technology (in Health, Agriculture, The Environment, Medicinal Plants and Biology).

� Encourage local and international investment in industry, technology and science. Improve the standards of living through research and application (Environment, Farming, Industry, and Socio-economics).

Staff:

In 2002, the R&D Center employed four full-time Ph.D.'s and 2 part-time Ph.D.’s, in addition to two scientists from the GS, who conducted projects through the R&D Center. The Center also employed a complementary staff of technicians,

engineers, and research assistants, and hosted a number of college and graduate students who conducted research in cooperation with R&D Center staff. New Equipment The R&D Center purchased new equipment for advanced applied research, including: 1. Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis 2. PCR for molecular biology research 3. New computers New Partners During 2002, The R&D Center established research cooperation with new partners from the Jordanian Royal Scientific Society and scientists from Germany, Greece, Poland, Italy, and Romania, Turkey and French universities and institutes. Research activities: The research strategy of the R&D Center is to create projects that capitalize on unique aspects of the regional environment and strongly reflect the needs of local Galilee residents. Research conducted by R&D Center staff falls into two broad categories: (1) Environmental Health (2) Agriculture and Medicinal Herbs.

1. Environmental Health

� Alternative Solutions for Sewage

Treatment and Reuse in Rural Areas in Israel in cooperation with other Middle East scientific institutes.

� The Use of Methanogenic Bacteria to Aid Biogas Production in Agricultural Waste for Use as an Alternative Energy Source.

� Reducing the Environmental Impact of Olive Mill Wastewater in the Middle East; in

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cooperation with other Middle East scientific institutes.

� Biofilm formation in water pipes and methods for prevention.

� Biomethylation and bioremediation of heavy metals from contaminated soil and water using wetland plants and microbes.

2. Agricultural & Medicinal Plants

� Traditional Herbal Remedies –

R&D center scientists are investigating the effectiveness of traditional herbal remedies for the treatment of cancer, diabetes, skin, and liver diseases.

� Molecular Aspects of the Use of Medicinal Plants for the Treatment of Liver and Skin Diseases.

� Biological Pest Control, controlling insects, bacteria, and fungi using botanical pesticides derived from local plants.

� Greenhouse & Botanical Garden - More than 200 medicinal plant species which represent our seed and field gene bank are being cultivated in perma-culture and preserved at the R&D Center greenhouses and botanical gardens.

Education and Training:

R&D Center scientists offer their interests and expertise to develop a broad array of educational opportunities for elementary and high school students. These are supplementary subjects not covered in the curricula. They cover study activities and research of medicinal plants at the Kafr Kanna facility (Al-Maissam); and environmental subjects at the Pilot Wastewater Treatment Site in Sakhnin. At both centers, students and teachers are able to explore and learn about organic agriculture, water resources and use, native plants, composting, alternative building methods, irrigation techniques, wastewater treatment, medicinal attributes of regional plants and

permaculture. In addition, each year a number of post and under-graduate students from various institutions including the Technion, and Haifa University complete research projects under the supervision of R&D Center scientists in a variety of fields. Publications: Saad B, Abu-Hijlah G, and Suter UW, ed. R. Arshady. 2002. Cell culture techniques for assessing tissue compatibility of biomaterials. In: Polymers in Medicine and Biotechnology, Volume 1: Polymer Chemistry and Biodegradation, (in print). Azaizeh, H.A., N. Salhani, Z. Sebesvari, and H. Emons. 2002. The potential of rhizosphere microbes isolated from a constructed wetland to biomethylate selenium. J Environmental Quality 32:55-62. Azaizeh, H., Fulder, S., Khalil, K., and Said, O. 2002. Ethnobotanical Survey of Local Practitioners of the Middle Eastern region: the Status of Traditional Arabic Medicine. Fitoterapia, 74: 98-108. Said, O., Khalil, K., Fulder, S., Azaizeh, H. 2002. Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal herbs in Israel, the Golan Heights and the West Bank region. J. Ethnopharmacology 83: 251-265. Fauzi S. Silbaq, Steven E. Ruttenberg and Gary D. Stormo. 2002. Specifity of Mnt “master residue” obtained from in vivo and in vitro selections. Nucleic Acids Research, Vol. 24:5539-5548. I. Sabbah, B. Ghattas, A. Hayeek, Y. Haj, S. Admon, and M. Green. 2002. Intermediate sand filtration for wastewater treatment in rural areas of the Middle East – A pilot study. 5th special conference on small water and wastewater Treatment Systems, Istanbul, Turkey.

