tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40906614301294565302024-02-20T20:38:57.355-08:00The IsraelDev BlogAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023898628733640900noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090661430129456530.post-23323584874730243012014-01-03T02:29:00.000-08:002014-01-05T00:43:41.485-08:00חשיבה מחדש: הזדמנויות בשווקים המתפתחים - יערה גרינברג<address dir="rtl" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #686868; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;">This post was originally published for the Bronica Entrepreneurship Center (BEC) at the Technion on December </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;">22: </span><a href="http://www.yazamut.technion.ac.il/israeldev/" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;" target="_blank">http://www.yazamut.technion.<wbr></wbr>ac.il/israeldev</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></address>
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<span style="background-color: white;">כאשר ידיד מהלימודים פנה לענת בר-גרא בבקשה כי תביא את שירותי הטלקומוניקציה וטכנולוגית ה- 4G של החברה שלה,<a href="http://www.yoomee-africa.com/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #303030; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out;"> YooMee</a>, למדינות מדרום לסהרה באפריקה, תשובתה הראשונית הייתה לא. אך, כעבור חצי שנה, לאחר פניות חוזרות ונשנות של אותו ידיד, בר-גרא ובעלה ושותפהּ לחברה, דב בר-גרא, השתכנעו לנסוע ולבחון את פוטנציאל השוק במדינת קמרון.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">כעבור שנתיים, החברה כבר רישתה שתי ערים, עם למעלה מ- 2 מיליון תושבים בכל אחת, עם אינטרנט בפס רחב, וכיום החברה מבקשת להרחיב את פעילותה במדינות אחרות באפריקה.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">הפס הרחב מגדיל את התמ"ג</span></h5>
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<span style="background-color: white;">באפריקה, רק לכ- 2% מהתושבים יש גישה לאינטרנט בפס רחב ולכן למוצר של YooMee יש פוטנציאל שוק גדול וכן יתרון משמעותי עבור תושבי היבשת – חיבור מהיר לעולם.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">אפריקה זו היבשת עם אחוז האוכלוסייה הכי צעירה בעולם, זו האוכלוסייה הגדלה בקצב הכי מהיר, וב- 2050 זו תהיה האוכלוסייה עם כוח העבודה הגדול ביותר. אם תושבי היבשת לא ירכשו את הכישורים המתאימים, הילדים של מחר יהיו עניים יותר מדור ההורים היום. זהו האתגר – להכשיר את כוח העבודה הזה באופן מידי – ובאתגר זה טמונה ההזדמנות. מבחינתה של בר-גרא, המענה הראשוני הוא האינטרנט, "פס רחב הוא התשתית של התשתיות." נתון המחזק אימרה זו מצביע על כך שגידול של 10% ברשת האינטרנט בפס רחב מביא ל- 1.38% גידול של התמ"ג במדינות מתפתחות.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">אפליקציות סלולריות בשירות הבריאות</span></h5>
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<span style="background-color: white;">אך לא רק שוק האינטרנט תופס תאוצה. תחום הבריאות בשווקים המתפתחים מהווה פוטנציאל משמעותי עבור יזמים. תחום ה- m-Health, הכולל אפליקציות שונות של שירותי בריאות באמצעות טלפונים סלולריים, משנה בצורה משמעותית את האופן בו ניתנים שירותי בריאות שונים במדינות מפותחות ומתפתחות. שימוש בטלפונים סלולריים לאבחון וניטור מחלות מרחוק באמצעות אפליקציות אלו משפר את איכות הטיפול במטופלים שגישתם לשירותים רפואיים מוגבלת.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">בישראל, מספר יזמים מקדמים פרויקטים בתחום. רק לאחרונה זכה<a href="http://www.themarker.com/technation/1.1768781" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #303030; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out;"> דר' אלברטו בילנקה</a> מאוניברסיטת בן-גוריון במענק של 100 אלף דולר<a href="http://www.grandchallenges.org/explorations/Pages/introduction.aspx" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #303030; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out;"> מקרן ביל ומלינדה גייטס</a> לפרויקט שמשתמש בטלפון הסלולרי לאבחון מלריה. "האמצעי לאבחון זה הוא נייד, פשוט לשימוש וזול לייצור," אמר דר' בילנקה, והוא יכול לסייע בהורדת אחוז התמותה ממחלת המלריה, העומד כיום על מיליון מיתות בשנה במדינות המתפתחות.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">השווקים המתפתחים – הזדמנויות ליזמים</span></h5>
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<span style="background-color: white;">שתי הדוגמאות הללו ממחישות את חשיבותם של שווקי המדינות המתפתחות כשווקי יעד ליזמים בתחום הפיתוח הטכנולוגי, אך לא רק, שווקים אלו צומחים בקצב גבוה, ופוטנציאל הביקוש בהן לתשתיות שונות (כגון אנרגיה, חקלאות, מזון ועוד) רק הולך וגדל. עבור יזמים ישראליים קצב הגידול במדינות המתפתחות מהווה הזדמנות עסקית, אך זהו אזור פחות מוכר ולעיתים יש צורך במודלים עסקיים אחרים עבור שווקים אלו. אחת מהיוזמות האחרונות לגשר על הפער הזה היא קהילת<a href="http://www.israeldev.org/#!home/mainPage" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #303030; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out;"> IsraelDev</a>, ששמה לה למטרה לעורר עניין ולעודד השתלבות ועשייה של אנשי מקצוע, מומחים ויזמים ישראלים בשווקים של מדינות מתפתחות.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">דוגמה לפעילות של IsraelDev הוא ה-<a href="http://www.dev4devcleanweb.com/#!home/mainPage" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #303030; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out;"> Dev4Dev Cleanweb Hackathon</a>. ה"האקתון" התקיים באמצע נובמבר והיה הראשון מסוגו בישראל להתמקד במתן מענה לאתגרים במדינות המתפתחות. בהאקתון השתתפו כ- 120 מפתחים, מעצבים ואנשי עסקים. המשתתפים עבדו על פיתוח פתרונות מבוססי IT, לתת מענה לאתגרים העומדים בפני העולם המתפתח בתחומי החקלאות, רפואה, תקשורת ועוד. גם חברת<a href="http://www.yazamut.technion.ac.il/mybreathmeter/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #303030; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out;"> BreezoMeter</a>מהטכניון השתתפה באירוע. הקבוצה הזוכה בהאקתון פיתחה אפליקציה בשם<a href="http://platfarm.wordpress.com/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #303030; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out;"> Platfarm</a>, מערכת האמורה לסייע לחקלאים זעירים, אשר אינם יכולים לעמוד בעלויות התשומות היקרות הנדרשות לגידול תוצרת חקלאית בעלת ערך תזונתי גבוה יותר. האפליקציה בעצם מנהלת את שרשרת האספקה</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"> החקלאית ומאפשרת לחקלאיים לבצע אופטימיזציה של תהליך הגידול ולנהל את ההתנהלות הפיננסית שלהם בצורה טובה יותר, תוך התחשבות במוגבלויות הקריאה והכתיבה של רבים בענף זה.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">כארבעה מיליארד בני האדם, אוכלוסיית ה- BםBoP) Bottom of the Pyramid), מתקיימים על פחות מ- 2.5 דולר ליום. ההערכות הן כי שוק זה מייצג כוח קניה של 5 טריליון דולר (בשווקים כגון אנרגיה, מזון, תחבורה, תשתיות, תקשורת ועוד). אוכלוסייה זו מתחילה להתחבר להזדמנויות הטכנולוגיות (לדוגמה, מהפכת הסלולר באפריקה), ולהיפתח לעולם כלכלי חדש עבורה, אשר באותה עת יכול להניב רווחים עבור משקיעים ויזמים. השאלה העולה היא האם היזמים הישראלים יעלו על הגל בזמן?</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023898628733640900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090661430129456530.post-34188792522030709952013-12-29T04:52:00.000-08:002013-12-29T04:58:39.363-08:00Israeli Hackers with a Conscience - by Caylee Talpert <h3>
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Tel Aviv hackathon aims to show that technology can help the world's poorest people - and make a profit.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(This Op-ed was published in the Haaretz on November 14th: </span></span><a href="http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.557942">http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.557942</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you look at a satellite map of the world at night, you are struck by the vast contrast between the “developed world” with its brightly light skyscrapers and “the rest”, the developing world that largely remains in darkness. There, people live without access to energy to light up their homes, warm themselves in winter or cook for their families. The astute businessman would recognise that such a disparity must represent an opportunity, a vast undeserved market with limitless growth potential.