Introduction

There were some organizational changes in Ahali in 2003.

After Dr. Jamal Zahalka was elected as Member of the Israeli Parliament in January 2003, Mr. Mustafa Natour, senior staff member and Manager of the Farmers' Project, acted successfully as Executive Director. After three months Mr. Natour decided to invest all his energies in the Arab Farmer's Project and continue with his valuable work in this field.

Mr. Iyad Rabi, advocate, began his position as General Director of Ahali in June 2003. As co-establisher and former member of Ahali's Executive Committee, Mr. Rabi has in-depth knowledge of Ahali's vision, policy, and work. He is well known in the community as an exceptional advocate specialized in class actions of mass consumer protection & labor and institution legacy, as well as human rights cases. Mr. Rabi achieved his B.A. degree in Medical Sciences (1989) and B.A. degree in Law (1994) at the Hebrew University. After graduating, he established a private law firm in Tel Aviv and Haifa. Mr. Rabi obtained extensive experience through his Law Practices at Private Law Firms, the High Labor Courts, and the Legal Department of the Hadassah Medical Organization. Since 1995, he is a member of the Israeli Bar Association. As former member of the Executive Committee of Adalah, Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, and current member of the Executive Committee of the Arab Cultural Association, Mr. Rabi has extensive knowledge about the work and vital role of Palestinian NGOs and civil society in Israel. This makes him an ideal person to occupy the position of Ahali's General Director. Herewith we would like to welcome him.

The selection process of the new Director began in April 2003 with media advertisements. 23 capable and skilled Palestinian men and women submitted their applications. Finally in May 16th 2003, Ahali's Executive Committee unanimously decided to assign Mr. Rabi to this position.

Ahali's commitment to promote and strengthen grassroots activism within the Arab Palestinian community of Israel in order to create a more democratic, pluralistic, equal and just society is stronger than ever. Through our Civic Forums, Training of Trainers, and Arab Farmer's Project we make great efforts towards achieving this vision. We base our work on community building, and promote internal communal progress. An important part of our work is also to influence the broader governmental and social structures of the country to strengthen minority rights and ensure an equal distribution of national resources.

Mr. Iyad Rabi, advocate, with his outstanding involvement in Ahali since its beginning, together with Ahali's professional staff, will ensure in continuity the evolution of our work.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our partners for the generous support and trust that they have invested and hopefully will continue investing in Ahali.

AHALI Projects and Activities in 2003

Arab Farmers Project in 2003

1.Introduction

The year 2003 saw a continuation of a concerted effort towards organization and membership development. The activities were carried out by the project staff, assisted by the Ahali management. The staff roster included the following:

Mustafa Natour -	Project Manager – Full time. Expert in agriculture, economics, organization and technology transfer
Ahmed Mi’ari -	Farmer – In charge of the Galilee Region – Half time. Expert in agriculture and especially in agricultural research
Abdul Munem Darawsha -	Farmer – In charge of the Jezreel Valley and Nazareth Regions - Half time. Agricultural expert.
Fahmi Kathana	In charge of the “Triangle” Region - Half time. Expert in organization and economic entrepreneurship
Ibrahim Ataika	Farmer. In charge of Negev region - Half time. Expert in agronomy.
Ms. Lena Zo’abi	In charge of publications and advisor on women’s affairs - Full time. Expert in social work and graphic design

In addition to the permanent staff, there is a volunteer staff that offers assistance when necessary to help promote the Project. This includes both assistance in the planning phases and actual help in the execution of programs in the field.

The year 2003 was blessed with adequate rainfall – above 650 mm in the northern regions - but for the farmers it was mediocre at best. Olive yields were very low because this was the poor year of the cyclical yields of the olive crop. Almond yields were hurt by difficult weather conditions at critical fruit development periods. In general, yields were 20 percent below average. Cucumber prices were low because of excess supply. The small ruminant industry experienced stability but milk marketing still meets with obstacles. The Netofa Valley was seriously flooded and water remained on the land through July, preventing cultivation of the majority of the plots. An estimated 15,000 dunams, or 1,500 hectares, remained cropless.

Our activities in the Arab Farmers Project are outlined below.

