There’s been a flurry of activity at Project Wadi Attir this fall, as groups from far and wide have come to learn about the project’s many unique aspects. We can’t wait to share photos of our visitors onsite, but first, we’d like to introduce you to the new Director of the Visitor, Training and Education Center, Amran Amarni.
Amran is an accomplished educator in the fields of environmental science and ecology who has made shared society, diversity, mediation and interaction between cultures a primary focus of his work. While working as an educator and a coordinator of educational programs in organizations around Israel, he has also volunteered in numerous peace-oriented projects for youth leadership of diverse backgrounds, such as the JITLI Peacemakers International Teen Leadership Institute, the Ecological Greenhouse of Coexistence at Kibbutz Ein Shemer, and the Messengers of Peace Scouts. In all of these projects, he developed training programs, guided groups of students and led mediation sessions between students of different cultures. He is already proving to be a great addition to the team, as we seek to bring Jewish and Arab students together onsite, and as we host people from all over Israel and the world at large.
Here are some of the groups who’ve visited us recently:
Project Management Students from Al Qasemi College and the College of Emek Yezreel, August 31st, 2015
Students enjoyed a tour of the site, a lecture from Amran related to project management, and a communal meal.
Delegation of European Future Leaders, September 8th, 2015
This group was comprised of 30 young Europeans identified as leaders in their field by European and Israeli Embassies. The delegates, who were not Jewish, were all enjoying their first trip to Israel, arranged by the Foreign Ministry, with the goal of exposing participants to Israeli social entrepreneurship and shared society ventures. The delegation included consultants, journalists, NGO managers, social entrepreneurs, LGBT and minority rights activists, and even an Italian chef working on a social farming enterprise.
The Waldorf School, Ramat Gan, September 16th, 2015
High school students from Ramat Gan’s anthroposophic school visited the project. Students took part in a sustainability workshop, and learned about the main functions of the project, as well as Bedouin community life.
Press Tour, September 16th, 2015
Local press visited on the same day to meet the staff, ask questions and take photos. Project Wadi Attir’s dairy products, indigenous vegetables, heirloom seeds, and medicinal plant products were on display.
Virtual School, Educational Technology Center at the Ministry of Education, October 6th, 2015
This visit to the project brought together diverse students from different sectors who are all participants in a virtual learning class and rarely have the chance to meet in person. The students learned about sustainable local economy.
If you would like to organize a group visit to Project Wadi Attir, please contact Amran, amran@projectwadiattir.com, and he will assist you. See you on the site!