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Increasingly, forward thinking businessmen and multinational companies are doing just that and beginning to notice that perhaps as the late business thinker C.K. Prahalad predicted there may be a “fortune to be made at the Bottom of the Pyramid” (BoP), the term that has come to refer to the economic segment of the world’s poorest people. These people - who live on less than $2.5 a day - comprise nearly half the world’s 7.1 billion people, a market estimated at having a purchasing power parity of over $5 trillion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But even once a potentially huge market of consumers has been identified, it doesn't necessarily flow that businesses schooled in developed world markets can simply replicate their products and strategies in a very different environment. There's no “business as usual” in this field: Indeed, unmet needs can’t automatically be equated with ‘demand’ in the way the developed world sees it. Serving these markets means that innovative business models as well as technologies are often a pre-requisite for success.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How do you manage distribution channels that are based on thousands of micro-entrepreneurs to reach “last mile” villages in rural areas? How do you convince communities that have been drinking from the same well for generations that if they were to buy water purifiers their children would no longer suffer from diarrhoea? How do you partner with NGOs or use micro-financing to increase the affordability of your products?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last month’s <a href="http://www.bop2013.org/" target="_blank">BoP Summit</a> at Michigan University brought together 200 business leaders, academics, impact investors, social entrepreneurs and international development practitioners to discuss what has worked and what hasn't when building scalable and sustainable developing world businesses and how to use this experience for the next decade.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now it's Tel Aviv's turn to turn its technological talents to the developing world. 150 developers, business and international development professionals will be coming together today and tomorrow to 'Develop apps for the developing world' at the <a href="http://www.dev4devcleanweb.com/" target="_blank">Dev4Dev Cleanweb Hackathon</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The hackathon, organised by the <a href="http://www.israeldev.org/" target="_blank">IsraelDev Network</a> (a grassroots movement of young entrepreneurs dedicated to the developing world, supported by the Pears Program for Innovation and International Development) and <a href="http://www.terravp.com/" target="_blank">Terralab Ventures</a>. <a href="http://www.terravp.com/" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Terralab Ventures</a> aims to expose Israel’s business and technological community to the opportunities both to make profit and create social impact in the developing world. The challenge for the teams of Israeli hackers will be to find ways to produce low margin, high volume technologies – the exact opposite of the aims of most Israeli innovations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the developer side, this 'frugal innovation' means learning to innovate without all the gizmos and gadgets that the latest iPhone 5 provides. The hackathon will kick-off with a workshop on innovation for feature phones, the basic version of smartphones, which comprise around 70 percent of mobile phones sold worldwide and are the primary source of connectivity for the majority of the developing world. On the business side teams will have to think of business models that make their products accessible and desirable to people with low individual/personal spending power.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More than <a href="http://www.dev4devcleanweb.com/#!identified-challenges/c1trx" target="_blank">25 specific challenges</a><span id="goog_1091838435"></span><span id="goog_1091838436"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a> for the Hackathon have been submitted from Africa, Asia And Latin America, from applications that provide advice on basic nutrition, disease or family planning (submitted by fieldworkers in Tanzania and Malawi) to a simple translation device for fairtrade growers in India.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The teams working on these challenges are made up of experienced “techies”, business development and seasoned international development professionals. Already we have seen a merger between the “Start-Up Farm” team, looking to create out-of-the-box farm kits for small-holder farmers that will be paid for in instalments through cell phones, with the “Aquaponics App team”, a team of developers working on an app to teach farmers how to use waste produced by fish to grow agricultural produce. Another team will be flying in all the way from Ghana and will be working on a patient drug and monitoring application while also learning more about the Israeli entrepreneurial eco-system during their visit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While these initiatives may be new to Israelis, innovating for Bottom of the Pyramid markets is something that is growing steadily elsewhere in the western world, where companies such as General Electric, Procter and Gamble, Google and IBM recognize that demographics and growth rates mean they have to grapple with these markets' needs. Leading aid agencies have also began to recognise that market- based solutions offer the best opportunity for achieving sustainable impact and scale.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the overwhelming positive response to this hackathon has demonstrated, the BoP buzz is starting to spread in Israel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Israel's technology sector and recognised expertise in the fields of water, renewable energy, health and agricultural technologies is well suited for working at the Base of the Pyramid. These new markets could offer Israeli start-ups and companies immense opportunities if they can adapt to the appropriate technologies for these markets and if they can develop the new business models necessary to successfully serve poor customers in these countries.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Slowly we are working to build the infrastructure in Israel that supports and promotes Israeli businesses working at the BoP in developing countries. Hopefully, when the time comes to host the next decade’s Global BoP Summit, successful Israeli entrepreneurs will proudly occupy a healthy share of the seats on the stage.</span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Caylee Talpert works at the Pears Innovation and International Development Program at Tel Aviv University. She recently returned from the BoP Summit in Michigan and is one of the co-organisers for the <a href="http://www.dev4devcleanweb.com/" target="_blank">Dev4DevCleanweb Hackathon</a> which is being held at the Google Tel Aviv Campus.</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <a href="http://www.israeldev.org/#!survey/clzw" target="_blank">Pears Innovation for Development Challenge</a> based at the <a href="http://socsci.tau.ac.il/government/index.php/international-development1" target="_blank">Hartog School of Government and Policy at Tel Aviv University</a> will be launched in March 2014 to provide mentoring and support to ventures focussing on the developing world.</span></em></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023898628733640900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090661430129456530.post-16998103702922560412013-11-21T01:16:00.000-08:002013-11-21T01:16:59.848-08:00Imagining a Successful DevTech Industry - by Gaddy Weissman <br />
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Creating a new industry is never an easy proposition. Part of the work is building a tangible vision that people can ascribe to. I was thinking about this in a recent conversation with a founder of a great Israeli start-up who compared his work with that of friends in high-tech. When Israeli high-tech start-ups need strategic partners, Silicon Valley is next door. Google, Apple, Microsoft, HP, eBay, IBM and many more are just up the street in Herzliya, Tel-Aviv, Petach Tikva, and if you need to go really far, Raanana. </div>
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DevTech entrepreneurs don't have it so easy. The Gates Foundation has given out prizes here, like this one for <a href="http://www.aabgu.org/media-center/news-releases/gates-foundation-award.html" target="_blank">malaria diagnosis</a>, but there is no R&D center like Microsoft's in Herliya. The large development aid consulting firms don't have back-offices in the holy land. Corporate titans and minnows are only slowly discovering the start-up nation.</div>