2.Organization

2.1 Creation of the Arab Farmers Organization in Israel

The Arab Farmers Organization in Israel was registered as a cooperative agricultural organization on June 15, 2003. This was the direct result of the consistent and concerted efforts invested by the Arab Farmers Project through its devoted staff. The organization’s main goals, types of activities, interrelations with its membership, organizational and management structure are all set out in its code of regulations, its constitution. The code was especially prepared by the Arab Farmers Project in the Center for Community Development., with the assistance of legal specialists with experience in this type of subject matter. The purposes of the organization, as they appear in the code of regulations are as follows:

Goals of the Organization

a. The Arab Farmers Organization in Israel is an independent body acting, among others, as a trade union for the improvement of the professional, economic and social conditions of its members and of Arab farmers in Israel.

b. To organize Arab farmers and register them in the Organization, to represent them, to promote their interests, to improve the profitability of agriculture in the Arab sector, and of activities in all areas connected to Arab agriculture.

c. Development of agricultural lands owned by Arab farmers and their improvement as national economic assets to be safeguarded and preserved.

d. Improvement of the status of rural and agricultural women in society and their training to fill roles of representation, organization and management.

e. Development of youth activities to strengthen their bond with agriculture and the land.

f. Encouragement and support of projects among Arab farmers of Israel to ensure agricultural development and enhance farm income.

g. Gathering of data and creation and storage of information and its dissemination among Arab farmers in Israel.

h. Improvement of marketing systems, promotion of products in domestic and foreign markets with all the means required, including market research and surveys and promotion and assistance in the introduction of new products into markets.

i. Professional and organizational cooperation with farmers and their institutions in Arab countries and in the Palestinian Authority, as well as in other countries for the exchange of information and joint professional development and for the advancement of the goals of the organization.

j. Rural development and advancement in Arab localities with the purpose of creating employment and improving incomes.

k. Improvement of environmental conditions in rural and agricultural localities of the Arab agricultural sector.

l. Initiation, management and assistance to scientific or professional research in agriculture, biotechnology, water or the environment.

In order to achieve these objectives the constitution invested the council and the Organization’s management with all necessary authority to act in the furthering of its various goals. This includes the authority to merge with other agricultural organizations in Israel, including professional bodies, The Israel Farmers’ Union and similar bodies. Following is a list of authorities granted to the council and to its management for the purpose of achieving the Organization’s goals.

a. To train and provide guidance to the membership on anything pertaining to agricultural crops, livestock, poultry, aquaculture, apiculture and any additional economic rural and agricultural activities.

b. To organize and implement meetings, courses, work shops, study days and field days, independently or with other bodies.

c. To prepare, to translate, to commission preparation and to publish and disseminate forms, notes, articles, data, periodicals and other publications, including books, films and all other types of original or translated professional literature.

d. To organize trips and to send growers, technicians, experts, members and others on tours, visits and study tours with the purpose of improving growing methods of crops and livestock, and to enter into other activities in the fields of agriculture and rural development. Also, to participate in activities as noted above for purposes of market research and sales promotion as well as for other means of promoting the goals of members of the Organization.

e. To prepare, organize and participate in exhibitions and displays in Israel and elsewhere.

f. To encourage research and develop it, to conduct and be involved in experiments, to employ and apply the results of the research and the experiments, whether they were conducted by the Organization and its members or by others. To assist in the conduct of such research and experiments as long as they deal with the production, processing, packing, drying, marketing or storage of crops and products produced by members of the Organization.

g. To order, to acquire, to rent, to sell, to lease or rent to others mobile or real property and rights in same, including machinery, vehicles, equipment and anything required by the Organization in the achievement of its goals.

h. To initiate, establish and participate in economic, financial and commercial activities which serve the goals of the Organization and its members.

i. To represent organization members before the government, national institutions, government ministries, agricultural and economic institutions and other public organizations, including national agricultural and non agricultural organizations.

j. To appoint representatives of the farmers, members of the Organization, to represent them in the Israel Farmers’ Organization, in other relevant agricultural organizations and in any institutions that the council or the management of the Organization deems it important that Arab farmers be represented in them.

k. To receive fees and imposts due to farmers, members of the organization, from institutions that collect them: fees imposed on the marketing of agricultural produce, including from agricultural production and marketing boards, wholesalers, agricultural organizations, government and other public institutions.

l. To acquire, receive and transfer from national and local government authorities and other public institutions licenses, trademarks, emblems, patents, rights and other permits necessary for the accomplishment of the goals of the Organization.

m. To act, using any legally acceptable means and tools, to increase the professional and civil rights of the membership.

n. To organize means of protest, such as strikes and demonstrations and publication of protests, to protect the rights of the membership, all within the limits of the law and the constitution of the Organization.

o. To insure the property of the Organization, to the extent it is required to further its needs and achieve its goals.

p. To publicize and provide information on the activities of the Organization and its membership in all the acceptable media in Israel and abroad.

q. To deal with any subject the council of the organization considers that it can contribute to the Organization or to its membership.

r. To enter into contracts and transactions and to carry out any legal or juridical activity that serves the purposes of the organization or its membership.

s. To establish or to become members in economic corporations or other legal entities.

t. To do everything practical and necessary for the Organization and its membership in order to achieve its goals, and to become involved with any activity that may prove useful and contribute to their achievement, especially activities that further the professional and civil rights of the membership.

