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Birds As Peacemakers in the Middle East: 15 Years of Regional Cooperation

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Birds As Peacemakers in the Middle East: 15 Years of Regional Cooperation BIRDS AS PEACEMAKERS IN THE MIDDLE EAST: 15 YEARS OF REGIONAL COOPERATION June 13, 2010: A Jordanian farmer holding a Barn Owl next to a nest box in Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu, Israel (Photo: Hagai Aharon) ֱקרן יוסף וֱקריסטינה ֱקסירר “Yea, the stork in the heaven Knoweth her appointed times; And the turtle dove and the swift and the crane Observe the time of their coming” (Jeremiah 8:7) MIGRATING BIRDS KNOW NO BOUNDARIES Between 1998 to 2004: Palestinian, Israelis and Jordanian schools learned about bird migration by following 120 German White Storks that were carrying satellite transmitters. Palestinian, Israelis and Jordanians also developed joint activities such as bird banding stations and much more. ציפורים כמוביֹלות שֹלום במזרח התיכון BIRDS AS PEACEMAKERS IN THE MIDDLE EAST: 15 YEARS OF REGIONAL COOPERATION PROJECT LEADERS Israel: Yossi Leshem, Dan Alon, Shaul Aviel, Zev Labinger, Motti Charter Palestinian Authority: Imad Atrash, Ibrahim Kosyeh, Nadar El Khatib Jordan: Gen (Ret.) Mansour Abu Rashed, Khaled Irani, Mohammed Yousef February 1999: Jewish and Muslim students watching cranes at the Hula Valley as part of the USAID MERC project, " Migrating Birds Know No Boundaries"(Photo: Ephi Sharir) . ֱקרן יוסף וֱקריסטינה ֱקסירר The booklet was published for the 25th Ornithological Congress (IOC) Brazil, August 2010. “The path no eagle knoweth, neither hath the Honey Buzzard’s eye seen it.” (Job, 28:7) Table of Contents 1. Introductions: Israel/Jordan/Palestinian Authority Projects 3 2. Migrating Birds Know No Boundaries, US-AID MERC Project (1998-2004) 8 3. For Birds and People in the Jordan Valley (BirdLife International) EU Project (2000-2002) 28 4. Regional Cooperation in the Middle East and Europe to Prevent Birdstrikes (1999-2000) 39 5. Palestinian-Israeli Project: Conservation of the Lesser Kestrel in Jericho and Jerusalem Bracha Foundation Project (1999-2000) 43 6. Using Barn Owls and Kestrels as Biological Pest Control Agents of Rodents in Agriculture (2002-2010) 46 A. Israel Ministry of regional cooperation seminar (December 2002) 48 B. Cleveland Jewish community project (2006-2009) 49 C. USAID MERC project (2007-2010) 50 D. EU funded and Hanns Seidel Foundation (2009-2011) 53 E. EU funded and Peres Center for Peace (2010-2011) 54 F.Israel Ministry of Regional Cooperation (2010-2011) 56 7. The future vision: An Epilogue that is also a prologue 59 January 10, 2005: President Jimmy Carter visited the Middle East as the Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Palestinian elections. As an avid birder, President Carter visited the Jerusalem Bird Observatory located on Knesset grounds for two and a half hours, hosted by Imad Atrash (right), Director of the Palestine Wildlife Society, and Dr. Yossi Leshem (left), Director of the International Center for the Study of Bird Migration at Latrun. President Carter was highly impressed by the professional work involved in the MERC project and especially the close friendship between the