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He's right, but things are beginning to change. <a href="http://www.timesofisrael.com/100-billion-tata-shops-for-tech-innovation-in-tel-aviv/" target="_blank">TATA invested in TAU</a>'s Ramot TTO. The IFC just<a href="http://ifcext.ifc.org/ifcext/spiwebsite1.nsf/651aeb16abd09c1f8525797d006976ba/8bd580b655b117a385257b5f00669aa3?OpenDocument" target="_blank"> invested in Kaiima</a>. At WATEC, a number of integrators focused specifically on addressing the challenges faced by developing countries were in attendance. From Global Health to Food Security, the biggest NGOs and MNCs are dipping their toes in Israel. </div>
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In 10 years, when we've succeeded, there will be hundreds of start-ups focused on DevTech, and the biggest names in International Development will have innovation labs, venture operations, and technology scouts in Israel. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023898628733640900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090661430129456530.post-60227402121727698152013-11-06T10:08:00.000-08:002013-11-20T01:27:49.054-08:00Branding the “Unbrandable” - by Elana Kaminka<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1; white-space: pre-wrap;">How do you brand listening and complexity?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hey, why don’t YOU change…...</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The question of how to motivate people to change is one that philosophers as well as practitioners from a variety of disciplines have been battling with for centuries. History has shown how resistance to new ideas and technology can cause both individuals and entire communities to perpetuate self-inflicted disaster. In the developing world, this tendency can have particularly harsh consequences. In her book </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/However-Long-Night-Melchings-Millions/dp/0062132768" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“However Long the Night”</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">,</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Molly Melching describes her campaign to convince rural Senegalese women to abandon the deeply-ingrained tradition of female genital mutilation that leads to the death of thousands of girls every year, in addition to immeasurable human suffering. Rather than addressing the issue, which was strictly taboo, her staff began working with a group of women in an isolated village on issues such as empowerment, health education, literacy, and human rights awareness. Only after several months in the village, during which they were able to establish a true rapport with the women and gain their trust, did the staff broach the loaded topic of genital cutting. Surprisingly, after several discussions on the dangers of the practice, and after involving a Muslim cleric who was able to confirm that the practice was not mandated by Islam, the women agreed not only to cease cutting their own daughters, but to come out publicly against the practice.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Why was Tostan able to change deeply-entrenched behavior patterns in the community? Why was this intervention successful when so many others failed? One of the reasons, if not THE reason, was that Tostan took the time to create relationships, listen to and empower the community in its entirety, rather than focusing on the specific problem or outcome. One of the women in the first group that decided to speak out said “</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nothing would have changed were it not for our new understanding of human rights and a discussion of our responsibilities in relation to those rights. There was no going back after that. It was this knowledge that made us confident in our right to choose for ourselves what happens to our bodies, to preserve our bodies as they are without changes. And we feel confident we can defend this decision if necessary</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.”</span></span></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-332e4c0e-2ed2-1736-e0f9-349aa389dad1" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We’re addicted to the Quick-Fix…...</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Western world, which funds almost all development projects, loves the idea of a quick-fix. We love the thought that with the right innovation, technology and media, we can (and should) immediately change the way people think and fix problems that have developed over centuries, if not thousands of years. Our own cultural norms lead us to look for cost effectiveness, speed, clear work plans and pre-determined measures of success in everything we do, including in the complex world of development. Melching describes the problems,“</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It seemed that many development officers arrived with a clear plan of what they wanted to accomplish and the results they desired without ever asking the villagers if they shared these goals. To make matter worse, most development projects did not include a basic education program the communities needed to effectively manage the projects once the so-called experts left. without the knowledge of how to sustain the projects, they lay dormant, and years later, when representatives of the organizations returned, they would discover rusty vehicles, broken-down millet grinders and pumps, and nonfunctional health centers</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.”</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Melching isn’t the only development professional trying to change this tendency. Tevel is currently phasing out its work in the Mahadev Besi village in the Dhading district of Nepal, where we have had local staff and international volunteers on the ground since 2009. Our work focused on members of the Danuwar Rai, an ethnic group that traditionally settled on the banks of rivers and fished to make a living. For hundreds of years they preserved a unique culture, language and tradition. All that has changed in the past 50 years as the river dried up due to climate change and was re-routed due to the stone quarries built in its path. “</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our grandparents used to support themselves solely from fishing</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">”, one villager told the Tevel staff. “</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now there are no more fish. We have no way to support ourselves</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.” When Tevel arrived in the area, the majority of villagers were doing harsh manual labor breaking stones into gravel. The crushed rocks they produced were sold by middlemen to create construction materials. Many community members were malnourished, and children were forced to leave school in order to help support their families.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Helping the community achieve its own goals…</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the first things that the Tevel staff noticed in Mahdav Besi, was that the Danuwar Rai had land, but it was only being used to grow one crop of rice a year. In initial dialogue with the community, its leaders expressed an interest in learning better ways to utilize their land and increase their yield. Therefore one of the first interventions was to create a demonstration farm, supported by the Israeli Embassy and Mashav, where farmers were introduced to new crops and taught organic methods to expand their yield. The farm wasn’t created by Tevel. Rather the international staff used the project to catalyze the entire community into action - local staff, international volunteers and community members working side by side on the project. Tevel also placed an agricultural expert in the community full-time to lead the training and help farmers implement new methods in their own fields. The work in the demonstration farm was supplemented by the introduction of an irrigation system, a bio-gas technology project and improved cow sheds for clean cooking gas and compost. Tevel also worked with the village’s women, youth and children in women’s groups, youth groups, child clubs and schools to strengthen community leadership and empowerment and create community mechanism to manage the projects.