On the basis of the above, and with the aid of the authority invested in the institutions of the Organization, it becomes possible to act to improve the situation of Arab farmers in Israel, to protect their lands and to enable them to join and obtain equality in Israel’s agricultural community.

2.2 Membership in the Organization

Based on its constitution, members can be farmers who produce and market at least part of their produce, corporations and institutions involved with agriculture in the Arab sector in Israel, and professionals in agriculture, in agricultural organization and farm management. The details of acceptance and expulsion of members, members’ rights, privileges and obligations are all set out in detail in the constitution.

Upon receipt of its Certificate of Registration from the Registrar of Cooperative Organizations in the Ministry of Labor, the staff of the Arab Farmers project began registering farmers and farmers’ organizations as members. By the end of 2003, some 250 individual farmers had registered, and ten agricultural cooperative associations, with a membership of close to 500 farmers. Thus, present membership stands at 750. Farmer members pay an annual membership fee of 50 new shekels, while a cooperative association pays NS 500 annually.

Under the law, the association is presently run by a temporary management. Our present goal is to have a membership of about 1,000 by the end of March, 2004, to convene a general members’ conference that will elect the permanent institutions of the Organization, including the council, the management committee and the various sub committees. Following the election of the permanent institutions, the Arab Farmers Project will continue to carry out additional agricultural development projects through the Organization.

3. Development

The Arab Farmers Project set as a goal in 2003 and beyond, the furthering of agricultural projects designed to bring direct benefits to Arab farmers in Israel. The main projects we promoted in 2003 include:

3.1 IMIS - Irrigation Management Information System – Utilization of information to improve water use efficiency.

The purpose of the project is to establish a number of meteorological measuring stations in Arab localities in Israel in which there is water available for irrigation. The information produced will be collected in an information center which has been created in the offices of Ahali – Center for Community Development, in Nazareth. The data will be processed and serve as the basis for the development by irrigation specialists of recommendations for irrigation of crops located in the areas covered by the meteorological stations. In addition, irrigation experiments are being conducted, with the participation of the Ministry of Agriculture, to calibrate the meteorological stations according to the weather conditions and the water requirements of the crops in each area covered.

Project implementation began in 2003 and will continue through 2005. According to project calculations, there is a need for seven met stations in order to cover all the villages that have water available for crop irrigation and do not have a government met station providing relevant measurements in their vicinity.

In 2003 two meteorological stations were established, one in the fields of Tamra, in the Western Galilee, which will supply data for eight villages, mainly for irrigation of vegetable crops. The second station was set up in the village of Iqsal, in the northern Jezreel Valley. It will supply data mainly to olive and almond growers in 10 localities in the vicinity.

It is important to note that this project is part of a regional cooperation project financed by the U. S. Department of State, through the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (ARS/USDA) and is being implemented jointly with the Palestine Relief Committees (PARC) in areas of the Palestinian Authority, and the National Center for Agricultural Research and Technology Transfer (NCARTT) in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

3.2 Encouragement of tree planting

Under this project, the Arab Farmers Project assisted farmers in the Negev and in other Arab localities to plant olive trees on lands that were in danger of expropriation.

In the Negev, the project included 35 farmers. It helped them construct a dam that commanded a small 4,000 square meter area. The purpose of the dam was to store water in the planted area for use by the trees during the rainless summer and autumn. This is critical to normal tree development in a region where average annual rainfall does not exceed 150 mm (6 inches). In addition to assistance in the dam construction, each farmer received 80 olive trees of excellent quality, extension assistance during the planting and during the follow up period.

In the Wadi Ara region and the Western Galilee, the project assisted more than 20 farmers with saplings for planting, technical guidance during planting and extension guidance in treating the trees during the year following the planting.

The project was financed by the Al-Tha’awan Welfare Association. It began in 2002 and continued through into 2004.

In addition to the above, serious efforts were made to introduce new tree crops into Arab farming in Israel. With the assistance of PARC and the Palestinian Farmers Union, more than 600 saplings of early and late ripening fig varieties were planted. Some five demonstration plots were planted in the Western Galilee, with these varieties. Successful cultivation of the new fig varieties in the Western Galilee will provide a substitute for pickling cucumbers and ultimately reduce the planted area. The region suffers from large, chronic surpluses of cucumbers every year, causing prices to fall and seriously damaging farmers’ income.

