Galilee Society Newsletter - Issue 9

1. The Galilee Society Newsletter
In This Issue: Issue 9, June 2004
• Enhancement of Scientific Cooperation
• The Galilee Society’s General Assembly
between the Galilee Society and the German
holds its Annual Meeting
State of Northrine-Westphalia
• Capacity Building: The Galilee Society • International Children' Day: The Galilee
s
Awards 107 Scholarships for Paramedical Society hosts a Study Day on Arab Children
Studies with Special Needs
• Al-Nakba: Palestinians Remember • News in Brief
Enhancement of Scientific Cooperation between the Galilee Society
and the German State of Northrine-Westphalia
Following a series of meetings between Galilee Society staff and
German representatives, a high ranking delegation from the German
state of Northrine-Westphalia visited the Galilee Society’s Regional
R&D Center and Al-Maissam on 3 May 2004. The delegation was led
by Dr. Getrud Steinbr ck, the wife of Northrine-Westphalia Prime
Minister Dr. Peer Steinbr ck. Other members of the delegation
included Dr. Hertmut Krebs, Deputy Minister of Science and
Research, Prof. Gert Kaiser, President of the Northrine-Westphalia
Science Center, and Dr. Gisela Steffens, Scientific Attach to the
German Embassy, as well as other scientists and journalists.
The delegation was welcomed by Dr. Mobada Simaan, Chair of the
R&D Center’s Board, Prof. Bashar Saad, the R&D Center’s Scientific
Director and Dr. Basel Ghattas, General Director of the Galilee
Society. The delegation listened to a presentation given by the R&D
Center’s scientists regarding their work, followed by a tour of Al-
Maissam and a presentation of the Galilee Society’s plans for the
establishment of a Sustainable Energy Center given by Habeeb
Karayanni, the Program Development Manager of the R&D Center.
As an act of appreciation for the Galilee Society’s Regional R&D
Center’s work and in recognition of the Center’s need for financial
support, the delegation presented the R&D Center with a generous
gift of 25,000 Euros. Members of the delegation affirmed that this
was the first step of a long-term cooperation between the Galilee
Society and Northrine-Westphalia. The Galilee Society was also
explicitly mentioned in the context of Israeli-German bilateral
scientific cooperation, which is another important achievement for
the Galilee Society.
Capacity Building: The Galilee Society Awards 107 Scholarships for
Paramedical Studies
In cooperation with the Rea’yah Association, the Galilee Society
continues its support for groups with special needs, particularly
children, by contributing to and encouraging capacity building in
paramedical fields. For the fourth consecutive year, the Galilee
Society distributed scholarships to Arab students studying for
paramedical professions.
On 7 April 2004, the Galilee Society held a ceremony in order to
present 107 scholarships to Arab students from the Galilee, Triangle
and Negev areas of Israel. The scholarships were awarded to
students undertaking study in the following paramedical fields;
speech therapy, occupational therapy, psychology, special

2. education, art therapy, music therapy, physiotherapy and didactic
testing. Among the scholarships awarded were three scholarships for
PhD students.
The development of the criteria for the scholarships, the review of
applications and selection of scholarship recipients was carried out
by a professional committee comprised of Galilee Society staff,
Board members and external professionals.
The Galilee Society requires the scholarship recipients to complete
between 20 and 37 hours of community service activities in their
area of residence. These activities include working with children who
have cancer, undertaking occupational therapy at residential aged
care facilities, attending high schools to promote the study of
paramedical professions to Arab students and increasing awareness
of breast cancer amongst Arab women.
In order to evaluate and assist in further developing this important
and unique project, the Galilee Society will conduct a survey of all
the students that have been awarded scholarships since the
commencement of the program in 2000.
Al-Nakba: Palestinians Remember
15 May 2004 marked 56 years of the Palestinian Nakba, literally
meaning catastrophe. This event, which occurred in 1948, resulted in
the exile of approximately 75% of the Palestinian population and the
disposition of about 97% of their land. This was followed by the
occupation of more Palestinian land; the West Bank and Gaza Strip
on 5 June 1967.
Despite the lack of movement towards a resolution for the
Palestinian problem, compounded largely by the continuous
accelerated building of the Separation Wall and the denial of the
Right of Return for Palestinian refugees and internally displaced
people, the struggle of the Palestinian people is characterized by
being a just cause that has become a symbol worldwide for other
struggles for peace and justice.
The Galilee Society’s General Assembly holds its Annual Meeting
On 29 May 2004, the Galilee Society held its annual General
Assembly meeting of the Galilee Society members. Participation in
the meeting was exceptionally high and about 50 members attended.
The participants discussed and approved the financial audited report,
(prepared by the Consultancy Firm Ernst & Young) the internal audit
report and the narrative report submitted by the General Director. A
new Board of nine members was elected consisting of three women
and six men.
International Children' Day: The Galilee Society hosts a Study Day
s
on Arab Children with Special Needs
On 26 May 2004, in recognition of International Children’s Day, the
Galilee Society in conjunction with seven other human rights,
science and health organizations hosted a study day entitled "Arab
Children in Adversity - Reality and Outlook". The study day which
was held at the Al-Qassimi Academy in Baqa Al-Gharbia was
attended by approximately 200 participants.
The study day consisted of two sessions in which a number of
professionals including staff from the Galilee Society gave
presentations and facilitated discussion on a number of topics
including effects of political violence and war on children, psychology