Israeli and Palestinian teams. In the picture, President Carter releases a Wryneck, just banded in the station. Introduction: Israel The environment in general, and migrating birds in particular, are very effective tools for people to people interactions given their shared environment. Our goal has been to use birds as a platform to show that we share one land and to encourage positive interactions between the people and especially the students of the three nations. This publication highlights our diverse, successful and continuing regional work over the past 15 years. Our activities include over ten projects dealing with conservation, research, education, DJULFXOWXUHDQGÀLJKWVDIHW\WKDWHPSKDVL]HIXOOFRRSHUDWLRQDWGLIIHUHQWOHYHOVEHWZHHQ,VUDHOLV Palestinians and Jordanians. We are proud of our ever-growing cooperation especially within the FRQWH[WRIWKHRQJRLQJFRQÀLFWZLWKLQRXUUHJLRQ:HEHOLHYHWKDWVXFKFLYLOVRFLHW\UHODWLRQVKLSV hold the key to breaking the political impasse that has crippled the peace process. The regional cooperation on the subject of birdwatching began at a meeting in Bethlehem, LQZKHQ<RVVL/HVKHPDQG,PDG$WUDVKOHFWXUHGDWDFRPELQHGFRQIHUHQFHDW7DQWXUDQG GHFLGHGWRLPSOHPHQWWKHYLVLRQRIFRRSHUDWLRQEHWZHHQ3DOHVWLQLDQVDQG,VUDHOLVLQWKH¿HOGRI ELUGV,QUHVHDUFKFRRSHUDWLRQEHJDQZLWKWKH*HUPDQ*RYHUQPHQW WKH0LQLVWU\RIWKH (QYLURQPHQW WKH0D[3ODQFN,QVWLWXWHDW5DGROI]HOO7HO$YLY8QLYHUVLW\DQGWKH6RFLHW\IRUWKH 3URWHFWLRQRI1DWXUHLQ,VUDHO)XQGVZHUHSURYLGHGWR¿WPLJUDWLQJ:KLWH6WRUNVZLWKVDWHO- OLWHWUDQVPLWWHUVWKDWZRXOGEHWUDFNHGIURP*HUPDQ\YLDWKH0LGGOH(DVWWR$IULFD7KH,VUDHOL 0LQLVWU\RI(GXFDWLRQGHFLGHGWRIXQGDQLQWHUQHWVLWHDQGDQHGXFDWLRQDOFXUULFXOXPwww.birds.org.il, so that school pupils would be able to learn about bird migration and follow the birds online. Within \HDUVDSSUR[LPDWHO\,VUDHOLVFKRROVKDGMRLQHGWKHSURMHFW7KHLGHDZDVIRU3DOHVWLQLDQ VFKRROVWRMRLQWKHSURMHFWXQGHUWKHJXLGDQFHRI,PDG$WUDVKWKH'LUHFWRURIWKH1*23DOHVWLQH :LOGOLIH6RFLHW\ 3:/6 ZKLFKLVVLWXDWHGLQ%HLW6DKRXUQHDU%HWKOHKHPDQGWKHQ-RUGDQLDQ VFKRROVZRXOGDOVRMRLQXQGHUWKHDXVSLFHVRIWKHODUJH-RUGDQLDQRUJDQL]DWLRQWKH5R\DO6RFLHW\ IRUWKH&RQVHUYDWLRQRI1DWXUH 56&1 ZKRVH'LUHFWRUZDVWKHQ.KDOHG,UDQLZKRODWHUEHFDPH WKH0LQLVWHUIRU(QYLURQPHQWDO3URWHFWLRQ Left:7KH0LGGOH(DVWLVDKLJKZD\DQGDERWWOHQHFNIRUPLJUDWLQJELUGVIURP(XURSH$VLDDQG$IULFD5LJKW0RUHWKDQPLOOLRQ +RQH\%X]]DUGVPLJUDWHWKURXJKWKH0LGGOH(DVWWZLFHD\HDU 3KRWR+DGRUDP6KLULKDL 3 7KHSURMHFWIXQGHGE\86$,'0(5&XQGHUWKHWLWOH³Migrating Birds Know No Boundar- ies”, was then widened to include research on migration by training Palestinian and Jordanian bird ringers and a variety of educational activities where teachers, researchers and conservation- ists met to implement the vision. The project worked well for three years and was then extended WRVL[\HDUVZLWKJUHDWVXFFHVV'XULQJWKHUXQQLQJRIWKHSURMHFWWKHUHZHUHPDQ\SUREOHPVWR GHDOZLWKFRRUGLQDWLRQHQWU\SHUPLWVWR,VUDHOIRUWKH3DOHVWLQLDQVEORFNDGHVIRUWKH3DOHVWLQLDQV ZKLFKPDGHWKHZRUNYHU\GLI¿FXOW7KHVHFRQGLQWLIDGDWKDWEURNHRXWLQ2FWREHUDOPRVW destroyed the cooperation. Pupils could no longer meet and the project coordinators had to meet LQ&\SUXV7XUNH\DQG(XURSH,QVSLWHRIDOOWKHVHSUREOHPVWKHSURMHFWFRQWLQXHGQRQVWRS HYHQGXULQJWKHPRVWGLI¿FXOWWLPHV7KH56&1IURP-RUGDQOHIWWKHSURMHFWLQDQGZDV UHSODFHGE\WKH$PPDQ&HQWHUIRU3HDFHDQG'HYHORSPHQW $&3' OHGE\*HQHUDO0DQVRXU$EX 