To date some 90 farmers benefited from the tree planting project, 55 in the Negev and 35 in the triangle and in the Western Galilee. Ahali’s professional technicians continue to provide the farmers with guidance on the treatment of the young trees and will do so until they begin bearing commercially.

3.3 Marketing of sheep and goat’s milk

Sheep and goat husbandry is one of the central livestock activities in the Arab agricultural sector. There are more than 1,500 producers. Beyond the Negev flocks, in Israel’s triangle and in the north of the country there are some 200,000 small ruminants. These are divided among large growers with flocks exceeding 700 head, and small growers with only 50 to 100 head per flock.

Arab sheep and goat producers in Israel are subject to two main limitations. The first is a lack of appropriate housing for their animals; many are kept adjacent to the family dwelling in residential areas and constitute a health hazard and an ecological problem. It also prevents the flock owner from increasing the number of animals and to create an economically sized flock. The second is the lack of orderly marketing of milk through Tnuva, the country’s major milk wholesaler. Consequently, except for ten producers, the Ministry of Agriculture does not allocate milk production quotas to Arab farmers. The ten quota owners were able to obtain kosher certification from Israel’s Chief Rabbinate and hence are able to participate in the orderly marketing of their product, to develop their flocks and to enjoy a decent farm income.

The Arab Farmers Project of Ahali – Center for Community Development approached the Ministry of Agriculture, requesting that it help to alleviate both problems and enable Arab farmers to increase their flock size, thereby increasing farm income and employment in Arab villages where unemployment rates are among the highest in Israel. The Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture responded favorably and appointed an inter ministerial committee to prepare recommendations for allocation of land adjacent to the residential areas in Arab localities, to which to transfer the sheep and goat facilities. The committee submitted its recommendations and proposed to develop a model project for three villages. Ahali – Center for Community Development prepared a project along the lines proposed and, in coordination with the committee chairman, approached the European Union (“Life”) to finance the planning and a portion of the infrastructure on the agricultural lands of the three villages selected for the model project.

As for the milk, in the meeting with the Minister of Agriculture it was concluded that any farmer that is able to find a marketing channel will be granted an appropriate milk production quota. In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture is willing to assist in the establishment of small (4,000 -5,000 liter per day) sheep and goat milk dairies. Ahali – Center for Community Development approached the Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, requesting an allocation of NS10,000 to match the Arab Farmers Project’s NS 10,000 allocation for a comprehensive production and marketing survey of sheep and goat’s milk in the Arab agricultural sector. He agreed to allocate the funds; the Arab Farmers Project executed the survey and also prepared a business plan for the construction of a dairy for the processing of sheep and goat’s milk in the villages of Sandaleh, and Mukeibla in which there are presently 15 producers who raise some 6,000 sheep and goats. The dairy will be a model through which it will be possible to learn and teach the farmers the strong and weak points of this type of light industry and to help spread the idea to other milk producers.

3.4 Marketing of olive oil

Another major agricultural industry for Arab farmers is olive oil production. In the Arab sector some 180,000 dunams (18,000 hectares), belonging to 4,000 farmers, are planted to olives. Average annual oil production totals 5,500 metric tons, of which the Arab population itself consumes about one half. The remaining half is destined for the market, especially for Israel’s Jewish consumers. The traditional marketing methods and oil quality do not suit this market and efforts are required to change the situation and to adapt to the market conditions. In other words, the quality of the oil produced must be better, storage conditions must be such that the quality will be preserved and the oil must be retailed in containers of 750 or 1,000 ml. Labels should be attractive and contain all pertinent information: type of oil, grade, date of inspection etc.

The Arab Farmers Project has begun a growers’ survey in the region adjacent to Mount Tabor, and is preparing a business plan for the construction of a Center of Olive Culture. The three Mount Tabor localities will form a cooperative association that will establish the center. The center will contain a laboratory, a bottling facility, a display of olive oil and of olive handling equipment., a lecture and demonstration theater and a marketing center for local distribution and for export. The center is designed to sell 500 mt of extra virgin olive oil. Some 500 producers from the three villages – Iqsal, Daburiyyeh and Ein Mahel - will benefit directly from the activities of the center that will serve as a model for other regions where olive oil production is a central economic activity.

3.5 Drainage of the lands in the Beit Netofa (Batouf) Valley

The Beit Netofa Valley is located some 15 km north-west of Nazareth. It has an area of 40,000 dunams (4,000 hectares). In a rainy winter, some 15,000 dunams in the valley are inundated throughout the period of January – July, preventing farmers from cultivating their lands. Because of this they lose an estimated NS 9 million per year in foregone farm income.