3. of the family and the role of family therapy, post traumatic stress
disorder, the experience of litigation in achieving rights of children
with special needs and the adversity of children with special needs
living in the unrecognized villages in the Negev.
During the course of the day participants discussed and identified
factors that affect children in Israel, such as environmental factors,
poverty and lack of adequate infrastructure in Arab towns and
villages. One of the recommendations to come out of the day was a
concept to collaboratively develop a diagnostic tool to identify
children with special needs, as participants of the study day
recognized that there are many Arab children in Israel who have
special needs that have not been identified.
News in Brief
* Mr. Jacques Salles from Palestine 33 at the Galilee Society
On 14 April 2004, Mr. Jacques Salles from the French NGO, Palestine 33, visited the Galilee
Society’s Al-Maissam Center and the Regional R&D Center where he was introduced to the
Galilee Society’s projects and activities. Mr. Salles presented the nutrition safety projects that his
organization is undertaking in the Gaza Strip and expressed Palestine 33’s willingness to start new
partnerships and projects with Palestinians in Israel.
* The Galilee Society Updates and Upgrades its Website
An updated and upgraded version of the Galilee Society’s website came on-line in April 2004.
Users can now navigate the website with greater ease. The website features new items, such as
comprehensive information about Al-Maissam, previous versions of the Galilee Society’s
Newsletter as well as many new pictures of the Galilee Society’s activities.
* Galilee Society Participates in the Fifth Anglo-Israel Colloquium
The Fifth Anglo-Israel Colloquium entitled “Ensuring a Healthy Environment for Future
Generations” took place in Mitzpe Ramon, Israel from 7-10 May 2004. Dr. Basel Ghattas, General
Director of the Galilee Society, participated in the colloquium and had the opportunity to discuss
and exchange ideas with environmental experts and scholars who attended the colloquium.
* Dr. Hassan Azaizeh at USDA to Enhance Common Scientific Projects
During a recent tour of the USA between 13 and 16 May 2004, Dr. Hassan Azaizeh, Senior
Scientist at the Galilee Society’s Regional R&D Center visited the US Department of Agriculture
laboratories and offices in Oxford, Mississippi and Beltsville. Dr. Azaizeh met with Prof. Steve
Duke to discuss the results of a common research project, which aims at researching Middle
Eastern flora and plant extracts and US natural products as a source of Bio-acaricides to introduce
botanical pesticides as substitutes for synthetic pesticides. Dr. Azaizeh also visited other research
units and met with a number of prominent scientists at the USDA.
* Galilee Society Litigates for the Enforcement of the Sajour Stone Quarry’s Closure Order
Following the reluctance to enforce a court order issued in 2003 for the closure of the Sajour Stone
Quarry, the Galilee Society submitted a contempt of court suit against the Police, Local and
Central Planning Committees. The Galilee Society’s appeal was denied by the court under the
claim that the Police and Planning Committees are making the necessary preparations for the
enforcement of the court decision. The Galilee Society intends to appeal to the Supreme Court
against this decision.
* Galilee Society is represented at the Annual Conference of the Israeli Water Association
Dr. Isam Sabbah, Senior Scientist at the Galilee Society’s Regional R&D Center participated in the
annual conference of the Israeli Water Association held on 19 May 2004 in the Kfar Hamaccabia.
Dr. Sabbah gave a presentation on “Reducing the Environmental Impact of Olive Mill Wastewater
in the Middle East Region” based on the research conducted as part of the Galilee Society’s
project regarding Olive Mill Wastewater, funded by MERC /USAID.
* Free Access to the Rikaz On-line Databank
Full access to the Rikaz on-line databank will be freely available in the near future and a
subscription to use the databank will no longer be required. Additionally, the main pages of the
Rikaz website will be available in Arabic. We invite you to take advantage of the Rikaz on-line
databank by visiting the Rikaz website at http://www.rikaz.org/ for valuable information on the
Palestinian minority in Israel.
The Galilee Society- The Arab National Society for Health Research and Services is a leading, community-based,

4. professional Arab NGO. The overriding goal of the Galilee Society is to achieve equitable health and socio-
economic conditions, and increase development opportunities for Palestinian Arabs in Israel, as individual citizens
and as a national minority through research, advocacy, demonstration, capacity building and awareness raising.
The Galilee Society P. O. Box 330, Shefa Amr 20200, Israel
Tel: 972 4 9861171 - Fax: 972 4 9861173 - Email: admin@gal-soc.org
www.gal-soc.org