Conferences and Workshops: During August – September 2002 - Dr. Hassan Azaizeh was a guest scientist at the Research Center Juelich, Juelich,

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Germany. He worked on the biomethylation of the heavy metals such as Arsines by microbes and the uptake of these heavy metals by wetland plants such as Phragmites and Typha. The volatilization of heavy metals by microbes is a safe way to detoxify it by converting it to nontoxic gases such as Mono- and Dimethylarsenie. Dr. Basel Ghattas and Dr. Isam Sabbah participated in the 5th special conference on small water and wastewater Treatment Systems, in Istanbul, Turkey at the end of September where they presented a paper on Intermediate sand filtration for wastewater treatment in rural areas of the Middle East – A pilot study.

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Appropriate Technology Consortium (ATC)

The Appropriate Technology Consortium (ATC) is a cooperative effort of Israeli, Palestinian, and Egyptian NGOs, research scientists, consultants, and municipalities started in 1998 funded by MERC to establish low-cost, efficient, and replicable wastewater treatment and reuse systems with a complementary training and support program to promote sustainable agricultural development in rural areas of the Middle East. The Galilee Society is the coordinator of the Consortium’s efforts, which are collectively known as the “Appropriate Technology for Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in Rural Middle East Areas” project.

The four leading Consortium partners are the Galilee Society (Israel), the Palestinian Hydrology Group (West Bank), the Egyptian Center for Organic Agriculture (Egypt), and the Technion (Israel). 2002 was the last year of the project, progress at the Sakhnin plant progressed as planned, but there was delay in the West Bank and Egypt because of the difficult political situation and a no-cost extension for 2003 was approved so the work could be completed. A two-year follow-up project has been submitted and approved by MERC and is expected to start in mid- 2003.

Constructed Wetland in Sakhnin

3 Vertical beds in Sakhnin

Trench Excavation for sewage pipeline in Beny Zaid, West Bank

Constructed Wetland in Egypt

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Reducing the Environmental Impact of Olive Mill Wastewater in the Middle East The project began in June 2001with the support of USAID/MERC. The project partners are the Galilee Society R&D Center (Israel), Hebron University (HU) (Palestine), Royal Scientific Society (RSS) (Jordan), and the Technion – Institute of Technology (Israel) Approximately 250,000 tons of olives are milled every year in Jordan, Palestine, and Israel (JPI), to produce around 48,000 tons of olive oil. About 370,000 cubic meters (m3) of olive mill wastewater (OMW) are produced annually during the olive oil production process. OMW contains high concentrations of organic materials-such as phenols, tannins and lipids, which are toxic to microorganisms. Currently, much of the OMW in JPI is discharged directly into sewer systems and water streams or concentrated in cesspools despite the fact that this is prohibited. In addition, due to the current lack of appropriate, alternative technology to treat OMW properly, it is often concentrated in ponds and left to dry during summer time. OMW negatively impacts the regional environment due to its toxicity to microorganisms in domestic wastewater treatment plants, its strong and unpleasant odor after anaerobic digestion, and its potential threat to surface and groundwater. This project proposes to design an appropriate anaerobic bioreactor so that the biologically treated OMW meets standard environmental regulations prior to its discharge into domestic sewage systems. The proposed treatment approach is comprised of two phases: (1) pretreatment, based on physico-chemical treatment methods to reduce toxic materials present in OMW, and (2) the use of adapted anaerobic bacteria in a suitable up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) bioreactor. This is the first time UASB will be examined in conjunction with OMW in the region. Based on data collected from a laboratory-scale

bioreactor, a pilot-scale system for OMW treatment will be designed, constructed, and studied in Hebron. In addition to contributing new data on UASB applications to OMW treatment, other unique contributions and scientific benefits of the project include: using sludge produced by this system to generate compost and fertilizer for agricultural applications, and using biogas produced during the anaerobic treatment process to generate energy for electricity and/or heat. Activities in 2002: 1. OMW characteristics: To determine

the characteristics of OMW in Israel, OMW samples were collected during the harvesting season (October-November 2001) from 11 local representative olive mills.