Since 1964 the Ministry of Agriculture has been trying to implement a drainage and irrigation project in the flooded area. It has been postponed from year to year under the claim that the farmers are not organized and are unwilling to give up a portion of their lands to accommodate the drainage channels which must be dug, the roads and the reservoir. Thus, the drainage of the Beit Netofa Valley has been postponed for more than forty years.

In 2003, Ahali’s Arab Farmers Project approached the Ministry of Agriculture and proposed to assist in the organization of the farmers. We initiated the formation of two farmers’ associations, one in the city of Sakhnin and the other in the village of Arabeh. The project prepared the necessary constitutions, took care of the registration of the associations with the Registrar of Associations in the Ministry of Labor. Presently it is providing guidance and helping to organize those land owners whose lands are destined to be part of the drainage project. The Farmers project is assisting in all aspects of activation and management of the farmers’ associations. As a result, the Ministry of Agriculture discovered that it had a partner among the farmers and began the implementation of the practical stages of the drainage project. Upon completion of the drainage and irrigation projects the Ministry of Agriculture calculates that farmers’ income will grow by an estimated NS 15 million annually.

Upon completion of the drainage project and establishment of the irrigation program, the two associations that we created will become responsible for the maintenance of the drainage system and operation of the irrigation facilities. They will expand the services offered to include such services as bulk purchase of farm inputs and post-harvest handling and marketing of produce. They will also introduce the development of agro-industrial facilities and development of agricultural tourism sites in the Beit Netofa Valley.

3.6 Biological control of the olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oliveae)

This project is planned as a part of a regional cooperation program between Israel, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The Arab Farmers Project represents the Arab farmers in Israel, PARC – Palestinian farmers in the PA and NCARTT represents Jordan. A proposal was presented to the MERC (Middle East Research Cooperation) fund of the U.S. Department of State. The proposal passed the peer evaluation phase successfully and it is hoped that by the end of March, 2004 it will have been successful in the competitive phase for allocation of finances. It appears that the project has a good chance of being approved for MERC financing.

The project’s importance, in addition to its contribution to cooperation among Israeli, Arab and American scientists, is in the significant savings olive farmers in the three countries will enjoy in their cultivation and production costs as a result of the increased efficiency in control of the olive fruit fly. Harvested yields are expected to grow significantly and olive oil quality will also improve vastly. Biological control of Bactrocera offers an important advantage in maintaining environmental quality and preventing long term damage to consumers’ health.

4.  Working with rural women

Ahali attaches great importance to efforts invested in community development among rural women. In 2003 it initiated a study group on the subject in the village of Iqsal, in which the majority of the population is considered to be agricultural. A key objective of the activity was to learn of the needs of village women and to study and develop methods for working with them and training them. The lessons learned in Iqsal were to serve as the foundation and provide support for the expanded work with women that was planned for 2004.

Activities in Iqsal focused on the organization of a group of 25 women between the ages of 25 and 40. They received guidance through attendance at workshops in the following subjects:

a) Arab women – from the sidelines to the center of influence. This activity was carried out in a 14-hour workshop.

b) Alternative approaches to the education of our children in various stages of development. This also occupied a 14-hour workshop, including a trip designed to improve the social ties among the participants.

In the wrap up sessions held at the end of each workshop, the participants expressed satisfaction with both the content of the courses and the didactic methods employed. They called for a continuation of the activities and their extension to economic topics, in addition to the social issues covered.

5. Publications and training

5.1 Publication

Publication activity related to farmer training was carried out with the intent of improving their professional and organizational skills and providing the dynamics and the motivation to strengthen the social fabric of their farming community. Through these means the Arab Farmers Project broadens and tightens its direct ties with the farming community and the ties among the farmers themselves. It also creates greater awareness among the farmers of their real needs, something that encourages them to act more decisively to achieve their rights and their goal of integration within Israeli society, whether at the professional or the civic level.

The Project concentrated its publication efforts on the continued publication of the Arab language bi-monthly “Almuzara” magazine, devoted to agricultural issues. In the course of 2003 the Project produced six 52 page issues, each with a circulation of 4,000. Of the 52 pages of the periodical, 11 contained fully paid advertisements and the remaining 41 were devoted to technical articles on professional agricultural topics, community development and on current farming and farmer issues. In summary, the six issues in 2003 contained 72 articles in the following subjects:
a) The Arab Farmers Organization in Israel
b) Agricultural crops and seasonal recommendations for farmers on the cultivation of vegetables, fruits, olives, spices and medicinal plants, strawberries, plant protection and pest control, irrigation, apiculture, raising sheep and goats and other professional topics.
c) Articles on farm economics and agricultural planning.
d) Environment and environmental protection.
e) Reviews of agricultural research.
f) Farmers experiences and special events.
g) A review of the crisis being undergone by the agricultural sector in Israel.