</span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Community-lead Success</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, less than four years later, the Danuwar Rai are growing a variety of crops, year round. There is an active branch of the Hami Yuva youth movement (Tevel’s youth movement in Nepal) active in the village, led entirely by local youth who have had leadership training and mentoring from the Tevel youth staff. Health and hygiene have improved significantly through the use of bio-gas toilets. Bio-gas toilets both provide a method of disposing human waste and a source of cooking gas preventing the respiratory problems due to smoke inhalation caused by cooking with wood. There is an active Village Development Council in which all sectors of the community, including women and youth, are represented. The council is responsible for the ongoing management of all projects. Kids are staying in school, and the youth leaders in Hami Yuva even receive scholarships to continue their education. The community members believe in their ability to improve their lives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Branding Complexity and Listening</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It would have been nearly impossible for us to map out the specifics of our intervention in Mahadev Besi when we entered the village in 2009” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">says Micha Odenheimer, the founding director of Tevel b’Tzedek.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> “We had general objectives such as improving the agricultural yield and empowering the women in the community and we have succeeded in those objectives. However the only way to create a truly sustainable intervention was to spend a lot of time listening to the villagers themselves, and learning from them. By helping them do what they wanted to do, we were able to ensure that they would be committed to the ongoing success and sustainability of the work. And it has worked. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The current challenge for Tevel and other similar development organizations is how to best brand that model of flexible intervention according to community needs. “</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s really hard to brand a complex process. The fundraising campaigns that are doing really well are those that speak simplicity, like Charity: Water for example. It’s easy to grasp, it seems so easy. Give people clean water and bang, their lives will be better. But we know from our experience in the field that it isn’t that easy. If you don’t listen to the communities, they won’t listen to you. If you don’t build community mechanisms to support projects, they will fail. Our challenge now is how to express that idea to potential donors and supporters,” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">says Odenheimer.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u>Author:</u></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Elana Kaminka- Director of the Long-Term Service Initiative, <a href="http://www.tevelbtzedek.org/" target="_blank">Tevel b'Tzedek</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img height="166px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/NyY6GELmhjopEwudY1yr7fP0i83gjWpUsOAXSFxUpr2qMeIbrDcEKFe-jPX177tTVo4_TWoUFJMr5MyHyaSQTo3dhdwAcnogPyPuQ9am6tJaYEJFJ4Fp__Q7Qg" style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1;" width="167px;" /><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Elana was born and grew up in the United States, and has been living in Israel for the past twenty years. She served in the IDF as a basic training commander for at-risk soldiers after which she worked in a variety of capacities in international education including coordinating international programs in the Jewish Agency such as Marva, summer volunteer programs and the Magen David Adom Ambulance Volunteer Program. She then founded and served as the Director of the Career Israel program that places hundreds of college graduates from abroad in internships in Israeli organizations and companies annually, and later became the Deputy-Director of the Long-Term Program Division of the Israel Experience Ltd. before joining the Tevel team last year. In her spare time she tries to write, run and take care of her four amazing kids. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023898628733640900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090661430129456530.post-34380020568139995562013-11-03T09:56:00.000-08:002013-11-19T23:57:04.199-08:00Assets-Based Development: A Sustainable Development - by Guy Cherni<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.1500000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Development is not an easy subject to write about since it is a field imbued with several question marks; like every other economics-related issue, it is something that we understand in retrospective, and it is very hard to predict what will be the impact of our actions. In this blog, I'm going to write about some of my modest experiences working in the development field in Ethiopia.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.1500000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A little background information: the field of International Development is constantly in fluctuation and has changed a lot since I first became involved; during the 1950s, local governments were seen as the key to development given their power to influence civilians through top-down solutions such as building infrastructure and industries. This did not succeed due to factors such as corruption ineffective governance as well as the need for long-term maintenance. The 1980s brought along the spirit of neoliberalism, with the next solution deemed as having to involve the free market such as pursuing macroeconomic stability, open trade according to the comparative advantage of each country, and privatization in which the agenda was set by developed countries in exchange for World Bank grants. The belief was that the outcome of these actions would be GDP growth, which would then lead to poverty reduction. However, this strategy proved inefficient and raised socio-economics gaps. The rich became richer, and the poor? Well, they remained very poor. Today, after many antidevelopment movements and significant critiques, development discourse has turned to sustainable and local assets-based programs, bottom-up solutions, a human focus and a capabilities-enabling approaches. This is where I come into the development picture, and this is how my fiancé, Hagit, and I, came to work in Gondar, Ethiopia.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We intern in a small organization called </span><a href="http://www.yenegetesfa.org/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yenege Tesfa</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">that works with street children in Gondar. There are about 4,400 orphans and vulnerable children in Gondar, and 800 children who sleep on the streets every night. They live in extreme poverty that matches the UN’s definition of less than U.S. 1.25$ a day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We came here to work with the community, and effective community development has three qualities: it is assets-based, internally-focused and relationship-driven. According to this theory, I began my work in evaluating the organization’s assets according to the Assets Based Community Development approach invented by Kretzmann & McKnight. Every organization has assets: personal assets, civil society assets, local economy and institutions, which take part and contribute money and physical assets. Our organization is blessed with many assets and relationships:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">professional staff, skilled volunteers, partners such as the University of Gondar, a free of charge territory from the government and much more. Assets-based solutions are sustainable because they depend only upon things that are available in the community. In addition, I met with the organization stakeholders and asked them what </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">they</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> think has to be changed in their community. Bottom-up, internally-focused solutions are a very important aspect in this growing field of community development. </span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.1500000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After the evaluation, I started working with two of the organization’s staff on ideas of how to utilize a specific local asset. We found out that there is a vast amount of organic waste that is being thrown away without utilizing its benefits. Our goal is to use it as an alternative source of energy for cooking that will be more environmentally friendly and more economical for the community. Today there is vast usage of charcoal for cooking in Ethiopia, which is harmful for the environment (6 kg of wood are needed for one kg of charcoal), very expensive (160 ETB per sack) and not fully utilized, due to the low performance of the traditional cooking stove. We use organic waste for the creation of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bio Fuel Briquettes</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, creating them with a simple and primitive pressing machine that we build. Along with the briquettes, we are trying to promote the usage of a new stove that will utilize the energy of the charcoal / briquettes and maximize the energy production of every household.