2. Sludge selection: Different types of biomass (sludge), their activity and tolerance to OMW in laboratory scale batch were tested. Five different types of sludge were collected from different locations.

3. Lab-scale experiments using UASB reactors: In order to study the use of UASB reactors and conduct experiments, two prototypes of cylindrical units have been constructed at the R&D Center.

4. Survey: A survey is being conducted on the olive mills in Jordan (about 100 olive mills) and Israel (about 70 olive mills). A questionnaire was designed by RSS and approved by the partners. The survey will cover 100 olive mills in Jordan, 70 mills in Israel and in Palestine including details of sites, types of olive mills, production capacity, amount of wastewater and solid waste generated, and current methods of olive mill waste disposal. All partners will discuss the results after completing the data collection. The survey results and OMW characteristics will be made available to RSS for entry in the GIS database.

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Al-Maissam – The Center for Research & Study of Medicinal Plants

The Center for Research & Study of Medicinal Plants in Kafr Kanna has evolved from a research greenhouse and labs to a center that offers instruction and research opportunities to local Arab students with a rich variety of programs supplementing the curricula of the Ministry of Education. This was made possible by a loan from the Ford Foundation. Al-Maissam, the center at Kafr Kanna. The center started planning its activities in the summer of 2002. Work on the infrastructure started in August by adding 3 new classrooms and management offices. The landscaping work in the greenhouse and grounds was completed; new research and study activities were added and enriched with applicable equipment and related tools and displays: � Beehives & beekeeping � Composting methods (organic and

with worms) � Marine biology (algae & fish life) � Medicinal herbs (plant collection,

preservation, extracts of beneficial and specific compounds)

� Aeroponics � Laboratory work � Local domestic and wild farm birds

aviary

Each of the above topics has multiple stations for instruction and demonstration of related subjects.

The hiring of personnel started in November of 2002; the staff includes instructors, researchers and maintenance workers. The new instructors were trained on the different activities and subjects of study and research. After preparing the training materials, additional cross-functional training took place to raise the level of instruction, and to provide flexibility with planning the training activities. The marketing efforts parrelled construction on the site and actual instruction to school students started in January 2003. During the first two months, a total of 941 students visited the center, of which 340 are involved in the “young researcher” program where students attend 13-15 weekly seminars and research meetings to cover specific areas of interest. Plans for Summer Camps activities are underway and it is expected to have ten such camps in 2003.

A small group of students researching medicinal plants

Instructors being trained on beekeeping practices

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Business Development Department This business unit was established in August 2002 to support economic projects of the Galilee Society. As a result of growing economic opportunities within the GS, and the increasing pressures from grant makers on the GS over the past few years to develop and nurture self-sustaining activities, finally the time came to set up the business unit. Projects supported by the department: 1. R&D initiatives:

a. Fluorine-Ex: A startup project exploring innovative methods for application of fluoride to teeth for prevention of dental carries and plaque removal. The startup company was formed in December 2002, and a provisional patent application was filed by its founders: Maher Ju’beh, The GS Regional R&D Center & Kamal Khawaled. Ever since its establishment, initial laboratory experiments have taken place to finalize and validate the concept. Additional testing is underway, and development considerations and research options are being studied and evaluated. Research is also currently taking place to explore market potential and future growth patterns. An introductory Power Point presentation was completed to present the project to interested potential collaborators and partners.

b. Opportunities through the Israeli Ministry of Industry & Trade: Explore programs and means to provide funding for emerging economic projects.