The contributors to the bi-monthly are Arab and Jewish agricultural experts from Israel and the Palestinian Authority. It is distributed free of charge to Arab farmers in Israel and to Palestinian farmers in the Palestinian Authority. The responses we receive from the farmers indicate high appreciation for the publication and its usefulness in the supply of information in a broad range of topics.

5.2 Training

The Project concentrated its training efforts in the fields of organization, technical agricultural topics and social development and consciousness. In addition, specific activities were conducted on the subject of agricultural lobbying and the provision of guidance in the recognition of an individual’s rights and development of effective methods to pursue and achieve them.

The training methods found suitable for Arab farmers were many and varied. They included the use of farmers’ meetings, lectures, study days, meetings between farmers and Ministry of Agriculture officials, including the minister and the director general. Field trips were also conducted as were field surveys. Economic and other technical questionnaires were distributed and completed by the trainees. The table below demonstrates the broad and varied nature of the activities carried out in 2003.

The table indicates that some one hundred training activities involving at least ten farmers took place in 2003. Close to 1,600 farmers were exposed to and benefited from the Project’s training activities. Of this number, it can be assumed that at least 40 percent participated in more than one activity. The most important publication issued in 2003 was the bi-monthly “Al-Muzara” which was distributed in 24,000 copies. In addition, short publications of one or two pages on technical subjects were distributed among the farmers.

6. Cooperation with the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories

Cooperation between Ahali – Center for Community Development, especially the Arab Farmers Project, and PARC, The Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees, has become well-established over the years and progresses according to the needs of Arab farmers in Israel and in the Palestinian Authority. The main areas of joint action include:

a. Publication of the bi-monthly “Almuzara”.

The joint editorial board contains representatives of both associations and includes professionals, women and organization and rural development specialists from both sides. It meets every two months, plans the coming issue and discusses means for improving the publication and ways to encourage farmers to read it. “Almuzara” is directed at farmers and extension officers, scientists, college and university students and at the rural population in general. We receive very favorable comments from the farmers among our steadily growing readership.

b. Technical activities.

* IMIS. Close and constant cooperation exists in the field of information use for irrigation improvement (IMIS). This is a project based on the establishment of a network of meteorological stations in the Arab villages of Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Climatic variables are collected and processed by these stations, and on the basis of the information produced, irrigation recommendations are prepared for the farmers on a crop by crop basis.

* Biological control of the olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oliveae). For over two years the Arab Farmers Project has been conducting field experiments and observations on the control of the olive fruit fly with the aid of sticky traps. The two groups exchange information and analyze it jointly.

* Technical training. As required, workshops are organized for farmers and technical personnel from both sides. In the deliberations representatives from each side contribute from their knowledge and experience as to how specific problems are dealt with.

* Improvement of the status of rural women. PARC has developed extensive experience in this field. In contrast, Ahali – Center for Community Development began the systematic treatment of this topic only in 2003. We avail ourselves frequently of the knowledge and experience gained by the PARC specialists. They provide significant assistance in the planning of Ahali’s activities in Israel.

* Other areas of cooperation. Ahali helps Palestinian farmers obtain good almond saplings of high quality varieties for planting. PARC helps Israeli Palestinian farmers to obtain improved varieties of figs. Similarly, there is mutual assistance and coordination among the growers of processing cucumbers on both sides, especially in determining planted area and marketing strategies.

c. Organizational aspects.

PARC has accomplished much to organize farmers in the Palestinian Authority. Ahali began organizational activities some two years ago and is leaning heavily on PARC’s experience in this area, including in the creation of the Arab Farmers Organization of Israel, establishment of farmers’ committees and production and service associations.

In conclusion, the cooperation between the two associations, PARC and Ahali – The Center for Community Development, is a well-established fact and has served as a catalyst for representatives of the two groups of farmers to work together systematically on matters of mutual interest, and to get to know each other over time. The number of farmers benefiting from the joint activities of the two groups has been growing steadily, as have the areas of cooperation, including technical, organizational and rural development topics.

