“We see not only the way you take care of the environment but also we see the impact you have on society and the support you give for improving living conditions in other continents as well.”
In Israel on a 10-day study tour, members of the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace (GEAP)-known as the Embajada Mundial de Activistas Por La Paz (EMAP) in Spanish-met with KKL-JNF representatives to learn more about KKL-JNF’s environmental and community work both in Israel and abroad.
“We are delighted you are here and welcome you warmly,” said Karine Bolton-Laor, Director of the KKL-JNF International Relations and Conferences Department. “We promote a great deal of international cooperation, not only an exchange of information but also assistance for countries that need help in areas in which we have excellence.”
Also on hand to welcome the delegates were KKL-JNF Vice-Chairman Hernan Felman and KKL-JNF Latin American desk coordinator Demian Krzymuski.
The meeting began with the screening of an informational film on the work of KKL-JNF, which touched upon the issues of food security, community development, urban parks and forestry and water issues. Afterwards, Gabriela Lara, Director General of GEAP, gave an overview of the work of their organization, noting that they involve parliamentarians, academics and members of the judiciary from all over Latin and North America and Spain in their peace-promoting work.
GEAP is an international NGO founded in 2012 in Puerto Rico by the internationally renowned pacifist, Dr. William Soto Santiago, who has led initiatives and campaigns for peace and respect for human rights throughout Latin America, England, Spain, Rwanda and Israel.
The embassy works for "peace, progress, well-being and happiness of the human family and of Mother Earth", she said, as activist for peace based on "values and universal principles for the defense of human and earth rights". GEAP supports the development of initiatives in different areas, including youth work and ecological protection -an area in which they see a parallel with KKL-JNF and an opportunity for collaboration.
As friends of Israel, the group also creates encounters opportunities for encounters between governmental authorities and politicians and Israeli culture and technology, enabling the exchange of ideas that can create paths towards peace, she said.
Similar to KKL-JNF's work with youth and education, GEAP works with groups of young people to create guardians of Mother Earth and the promotion of the rights of Mother Earth in the various countries in which they work, she added.
“We believe the work KKL-JNF is doing is important, and for us, it is very important to learn about what you do so we can share with you. We really see the education and support for humanity in all different fields that KKL-JNF is involved in. We see not only the way you take care of the environment but also we see the impact you have on society and the support you give for improving life conditions on other continents as well,” Lara said. “We understand environmental protection is an integral part of finding harmony.”
She added that there is a lot of interest in Latin America in learning about and using KKL-JNF technology for agriculture and environmental protection.
Expressing admiration for the work of GEAP, Hernan Felman noted the urgency of global warming issues that could leave hundreds of millions of people homeless as their native islands get swallowed up by the growing water level of oceans, and encroaching desertification increase the problems of food security.
“The world as we know it will change if we don’t do anything to fix the situation. These changes will provoke wars and battles over food and water resources,” he said, noting that Israel is the only country which started the 21st century with more trees than it had in the 20th century. “It is so impressive that you see the need, and are dealing with the issues of Mother Earth and her resources. We of course are ready to cooperate with you. We bless you for your work.”
KKL-JNF is especially involved in the recycling and storage of water, which has allowed 80 percent of all agricultural production in Israel to be irrigated with recycled water. This has profoundly changed the water scarcity issue in Israel despite low rain levels in 70 percent of Israel’s territory in the arid south, he added. KKL-JNF agricultural research has also led to the use of water-saving drip irrigation, and the development of crops that can be planted in harsh regions.
Karine Bolton-Laor presented a short film about the Furrows in the Desert cooperative project in Turkana, Kenya. Furrows in the Desert is a collaborative effort between KKL-JNF and other organizations to help the Turkana people farm in the arid region in which they live by teaching them desert agriculture. This venture is helping the Turkana people achieve food security and economic self-sufficiency as their traditional nomadic way of life becomes less sustainable in this harsh desert climate.
“We try to help areas that are unstable, where there is no food security, which turns into no military security, and groups like Al-Qaida can come in to destabilize the area,” she said. “We are helping to stabilize the region in north Kenya where there are lots of terrorist groups.”
Also joining Lara in the meeting with KKL-JNF were William Paras, GEAP director of International Relations; Dr. Camilo Montaya Reyes, prosecutor before the Superior Court of Bogota, Colombia and Project Council Development Director of the GEAP; Patricio Lara, Chile regional coordinator of GEAP; and Claudia Zuniga, vice coordinator of the Mid Atlantic Region of the USA for GEAP.
Montoya Reyes noted that the group is working on a project Justice for Peace, as well as promoting environmental protections laws throughout Latin America, North America and Spain.
GEAP extended an invitation to KKL-JNF to have one of their forestry experts attend their annual Peace Integration summit to be held in October 2016 in Ecuador. The issue of public policies in connection with climate change and environmental protection will be one of the main topics to be discussed at the summit.
Traveling with the delegation in Israel were Latin American parliamentary and judicial leaders Kárita Machado, coordinator general of the ALIUP project, International University Alliance for Peace; Paraguay Senator Victor Bogado, president of the Comission of Foreign Relations; Paraguay Senator Blanca Fonseca, vice president of the Commission on Human Rights; Representative Olga Ferreira, president of the Commission of Human Rights of the House of Representatives of Paraguay; attorney Pierre Agusti and attorney Abner Gonzalez. As part of their trip, the delegates met with Israeli judicial and parliamentary representatives and visited Yad Vashem.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Felman presented Lara with a certificate of appreciation, noting that the group had been inscribed in the KKL-JNF Golden Book of Honor.
“We also know that not only are you working to improve the environment but you are also friends of the Jewish people and at a time when there are increasing incidents of anti-Semitism and growing BDS campaigns, warms our hearts to learn about your work and meet with you,” Felman concluded.
Read this article in Spanish