Shalom Magazine 2005
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FOREWORD For 47 years, Israel’s official Aid Agency MASHAV (the Hebrew acronym for the Center for International Cooperation) has been active around the world, and the hope is that we will continue our projects long into the future. There is nothing more exciting than being a part of this unique organization which is committed to international development cooperation throughout the developing world. Through MASHAV, Israel shares its collective knowledge in agriculture, technology, education and health with the rest of the world. Our comparative advantage in these CONTENTS fields has allowed us to help others look for creative and innovative solutions to basic development problems. MASHAV is also a bridge that helps forge meaningful ties with 1 FOOD MANAGEMENT: our neighbors, no matter what the political climate. AN ISSUE OF CRITICAL Copies of the 2005 issue of Shalom magazine, translated into five languages, are sent IMPORTANCE around the world to the tens of thousands of MASHAV course graduates. This issue, like RUTH SELIGMAN the ones before, has an impressive range of articles that show what we are all about - Israel’s true face - which, sadly, does not make headlines around the world. 5 THE MIDDLE EAST This year’s Shalom magazine makes diverse and fascinating reading, it includes: REGIONAL AGRICULTURAL An article highlighting the Regional Agricultural Program (RAP) of cooperation among PROGRAM Israelis, Palestinians, Egyptians and Jordanians, co-hosted by the government of BENJAMIN ABILEAH Denmark (DANIDA), which has continued despite the violence of the last few years; 7 DECENTRALIZATION, SERVICE Mount Carmel Training Center’s strides over the last decade toward reaching the goals DELIVERY AND THE set by the Beijing Platform of Action; Tailor-made training courses for Korean teachers; “REHOVOT APPROACH” Articles on Food Management; Sustainable Agricultural Development; and an Integrated MICHAEL GORELIK Development Approach to Decentralization. Activities of Shalom Clubs from around the world and letters from people involved with MASHAV are also published. 11 10 Y EARS AFTER For nearly two decades I have had the privilege to work with MASHAV and MASHAV MAZAL RENFORD graduates (Shalom Clubs) from around the world and it has been a most educational and 17 NURTURING THE GIFTED rewarding experience; so that when taking up my position as Director of Planning and External Affairs in MASHAV, I knew that I had received one of the most rewarding jobs in DANIELLA ASHKENAZI the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; my first year on the job has proved me right. 21 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, I would like to dedicate this year’s issue of Shalom magazine to the unsung heroes of AGRICULTURE AND RURAL MASHAV. To those men and women who work diligently around the clock making things DEVELOPMENT happen.: the MASHAV staff in Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the staff and experts ZVI HERMAN representing our three training centers - the Golda Meir Mount Carmel International CONTENTS Training Center (MCTC) in Haifa, the Center for International Agricultural Development 25 SHALOM CLUBS Cooperation (CINADCO) at Kibbutz Shefayim, and the Aharon Ofri International Training 28 MASHAV NEWS Center in Jerusalem; the staff of Haigud Society for Transfer of Technology; as well as the professional staff in our affiliated centers and Israel’s experts from the Ministries of 34 REPORTS Agriculture, Health, Education and Environment. MALTA DR. JONATHAN JOSLIN I hope you enjoy this issue and look forward to receiving your comments. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ALEXANDER DE LA ROSA MERON REUBEN VENEZUELA INZA PENOTT MASHAV - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 38 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Jerusalem, Israel MASHAV Shalom Magazine for the Alumni of MASHAV Training Courses is Center for International published by Haigud Society for Transfer of Technology. Cooperation Haigud, a government company and non-profit organization, serves Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the financial and administrative arm of MASHAV, and functions as a State of Israel professional unit to assist in the implementation of MASHAV activities. FOOD MANAGEMENT: AN ISSUE OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE RUTH SELIGMAN The proper management of food production is an issue of critical importance for every country. As part of efforts to foster improvement in this field, the 3rd International Postgraduate Course on Food Management, was held in January 2005 at the Hebrew University’s Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Quality Sciences in Rehovot, under the sponsorship of MASHAV, The Center for International Cooperation of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Faculty is the prime institute of higher education in Israel offering university degrees in agriculture. The Faculty’s Division for External Studies, directed by Ms. Miri Ben-Haim, has set its aim at providing cutting-edge knowledge to international participants who can then adapt it (rather than “adopt”) to local conditions upon their return home. The Division offers international short-term postgraduate courses on various agricultural subjects as well as a program leading to a Master of Science degree or a post-graduate diploma. All these are conducted in English for foreign students. More than 1,200 participants from 115 countries have benefited from the Division’s international activities since its inception. The academic coordinator of the Food Management course was microbiologist Dr. Zippora Gershon. Coming from a family of doctors, Dr. Gershon regards food management as the other side of medical science. “If medicine is geared to curing disease, so the proper management of food production is geared to preventing it. When food is produced under proper technological conditions, microbes are prevented from entering the food. If and when, however, the microbes are already present, proper technology will enable us to suppress them or, at the least, to minimize the damage and danger they can do.” Dr. Gershon initially worked in the private sector before moving to the academic world, seeing a definite advantage to a transition of this sort. “I returned to ‘academia’ with a clear understanding and perspective of the needs of the private sector where I had previously worked.” As well as developing techniques for analyzing food, Dr. Gershon has an extensive and almost instinctive understanding of how to train and instruct people. She is extremely interested in the accurate integration of data and transfer of theoretical knowledge into the realm of practical application. “And through the years our knowledge in this area is becoming more sophisticated.” As academic coordinator of the course, Dr. Gershon had well-defined goals. First, she strove to introduce as many different points of view as possible. Second, she was especially interested in stressing the importance of team work and admits that for many of the participants this was a new concept. “Most are not used to working in an egalitarian manner, but rather to situations where each person has his place, with those at the top of the pyramid having a tendency to ignore the views of those below, thus failing to utilize the services of those who are actually collecting the data.” 1 Participants and staff of the International Postgraduate Course on Food Management Lecturers were recruited from the academic world, the by-products a component of that food. He stressed the private sector and from government bodies, such as the importance of labeling, “enabling the consumer in general Ministry of Health which is responsible for accreditation of to choose.” He also emphasized risk analysis which deter- laboratories. mines such listings as the No Observed Adverse Effect (NO- AEL), and the recommended Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI). Following are some of the highlights made in the course presentations. Dr. Gershon, for example, discussed the man- Proper food management involves a complex set of steps agement of food spoilage and it causes: microbial factors and procedures. (pathogenic bacteria, aphlatoxinogenic molds, protozoa, First step: Establishment of accredited laboratories to viruses and parasitic worms); chemical factors (toxic sub- ensure that the raw material meets required standards. stances: organic compounds, inorganic substances) and “Some of our participants,” reported Dr. Gershon, physical factors (such as inappropriate packaging and “come from countries where they have just established raw material). “Good management of food spoilage,” she accreditations facilities. Others are still in the process stressed, “aims to locate, learn and conclude from past of learning how to set up such a facility. Many, on the experience, to take preventive actions and to minimize the other hand, do come from countries where there are damages, if found in the production line and/or the end standards but these are not always implemented or are product.” only partially implemented due to lack of empowerment or legislation.” A presentation on “Meat Consumption in Israel – a General Overview” was made by food technologist Niri Hirvi, Step two: Introduction of the raw material into the from the industrial private sector. This covered kosher other ingredients. Technological skills and knowledge meat (including methods of slaughtering), the factors are needed to see that proper standards for this that influence meat quality, processed meat production “introduction” are met and that the equipment at technologies, cooking technologies for smoking/cooking every stage is properly maintained, i.e. cleaned and meat products and the proper