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img height="142px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/O3yUXAghxQQ3bHGnFGcHSsH4_QRfEGX_UGeHRSSpCLv55u_Yip4REqwwJQcnfyGPeJlh4QddUb0R7zqK0OPmY9kY0S4nPdZG29pckr4ROvK_AwnN92s5ny9jlZtIF0n9j30" width="213px;" /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.1500000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We have an opportunity to address some of the community’s needs (high expenses, pollution) and to create a sustainable source of income for the organization and a group of single mothers that will manufacture and sell the inexpensive and environmentally-friendly briquettes to the community. All that with a sustainable resource that is not dependant on developed countries. Finding local assets and local partners was the most important stage for this project’s success and now we need to work hard and make this opportunity a community success</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span><img height="160px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/3-C8bJNWVbFIwcmyeKqTZ4iRl8ZdZGT4rG1Gb3b6X2l7ah--Ds9cJgbwzUoScpW4WJVqSEGsCkIE79cQN3rG5resdFSrpvqv4VJj10WI1tmpdWMswuRPcpjFbcdST4QEQ1s" width="241px;" /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><img height="160px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/2-_vwz0c0HOOB-v7wovADi9oyuGz0JezEFQSA7wSsWvJJsJHo3CWKSR0R7sqyDG4OA7aqWvPPDi69TRcJFhoLyuWI4NvPf-rv-x4KBjJckD6841v3orrKD1DtvAtsldyejs" width="240px;" /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.1500000000000001; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">The organic waste and the pressing machine</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-630a24c2-1f16-244f-3965-25e9cefa728e" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Guy Cherni is an ID² alumni, and an MA student in the Glocal Community Development Studies program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is interning in Gondar Ethiopia in the Income Generating Activities program of a local NGO by the name of Yenege Tesfa.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><img height="143px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2umEXnwyqmFrQk4h00JuHlWPP8A8MXjuB2EkJ8_ZGJns4SnN3LvfhpB7NcFc8xR-E7_T05Y7z99NcapcXpFKEXJwi3vnyVT52YmkZotIFEyTItM9zG0_J2dF2mpS61TsKUU" style="line-height: 1.1500000000000001;" width="95px;" /><span style="color: black; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.1500000000000001; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.1500000000000001;">Me with a Bio Fuel Briquette</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023898628733640900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090661430129456530.post-13138509300402394742013-10-30T07:20:00.000-07:002013-11-19T23:57:26.055-08:00Getting my Tech into the Field - by Gaddy Weismann <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You've got a great solution and want to install it in
East Africa. Where to turn? You have two options: public sector and
private sector.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>The public sector</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222;">"The World Bank" – Over $100B is distributed by bi-and
multilateral aid agencies every year. Some examples of such agencies with
which Israelis companies can work are the World Bank and the Inter American
Development Bank. Every Western country has a bilateral agency as well.
These agencies are tough to crack, and for a small company, it is very
difficult to get in the door.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222;">Government contracts - You could skip the Western agencies
entirely and go directly to an East African government for a contract.
This requires significant time on the ground and a very deep
understanding of the political and bureaucratic challenges. It's good to
have a "matcher" on your team.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>The private sector</u>:</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222;">Aid consultancies - These large companies win the lion's share
of aid contracts from multilateral and bilateral aid agencies. Instead of
winning a contract directly, you become one of their sub-contractors. If
you are a consultant, this is a great way to go. Try a website like DEVEX to
get started. However, if you have a product, they may not be the best path to
take.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222;">Multinational corporations (MNCs) - As these markets grow,
companies like GE, TATA and IBM are entering with force. Just as Israeli
high-tech firms sell to and are sometimes acquired by MNCs, the same is
beginning to happen for the developing market, focused products as well. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222;">A local partner - Set up a JV with a local partner. You'll want
to find someone you can trust. Two things to look for are existing
contracts with Western companies or investment from Impact Investors.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am happy to have helped a number of Israeli firms
expand through private sector methods by finding the right MNC, the right local
partners or the right impact investor.<br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023898628733640900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090661430129456530.post-69609578878710717002013-10-27T05:01:00.000-07:002013-11-20T01:24:58.040-08:00A Community-Centered, Process-Driven And Locally-Led Approach To Development - by Inbar Ziv<div class="normal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">What
do we mean by the term ‘development’? It
is so commonly used these days, but yet I think it is reasonable to assume that
a single person may use this term in several different ways, and that across
people, even further variation may be found. I believe this is a critical
question for one to answer, especially while engaging in work with
organizations aiming to ‘develop’ others. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="normal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="normal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The
answer I consolidated for myself, before embarking on a four-month internship
in Rwanda, was somewhere along the lines of Amartya Sen; for me, ‘development’
referred to the capability of people to lead the lives they choose, to be the
authors of their life story and not just passive characters in it. And now,
half way through my internship in Spark MicroGrants, I am being exposed to the
way this theoretical definition is realized in practical terms through Spark’s
unique and inspiring working model with vulnerable communities in East Africa. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="normal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="normal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">What
Spark is doing is solving <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">global</b>
problems with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">local</b> solutions,
exactly as the name of the graduate program I’m studying in at the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem suggests - <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Glocal</b>.