5DVKLGWKH&KDLUPDQRIWKHRUJDQL]DWLRQ 'XULQJWKHVHFRQGSKDVHWKH(XURSHDQ8QLRQMRLQHGIXQGLQJWKHSURMHFWWLWOHG³For Birds And People in the Jordan Valley´ZLWKWKHGHYHORSPHQWRI¿HOGVWDWLRQVLQWKH%HLW6KHDQ 9DOOH\ ,VUDHO LQ-HULFKR WKH3DOHVWLQH$XWKRULW\ DQG:DGL0XMLE -RUGDQ DQGWRLPSOHPHQW community activities in 3 birding areas, research activities on migration and activities to protect the habitats of migrating birds. The project was managed under the auspices of the largest bird- LQJRUJDQL]DWLRQLQWKHZRUOG%LUG/LIH,QWHUQDWLRQDOWKDWRYHUVHHV,PSRUWDQW%LUG$UHDV ,%$ WKDWDUHORFDWHGDORQJWKH*UHDW5LIW9DOOH\ ,QWKH\HDUVDQDGGLWLRQDOSURMHFWZDVLQLWLDWHGLQYROYLQJWKH$LU)RUFHVRI-RUGDQ 7XUNH\DQG,VUDHOWRJHWKHUZLWK*UHHFHDQGWKH86$WRVHDUFKIRUZD\VWRLQFUHDVHUHJLRQDO cooperation to deal with WKHFRQÀLFWEHWZHHQDLUSODQHVDQGPLJUDWLQJELUGV0HHWLQJVRI WKHVHFRXQWULHVWRRNSODFHDQGDODUJHFRQIHUHQFHZDVKHOGLQWKHVSULQJRILQ,VUDHOEXW the cooperation that had developed was blocked by the outbreak of the second intifada. $QRWKHUSURMHFWWKDWEHJDQWRGHYHORSLQ-HUXVDOHPDQG%HWKOHKHPZDVIXQGHGE\WKH%HUD- FKD)RXQGDWLRQ for Research and the Protection of the Lesser Kestrel LQDUHDVLQ,VUDHODQG WKH3DOHVWLQLDQ$XWKRULW\7KH/HVVHU.HVWUHOLVD*OREDOO\(QGDQJHUHGVSHFLHVZKRVHSRSXODWLRQ KDVGHFUHDVHGE\PRUHWKDQ7KHSURMHFWLQYROYHGFRPELQHGUHVHDUFKDQGVXUYH\VDQG combined educational activities for pupils from Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Jericho. The most extensive project developed during the last eight years The use of Barn Owls and Kestrels as Biological Pest Controllers in AgricultureLVEDVHGRQRYHU\HDUVRI,VUDHOL NQRZOHGJHRQWKHVXEMHFW7KHSURMHFWVSUHDGWKURXJKRXW,VUDHODQGZLWKWKH¿QDQFLDOVXSSRUW RIWKH0LQLVWU\IRU5HJLRQDO&RRSHUDWLRQWKH¿UVWUHJLRQDOVHPLQDUWRRNSODFHLQDW.LEEXW] 6GH(OL\DKXLQ,VUDHO WKHOHDGLQJNLEEXW]LQWKH¿HOGRIRUJDQLFDJULFXOWXUH 7KH-HZLVK)HGHUD- WLRQLQ&OHYHODQG86$ZDVWKH¿UVWWRVXSSRUWWKHSURMHFWLQFRRSHUDWLRQZLWK-RUGDQDQG,VUDHO DQGZDVIROORZHGE\86$,'0(5&WKDWIXQGHGUHVHDUFKWRHYDOXDWHWKHHFRQRPLFLPSRUWDQFH RIWKHSURMHFWLQWKHUHJLRQZKLFKDOVRLQFOXGHGWKH3DOHVWLQLDQ$XWKRULW\7KH(XURSHDQ8QLRQ DOVRVXSSRUWHGWKH+DQQV6HLGHO)RXQGDWLRQZKLFKMRLQHGWKHVHHIIRUWVGXULQJWKHODVWWZR\HDUV in order to promote educational and community activities and work with decision-makers in the JRYHUQPHQWWRPDLQVWUHDPWKHXVHRI%DUQ2ZOVDQG.HVWUHOVDVDQH[WHQVLYHSURMHFWLQDOOWKH FRXQWULHVZLWKLQWKHSDUWQHUVKLS7KH(XURSHDQ8QLRQYLDWKH3HUHV&HQWHUIRU3HDFHDQGWKH 0LQLVWU\IRU5HJLRQDO&RRSHUDWLRQMRLQHGWKHSURMHFWLQWRH[WHQGWKHSURMHFWJHRJUDSKLFDOO\ and to include other agricultural issues such as limiting the damage of the Palm Weevil and the 4 2OLYH)O\E\HQYLURQPHQWDOO\IULHQGO\PHDQV3UHVHQWO\QHVWLQJER[HVKDYHEHHQHUHFWHG LQ,VUDHODQGWKLVKDVEHHQGHFODUHGDQDWLRQDOSURMHFWIXQGHGE\631,7HO$YLY8QLYHUVLW\%H- UDFKD)RXQGDWLRQ0LQLVWU\IRUWKH3URWHFWLRQRIWKH(QYLURQPHQWDQG0LQLVWU\RI$JULFXOWXUH7KH 3DOHVWLQLDQ$XWKRULW\LVQRZLQDVLPLODUSURFHVVZLWKQHVWLQJER[HV7KH3DOHVWLQLDQ0LQLV- WHURI$JULFXOWXUHLQFRRSHUDWLRQZLWK815:$LVSODQQLQJDSURMHFWWRHUHFWQHVWLQJER[HV WKURXJKRXWWKH3DOHVWLQLDQ$XWKRULW\-RUGDQKDVHUHFWHGDVLPLODUQXPEHURIQHVWLQJER[HVRYHU the years. ,QVSLWHRIWKHSROLWLFDOVLWXDWLRQDQGWKHVWUXJJOHLQWKH0LGGOH(DVWRXUUHJLRQDODFWLYLWLHV have become one of the subjects that have continued successfully during the last decade and a half. 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