7. Cooperation with institutions in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

In 2003 Ahali began developing a network of connections in order to build cooperation with institutions in the Hashemite Kingdom with the purpose of assisting Jordanian farmers and Palestinian farmers from Israel in organizational, technical and rural development issues of mutual interest. The main activities are outlined below.

a. A joint project with the National Center for Agricultural Research and Technology Transfer (NCARTT). The project deals with the use of climatic information for the improvement of crop irrigation and involves the development of an Irrigation Management Information System (IMIS). The project involves regional cooperation among Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, with the assistance of the Agricultural Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (ARS/USDA), and is designed to last for three years, from 2003 through 2005.

b. Biological Control of Bactrocera Oleae, the olive fruit fly. The olive farmers of Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority cultivate very extensive areas of olives which represent a single geo-climatic unit. Among others, this creates very similar conditions with respect to the appearance of plant health problems in the olive groves. As might be expected, such a situation offers significant benefits to coordination of olive pest and disease control methods throughout the region. This served as an incentive to the participants to join forces and to develop a common pest control system involving exchanges of information and technical knowledge, and coordination of pest control activities with respect to methods and timing of applications. In 2003 the parties mainly exchanged information and discussed pest control methods and their effectiveness. In 2004 the three countries hope to embark on a regional cooperation project, assisted by the Agricultural Research Service of the USDA and partially financed under the U.S. Department of State MERC program (Middle East Cooperation in Research).

c. Under the auspices of the Sanabel agricultural company and the Arab Nature Protection Society, Ahali is establishing cooperation between Palestinian farmers in Israel and Jordanian farmers, based on exchange of technical information. For example, Jordanian farmers have extensive experience with mushroom cultivation in conditions very similar to those in Arab villages in Israel. Their knowledge can be very helpful in assisting Palestinian Arabs to develop a mushroom industry.

d. The El-Mafrak Fruit Growers Association. With the assistance of this association, Ahali has developed an information exchange system, mainly on deciduous fruit production. Farmers groups from the two sides have paid mutual visits to study fruit growing techniques and to learn from each other.

This cooperation among Palestinian farmers from Israel and from the Occupied Territories, and from Jordan can contribute significantly to the technical improvement of farming activities in the region and to rural development . Ahali considers this cooperation to be of the utmost importance and intends to employ all practical means to tighten the relationships and increase the joint activities. Ahali undertakes to create the necessary communication networks and to provide the means to allow the farmers jointly to improve their production, handling and marketing methods and to raise the standard of living of the farming sector in each of the three groups.

8. Main activities in 2004

The year 2004 will naturally be a continuation of the activities of 2003. Emphasis will be based on the priorities stemming from community needs and depend on manpower and financial resources at our disposal. Ahali’s main activities will be the following:

• The Arab Farmers Organization of Israel. In 2003 the Organization was registered with the Registrar of Cooperative Associations in Israel as an agricultural cooperative organization. In 2004 we will hold the Arab Farmers Conference to which all Arab farmers in Israel, including those who applied and were accepted as members of the arab, will be invited. Similarly, representatives of all the member cooperative associations of the Arab Farmers Organization will be present. This conference will also help the arab farmers organization to arrange and build steps for constituting the general assembly of their Organization, and then to help them hold elections to the General Council, the regional committees, the technical committees and other governing bodies of the organization, as set out in the constitution. In addition, we will continue our efforts to register Arab farmers and to achieve our goal that the organization represent at least 80 percent of the Arab farmers and cooperative associations in Israel.

• Leadership training. A training program will be implemented to provide training for the leadership and elected officials of the Arab Farmers Organization. The main goal of the training is to prepare a cadre that can lead and serve the membership efficiently and effectively while preserving the democratic principles that are the foundation of the organization and that can ensure that it will endure and achieve its major objectives for the membership.

• The Arab Farmers Project. The Project will continue to organize cooperatives to achieve goals and to deal with issues that can’t be handled efficiently by individual farmers. Most of these associations will be created to deal with the introduction of new crops and new farm enterprises and post harvest handling and marketing of produce.

• Rural development and the status of women. In 2004, the Project added to its ranks a university graduate in sociology with extensive working experience in issues of the status of women. She will serve as coordinator for all the activities for the advancement of rural women under the banner “Equal Opportunity for Women in Agriculture”. This is a project planned to extend from 2004 through 2006. She will be acting under the guidance and assistance of a steering committee comprised of seven members, all of them women and men with extensive experience in activities to improve the status of rural women.

• Regional cooperation. During 2004 Ahali’s Arab Farmers Project will continue to develop technical cooperation with farmers in the Occupied Territories and in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Ties will be expanded and strengthened with institutions, local and international, that are active in the fields dealt with by Ahali and the Arab Farmers Organization.