Spark is pioneering a novel approach to community development; an approach
based on the belief that communities facing poverty have the intrinsic capacity
to solve the problems they face by themselves and that our role as NGOs is to
equip them with the tools and funding necessary to launch their own local
projects. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="normal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="normal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4090661430129456530" name="h.gjdgxs"></a><span style="line-height: 115%;">Spark’s model is based on three pillars; it is community-centered,
process-driven and locally-led:</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="normal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="normal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Being <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">community-centered</b> means that the
community is regarded as the primary agent of change and as such, the community
as a whole has the responsibility to drive its own development. The choice to
work with communities, rather than with individual people, is based on the
strong belief in the power of a group to generate social change that has a
higher potential of impacting the lives of many individuals. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="normal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="normal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Being <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">process-driven</b> means that the project
itself is not necessarily the most important component of Spark’s model; it is
the process that the community goes through that is the essence of the
approach. Throughout a five month process, Spark MicroGrants assists the
community in mapping and utilizing their existing resources and assets in order
to plan, implement and manage their own project aimed at addressing a pressing
problem they have identified in their community. Other significantly unique
aspects of the process are the time community members contribute to the
project, both during and in-between the community meetings, an average of 1,600
hours, and the democratic community elections of a committee, composed of an
equal number of men and women representatives, which serves as the leading body
of the community throughout the process with Spark.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="normal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="normal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Lastly,
being <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">locally-led</b> means that the
ones guiding and leading the process with the communities are not “Muzungus”
(the African term referring to white-skinned foreigners), to whom the local
culture, language and traditions are foreign, but rather young, motivated,
passionate and visionary local facilitators. Even Spark’s story of “how it all
began” reflects this value and makes it stand out in the landscape of
development NGOs. Spark MicroGrants was established through a connection formed
between the three co-founders, two Americans and one Rwandan, whose life paths
intersected by chance and led to the creation of this inspiring organization.
With Sasha Fisher’s experience in NGOs in South Africa, South Sudan, India and
Uganda, with the knowledge in the microfinance field of Neil Lesh, with Ernest
Ngabonzima’s familiarity with the local context of Rwanda, and with the great
passion they all shared to find a way to mobilize communities to be their own
agents of change, the three of them built Spark MicroGrant’s unique model. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="normal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="normal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Today,
Spark has partnered with 71 communities in both Rwanda and Uganda, impacting
the lives of over 30,000 individuals. Community projects that were planned and
implemented over the past three years include agriculture projects, nursery
schools, health centers, animal rearing projects, honey cooperatives, grinding
machine projects, vocational trainings, and latrine construction. Perhaps the
most outstanding figures are that 97% of the projects have proven to be
sustainable over a one year time period, and that many communities have
initiated more projects on top of the initial one they designed during the
Spark process.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="normal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="normal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">When I
chose to intern at Spark I was extremely excited that I finally found an
organization that seemed to fit my exact definition of ‘development’. However,
I must admit that I was also a bit skeptical, not because of doubts that I
personally had, but because other people expressed disbelief in the ability of
such a model to work so well. Now, when I am part of this incredible
organization, I think that I might have become their best advocate.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="normal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="normal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I
recently had the opportunity to ask some of the Spark staff what excites them
the most about Spark;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The high priority
Spark gives to the community’s will”, “The fact that Spark provides a voice to
the most vulnerable people”, “The smiling faces of community members when they
implement the project they designed by themselves” were some of the answers I
got. And what about me? I completely identify with the answers my co-fellows
provided, but I think that what excites me the <u>most</u> is the thought about
the potential this model has of scaling up and creating an amazingly
significant and needed change in the field of development work; a change that
will mobilize more and more NGOs to adopt and utilize Spark’s
community-centered, process-driven and locally-led approach to development.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="normal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="normal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">ABOUT THE BLOGGER:</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="normal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="normal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Inbar
Ziv is currently doing a four-month internship in </span><a href="http://www.sparkmicrogrants.org/index.php/projects-needing-funding"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%;">Spark MicroGrants</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%;">, in the framework of her graduate
studies in the </span><a href="http://glocal.huji.ac.il/"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%;">Glocal Community Development
Studies</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%;">
program in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Inbar has extensive background
in social activism and entrepreneurship. In 2011, she was the Head of the
Social Activism Department in the Hebrew University’s Students Union. In 2012
she co-founded and is since the Co-Director of an entrepreneurship center in
Jerusalem, named </span><a href="http://www.siftech.org.il/"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%;">SifTech</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%;">, which operates the first and only
start-up accelerator in the city. She is writing her own </span><a href="http://inby1386.wix.com/rwanda#!blog/c34c"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%;">blog</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"> on her internship website and welcomes
everybody who’d like to read more about her experiences in Rwanda to take a
look!</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023898628733640900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090661430129456530.post-69779511146751158112013-10-22T08:25:00.000-07:002013-10-22T08:28:28.644-07:00Israeli Business and the International Development Industry: DevTech - by Gaddy Weissman<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">Thanks for joining and I'm very happy to be a regular
writer on the IsraelDev blog. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">This column is dedicated to getting Israeli business
into the international development industry. I'm going to address the
sector from a business perspective, always trying to highlight the way for
Israeli companies to get involved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">This is a growing sector, and Israeli companies,
investors and entrepreneurs have every reason to profit from it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023898628733640900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090661430129456530.post-69045197113585004842013-10-18T02:44:00.000-07:002013-10-18T02:46:27.960-07:00Getting your Water Technology from Here to There - by Ornit Avidar <div class="normal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
You can conceptualize a water product or technology and be firmly
confident that this is the most efficient and advanced solution . However, this
is an insufficient (and sometimes not even needed) condition to get it to the
millions/billions in Africa and the bottom of the pyramid ("BOP").</div>
</div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
To sell your products to the BOP, you need to:<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -17.95pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Cater
to the BoP's specific needs<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -17.95pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Form
an Innovative package<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -17.95pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Get
financing<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -17.95pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Adopt
the right attitude<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u>BoP specific needs:</u> As always, you first need to decide who the target
end-user is, what they need and what is available locally to make this
feasible.</div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Of course, clean and easily accessible water is a primary basic need
but usually the existing infrastructure in developing regions does not allow for
the utilization of technology often used in the West. Thus, appropriate
technology needed often needs to be: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -17.95pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->simple<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -17.95pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->decentralized <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -17.95pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->low maintenance <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -17.95pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->low energy - where there is no water, there is
usually no electricity<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -17.95pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->low cost<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
You want real solutions instead of money-wasting white elephants. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u>Innovative packaging and models: </u><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The right packaging incorporates many options:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -17.95pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Firstly, you need to enable a different price
range. If one is to keep the quality, this means no frills; many of the
components essential for the West are not needed and even wasteful in Africa,
smaller packaging and smaller quantity are key. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -17.95pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Add social mechanisms and business models. Over
50% of water projects in Africa are not sustainable after 6 months<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4090661430129456530#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><sup><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><sup><span lang="AR-SA" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[1]</span></sup><!--[endif]--></span></sup></a>.