c. Al-Maissam: The Center for

Research & Study of Medicinal

Plants, Kafr Kanna, Galilee. With a loan from the Ford Foundation this project has risen from a research greenhouse and labs to a center that offers instruction and research opportunities to local Arab students with a rich variety of programs supplementing the curricula of the Ministry of Education. Plans to combine the marketing efforts of the two centers at Kafr Kanna and Sakhnin are being explored and evaluated; this could result in great exposure to both centers in different geographical areas and increase the benefit to our local students by offering a richer program of study.

d. The Waste Water Treatment Center: This center in Sakhnin, Galilee also received a loan from the Ford Foundation to support infrastructure improvements allowing enhancements of already existing instruction and research opportunities to local Arab students with a rich variety of programs supplementing the curricula of the Ministry of Education. The education is based on environmental and waste water treatment themes. Another activity planned for this center is a Design & Consulting Unit that would provide services in the field of urban planning relative to waste water reclamation and treatment. This activity is targeted to start in the year 2003.���

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Students at the Sakhnin Waste Water Treatment Center.

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2. Corporate activities: a. Rikaz Databank: This databank has

been under development for the past few years, it went online as an internet database service in December 2002. As a project with growing economic potential, it received business development support and marketing direction to explore its marketability. A pre-marketing survey was initiated to solicit feedback from potential users; in addition, support was given in the design of the website from a marketing standpoint. Presently the database development and maintenance setup is being evaluated for improvement in the service levels and for cost containment.

b. Information Technology: The

internal needs of the GS and the R&D Center are being evaluated for the establishment of a central information technology unit that could provide internal PC support with all related connectivity, internet, networking and data safeguarding features needed for an organization that has some 28 workstations and a server.

c. Organizational Structure: As the

GS is considering the use of outside consultants for the study and redesign of the internal organizational structure (if required), the business development unit, together with the other departments are evaluating the internal Operations Manual for required updates. It is envisioned that this process would also align all units in the process of working better with the outside consultants on the organizational evaluation.

d. The department also provides

support to explore new business opportunities, initiatives and projects that are aligned with the organizational goals, while having economic potential. This is an

ongoing process that requires continuous research.

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Program Development Department

The Program Development Department (PDD) works to increase the financial resources of the GS in the short, medium and long-term. Staffing. The PDD continued its work with Ms. Susan Barhoum as Director and interns Ms. Soheila Comninos (October 2001 – July 2002), and Ms. Catherine Hunter (September 2002 – January 2003). Functions and Methods PDD's methods remain diverse and require the utilization of abroad range of skills. The major department functions and methods are described below. Project Development. The PDD worked closely with department directors in conceptualizing and building new initiatives for the organization. This included creating project work plans with a focus on goals, objectives and methods; identifying project staff requirements; and building appropriate budgets. Researching potential donors. The PDD used various methods to increase its knowledge of potential donors, including individual and institutional contacts, the Internet, libraries, and embassies. Writing grant proposals. The PDD team wrote several proposals for funding during 2002, the majority of which were requests for project funding. The PDD has found that the trend in NGO funding is increasingly toward project funding, and away from general support funding. Diversifying the nature of resources. The present funding situation requires organizations to diversify their strategies in order to survive in the increasingly competitive environment. Foundations can no longer be the only source of

income for the GS. The PDD continues to be involved in the GS attempts to implement more market-oriented and income-generating activities, which have now come under the responsibilities of the Business Development Department. Reporting on grants. The PDD wrote and produced the 2001 Annual Report, in coordination with department directors and other staff. In addition, PDD staff drafted progress and activity reports for various foundations throughout the year as required by grant agreements. Major Achievements in 2002 Contracts Awarded. The following contracts were awarded for GS activities: Ministry Grants The R&D Center received Grants from the: 1) Ministry of Science for different

research projects on medicinal plants and biofilm.

2) Ministry of Infrastructure for research on the degradation of organic compounds of swine wastewater.

3) Ministry of Environment for research on the Agricultural aspects of Bet Netofa in cooperation with Haifa University.

4) Ministry of Education for research on the scientific aspects of Youth Education.

5) Ministry of Absorption for cell biology research.

6) The Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies for developing blood tests for hereditary diseases.

The Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies. The Environment Department received a grant from the Institute to conduct a study on the Environmental Hazards and Environmental Justice with Stone Quarries as an example. The Ford Foundation. The Databank Department received a generous grant of $300,000 for two years (2003 – 2005) from the Ford Foundation for Phase 3 of the Rikaz project.

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The Open Society Institute. The Galilee Society started contact with the Open Society Institute who gave a grant of $50,000 for the general support of the organization. Proposals or New Initiatives. In addition to the contracts awarded, the PDD wrote several new project proposals and budgets. These proposals were forwarded to potential donors, and await funding. Internship Program. In 2002, the PDD had two interns, one from France and one from Britain. The interns have made great contributions to PDD's efforts in donor research, project development, and donor contacts.

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Boards of Directors

� Dr. Khalid Suleiman, Chairman

Senior Cardiologist at Haemeq Hospital in Afula

� Dr. Ziad Halilia, Deputy Chairman Dentist

� Dr. Othman Zu’bi, Deputy Chairman Dentist

� Mr. Iyad Suleiman Systems Information Analyst and

Software Engineer � Mr. Basheer Geraisy

Accountant � Ms. Nadera Khouria Pharmacist � Mr. Jamal Fatoum Nahaf Local Council Administrator � Dr. Mobada Simaan

Research Center Director, Western Galilee College, Expert in Microbiology and Biotechnology

� Ms. Olga Selbaq Occupational Therapist

� Dr. Ihsan Daka Medical Physician

R&D Center Board

� Dr Hatim Kanaaneh, Chairman

Director, El-Razi Center For Child Rehabilitation

� Dr. Cameel Makhoul, Director, Health Promotion & Education Department Galilee Society

� Prof. Meir Broza, Entomologist � Mr. Jamal Fatoum Nahaf Local Council Administrator � Dr. Mobada Simaan

Research Center Director, Western Galilee College, Expert in Microbiology and Biotechnology

� Dr. Deborah Shmueli Senior Lecturer, Department of Geography, University of Haifa

� Dr. Rasem Khamaise, Town and Regional Planner, and Urban Geographer. Senior Lecturer in Dep of Geography, in Haifa University.

Senior Researcher and Planner in different institutions.

� Dr. Hanna Swaid D. Sc Faculty of Civil Engineering, Technion, Haifa, Israel Affiliation: Mayor, Eilaboun Municipality, Eilaboun: and Chairperson, The Arab Center for Alternative Planning, Eilaboun.

� Dr. Khalid Suleiman Senior Cardiologist at Haemeq Hospital in Afula

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Staff

Main Office Dr. Basel Ghattas, General Director Health Promotion and Education Department Dr. Cameel Makhoul, Director (from 6/02) Environment Department Mr. Naim Daoud, Director Ms. Raida Karawani, Lawyer (from 4/02) Databank Department Ms. Hana Hamdan, Director Program Development Department Ms. Susan Barhoum, Director Business Development Department Mr. Taher Karaman, Director (from 10/02) Institutional Support Mr. Suhair Armali, CPA Ms. Ola Ghali, Assistant Accountant (from 8/02) Ms. Reema Hayek, Librarian Ms. Entisar Shlewett, Administrative Coordinator Negev Office Mr. Adnan El Sane, Director Mr. Maher Abu Ratyoush, Mobile Clinic Driver

R&D Center

Dr. Hassan Azaizeh, Scientific Director and Senior Research Scientist Senior Research Scientists Dr. Bashar Saad Dr. Ahmad Yazbak Dr. Fauzi Silbaq Dr. Amer Haj Dr. Sobhi Basheer

Research Assistants Mr. Nidal Masalha, Ms. Ahlam Saliba Mr. Yacoub Haj Ms. Suha Dakwar Mr. Basem Ghaneim Institutional Support Ms. Suhair Armali, CPA Mr. Hanna Jacki, Accountant (through 4/02) Ms. Claire Tawafshi, Administrative Assistant

Interns Ms. Soheila Comninos, GS and ATC (through 7/02) Ms. Catherine Hunter (from 9/02 -1/03)