• The “Al-Muzara” bi-monthly. We will continue to publish and distribute this most important publication, while attempting to expand and improve it so that it can also cater to the needs of Jordanian farmers.

• Marketing of olive oil and sheep and goat’s milk. The marketing of these products requires an urgent solution. In 2004 the Project will act according to the findings and recommendations of the surveys conducted in 2003 in these two industries. First priority will be given to the establishment of a first center for the processing and marketing of the olive oil of the villages of Iqsal, Daburiyyeh and Ein Mahel in the Lower Galilee. Similarly, efforts will be made to set up a dairy for the processing of the sheep and goat’s milk of the villages of Sandaleh and Mukeibla. These centers will serve as models and pilot plants for copying and adapting the methods to the specific conditions of other regions where the need for such facilities is recognized.

• Representation of Arab farmer interests. The Organization will continue to represent and assist Arab farmers in issues dealt with by the government and other public institutions, to ensure that their rights as citizens and farmers are safeguarded and to achieve equality of opportunity for them. Priority will be given to assisting the Arab farmers of Arabeh and Sakhnin in the acceleration of the implementation of the Beit Netofa drainage and irrigation project. Upon its completion, Ahali’s Arab Farmers Project sees a major role for the local farmers in the operation and maintenance of the drainage and irrigation project.

• Training. Technical, organizational and community training are central themes in the activities of Ahali’s Arab Farmers Project if Arab farmers are to succeed economically and Arab rural society is to flourish and develop a solidarity that will aid in creating a united front for the achievement of the social and economic goals of Arab society in Israel. In 2004, farmer and rural training activities will continue to satisfy the many and varied needs of the community.

This summarizes the activities in 2003 and the plans for 2004 for the Arab Farmers Project within Ahali – The Center for Community Development. Doubtless, in the course of the year new needs will arise, some of which may need urgent attention, and conditions may change. If the Project is to remain relevant and effective, it must continuously re-examine the situation and adjust activities and plans to suit the ever-changing needs and conditions.

Civic Forums Project

In general, Ahali established a Civic Forums Project in order to encourage citizens to deliberate together and to act collectively on issues that have a direct impact on the daily life of forum participants and the community as a whole.

The central goals of the Civic Forum are:

To provide a framework for deliberation and activism for individuals or groups on issues that concern them deeply.

To increase the culture of civic participation within the Palestinian minority in Israel.

To develop concrete strategies that address the problems facing the various sub- communities within the Palestinian minority of Israel.

The Civic Forum's project entered a new phase of stability and is making strides towards its objectives. Through this important project we provide frameworks that bring people in community together to deliberate, exchange ideas and experiences, and find a common ground for action on issues that concern them deeply.

According to our experience, the Civic Forums are for many community members the first opportunity they have to engage in a public discourse around pressing issues that affect their lives and participate in civil society. This process in and of itself has proven very empowering to participants, exposing them to views, ideas and modes of thinking that are new to them. Translating these discussions into strategies and action plans can strengthen not only the direct participants, but the community as a whole, as it begins to see itself as an active and empowered part of the larger political body.

It's important to mention that, in the summer vocation (July - August) , and Ramadan (fast holy month for Moslems in October – November), and the municipality elections, it was difficult to organize meetings, that’s why it' was not easy to keep on organized symmetric timetable, which means that most of the study days, workshops and conferences are to be held in the second half of the program.

We had already good results in some aspects, and some difficulties in others:

The groups we organized had good experience in building common strategic professional planning, after identifying the real needs and difficulties, and moving for real action with coordination and cooperation with more individuals and organizations.

1. WOMEN'S MUNICIPAL COUNCIL FORUM

WOMEN'S MUNICIPAL COUNCIL FORUM

Mrs. Itaf Awad was chosen as facilitator for this forum. Ms. Awad is very active in woman issues in general and municipalities un particular. She is almost 20 years working in Dabourya municipality (arab village in close to Nazareth) as administrative secretary and women issues adviser for the mayor, and shared in a lot of workshops and conferences in women aspects.

After process of choosing 25 arab women from different areas who have or had some experience in community activism and /or municipality issues, and after meeting with them individually, there were invited for 4 meetings, in howerd jonson hotel in Nazareth, and every meeting was 2-3 hours every 3 weeks.

After discussions in different issues, the started brain storming around role of arab women in municipalities, and ways of pushing them for more sharing and policy making.

One of the meetings included a lecture by Dr. Amin Faris, an economy analyzer, about economic aspects and municipalities, and one other meeting included a lecture about communication and social psychology that was given bye ms. Inayah Bsharat .

During this period, there were municipalities elections , and the group included some of the arab women who shared as candidates , and th