This is seen all over Africa in the form of malfunctioning equipment, lack of
maintenance, faulty or soiled filters or just plain population misuse due to
lack of training and understanding. This can be solved if you add social
mechanisms and business models to your technology package.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -17.95pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Training programs and a maintenance package are
also essential as without these the project is short-lived.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -17.95pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Turn-key solutions: BoP style projects, with an
operation base from which Return on Investment can be generated, is always a
very sought after model by many governments and agencies in Africa. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u>Financing:</u><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
We need to keep in mind that the reality in Africa is that government
budgets cannot cover all the costs thus requiring alternative methods of
financing projects</div>
<br />
<div class="normal">
<br /></div>
<div class="normal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<u>The right attitude</u>: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; text-indent: -17.95pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">●<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Be creative and open to new ideas and sales
techniques.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; text-indent: -17.95pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">●<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Be optimistic and know that businesses can have
a positive impact on people's lives. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; text-indent: -17.95pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">●<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Partnerships with local partners and
distributors are essential; you must have a local presence and be able to
communicate with local culture. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="normal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Africans looking for Israeli technology and expertise should know
certain facts about Israelis:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; text-indent: -17.95pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">●<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Israelis are very pragmatic and often do what
they can with what is available; that is one of the main advantages of working
with Israelis.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; text-indent: -17.95pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">●<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Israelis have a history of dealing with drought
and lack of water, which has made them experts in this field.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; text-indent: -17.95pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">●<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Israelis are very curious people – they often go
to great lengths and to almost anywhere in the world just to see it, meaning they
are very happy to travel wide and far.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; text-indent: -17.95pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">●<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Lastly, Israelis tend to believe that there is
nothing that can't be overcome. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="normal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
<!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<br />
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="normal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4090661430129456530#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><sup><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><sup><span lang="AR-SA" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[1]</span></sup><!--[endif]--></span></sup></a><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Founder of EWB, Professor
Bernard Amadei, University of Colorado, USA – EWB seminar Tel-Aviv, 3 June 2012
</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-hE_KgLhTo"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-hE_KgLhTo</span></a><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-hE_KgLhTo"></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<sup><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><sup><span lang="AR-SA" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[1]</span></sup><!--[endif]--></span></sup><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-hE_KgLhTo"></a><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023898628733640900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090661430129456530.post-72679830496542834872013-09-28T09:13:00.001-07:002013-09-28T09:15:04.548-07:00An Israeli NGO’s Intervention in Rural Kenya uses a New Model for Community Development - by Ben Vorspan <div style="text-align: justify;">
The scene was all too familiar. There we were, a group of volunteers, education specialists, medical students, and development professionals, installed in our plastic chairs, bewildered and bearing plastered smiles. In the dilapidated schoolhouse dozens of excited community members, namely parents of the school’s pupils, sat across from us on wooden benches, staring. The mid-afternoon quiet had set in, farmers took reprieve from the 3 o’clock sun, now dancing around the schoolhouse as it skirted battered, corrugated metal “walls.” We had called a meeting with a specific group of parents to workshop a community savings scholarship initiative for needy children in the 8th class, and to discuss our project in their community. This being Africa meant that the workshop would involve innumerable speeches and introductions, and that, respect-be-paid, it would be hosted by a high-ranking school administrator, in his finest suit. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The scene proceeded to reflect countless ones before it, and we listened politely, waiting impatiently to commence the meeting, our feet digging patterns into the earthen floor. We were eager to introduce ourselves and clarify our suggested intentions for the project. We wished to explain to them that Become is a registered NGO, run entirely by volunteers, and whose donations have a 0% overhead, that aims to provide holistic aid to orphans and vulnerable children as well as strengthen communities that host them. We wanted to explain that the current project in their community was led by local community mobilizing extraordinaire Sylvia, a registered nurse and her husband Emmanuel, also local, a successful community development practitioner, not by us. We wanted to explain that our aim was to reinforce existing infrastructure that already generated enough income to support their various activities. These included, but were not limited to, hosting orphans, maintaining an innovative demonstration garden, social programs and care for local widows, advocacy initiatives for children with disabilities and community health trainings. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Before we had a chance, the MC of the event then informed the parents that we would be there to support whatever it was they needed and invited them to please, one by one, ask us for financial support. And it came to be that even this isolated community, tucked away in the crevices behind Lake Victoria, had been affected by a century of missionaries and foreign aid. They had internalized the concept of white money for black suffering, as had we, perhaps, as we began frantically rephrasing our proposal for the village savings group, into which the money we had tirelessly fundraised would play a part. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So what efforts did we take to ensure that our project would not reflect the development models preceding us, the ones that paved the way for our target community, like countless others, to expect donations that are likely to build only more dependency? We followed the lead of the local experts who have been doing this work in their community for years, and developed a partnership with them, rather than imposing our ideas for an intervention. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While this is certainly not reinventing the development wheel, it is obvious that being responsive to the needs and capabilities of the local population as well as the systems in which they live will enable success in the three components we used in developing our model for a successful intervention. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The first critical component in instigating a development intervention is nurturing public-private relationships within the target community. Supporting income generating, social enterprises in developing communities is beneficial only so far as the extent of their linkages within the social and political systems around them. A business only has the potential for sustainable growth if it upholds national or regional standards or exists as a part of an official framework. While most relevant interventions to this model are small-scale NGO operations, larger scale, national level programming reflects the concept of using partnerships to strengthen both public systems and private enterprises. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
For small-scale development initiatives, a smaller-scale model can be applied. Reinforcing resource limited health institutions, for example, with private or non-profit resources can ensure that resources are not unnecessarily spread thin and promote the growth of systems that already have a stronghold in the region of intervention. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Become’s intervention in the Kochia region of Kenya, carefully designed together with community members, works to reinforce an existing clinic that already brings not only health services into the region, but also raises awareness about relevant health issues, as well as serves as income generation to sustain other community-led initiatives. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The second key component in constructing a successful development intervention is the engagement of local communities in planning stages of the projects, or engaging in a partnership with an existing, locally instigated initiative. Large-scale development interventions may seek the import of a model irrelevant to the communities in which the program intervenes. On a similar note, many small-scale development interventions derive out of benevolent ideas conjured up by do-gooders with ambition. These do-gooders may even come equipped with research, personal connections in the region and experience with successful projects with similar models. However, this is not enough. When an intervention is not developed together with the community towards which it is targeted, it very well may miss opportunities that lie in the capabilities of communities and focus on issues not relevant to the community at hand. Development interventions need to be planned wisely and respectfully, as damage may otherwise inadvertently be done to existing community dynamics and efforts. Engaging in an existing project that follows the logic of “we would have been fine without you, but thanks for your partnership!” is key towards a successful intervention. Putting the engagement of the beneficiary community from the beginning as first priority is a critical step towards ensuring true ownership over initiatives, good governance and lasting sustainability. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Become’s intervention in Kochia was designed precisely because of the existing work being fulfilled by local leaders. The involvement in developing a solid clinic and facilitating health trainings aims only to strengthen existing resources, and give a push to an already upwardly mobile initiative. It is crucial that when Become leaves, the project rests upon the solid potential to continue afterwards. The idea of forming a partnership with an existing program leads the way to the third and final component of a successful development intervention. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The establishment or strengthening of sustainable human infrastructure that will long outlive the involvement of the intervening NGO must be a top priority for development interventions. Pouring physical resources into programs without ensuring that they, at the very least, strengthen the ability of the project to sustain itself afterwards is a direct plea for immediate project failure. While this stands out as a major challenge for development practitioners, a few elements should be included in programming such as planning that puts a focus on NGO exit strategies, involving local institutions in the longevity of the project, and creating partnerships with local government initiatives and private ventures.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So back in the schoolhouse, how did we maintain a positive relationship with an eager and expectant crowd, while attempting to deconstruct a century strong set of expectations? We praised not the donors of Become, though to them we are eternally grateful, but the work they, as a community, were already doing. We emphasized the virtues of partnership and stressed the values of idea sharing, rather than a money-giving relationship. We were transparent with them about the sources of Become’s modest budget and emphasized its limitations, thus clarifying the myth that from abroad comes limitless cash. We work-shopped ideas with them to reach the goals they proposed and came to the mutual conclusion that a fat check from abroad was not the answer to their needs. On the contrary, shared work in developing their existing institutions and pooling local resources to instigate steady upward growth prevailed as a mutual priority. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While Become continues to fundraise and grow, it remains our utmost priority to invest in existing projects that will have lasting impacts in the intervention communities and encourage community engagement when working towards change. We are excited by the success of the project in the Kochia region and plan to use adapted versions of this model in future interventions. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Ben Vorspan is the co-director of Become in Israel. He holds an M.A. in Community Development Studies and has extensive experience in education for various vulnerable groups. With years of development experience in West, Become’s budget is mostly comprised of individual, private donors giving small amounts and emphasized its limitations, Central and Eastern Africa, Ben just returned from the Nyanza province, Kenya, where he helped coordinate a project in which 9 volunteer specialists participated. </b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Become is a registered NGO in Israel, which functions thanks to the dedication of its professional and experienced volunteers, and the generosity of dozens of private, individual donors. The organization holds fundraising events in Israel and has projects in Kenya and South Sudan. As new programs are being developed, the NGO’s mission and interventions work according to principles of respect for local communities, collaborative attitude and a high level of professionalism. For more information, visit www.become-world.org.</b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023898628733640900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090661430129456530.post-11170151995551647202013-08-28T12:00:00.000-07:002013-08-29T06:08:00.555-07:00Israeli remedies for India’s food security problem<div class="normal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;">
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<div class="normal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every year after Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) when I
visit India, my home country, the first drastic change I notice is the food
inflation rate. In New Delhi if you send an SMS to a restaurant for home
delivery service, you may get your order in less than 20 minutes, which goes to
show that there are plenty of food options available. At the same time,
however, you will notice the numerous beggars on the streets. There is thus
something visibly wrong that led me to ask myself whether it is possible for us
to directly connect the agriculture field to people in need?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a fundamental rule in business management: If you
want your business to profit then you should do something essential for all
human beings. Yet why is it that the IT sector is so thriving while food farming,
an elemental need in life, is not profitable and that in last 15 years over
200,000 farmers have committed suicide in India?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Agriculture scientists worldwide emphasize the fact that at
the current growth rate, the world population may reach 9 billion by 2050 and
that to meet the increase in demand we must elevate production levels. However,
current statistics show that while today’s world population amounts to 6.7
billion, we produce enough food for 11.5 billion people, almost double than required.
The main reasons for such a lurid problem has to do with problematic trade and
economic policies. As a result, farmers are committing suicide, much of the
public is suffering from food inflation rates and the majority of profits are taken
by middle-men. What we need then is just a proper food chain supply and that
constitutes a huge business opportunity for Israeli agritech companies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To overcome these problems the Indian government is planning
to bring a food security bill for poor people, as well as FDI (Foreign Direct
Investment) to improve the food chain supply for the common man before next
year’s election. There are big debates taking place about the implementation of
such a critical bill in this time frame. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although a national food security bill provides food to poor
people on subsidized rates after having bumper crops yields, no one knows what
economic, political and social impact it will have. For example, instead of
bringing down food prices, this seems to have had the opposite effect. The bill
has been criticized for low food entitlements and inadequate attention to
nutrition. Moreover, if a small farmer could get food grain for as little as
Rs.1 per kg, as proposed in the Food Security Bill, what incentive would s/he
have to grow her/his own? And what would happen in a bad crop year or
successive bad years? Currently, production and availability of food grain for
implementing the Food Security Bill does not appear to be an issue since on
average one third of the food grain production every year is wasted due to lack
of proper storage facility. We have had bumper crops every year — 259.32
million tons in 2012-13 — and have enormous buffer stocks. Ever since Brazil
launched the Zero Hunger Programme in 2001, it has pulled out 30-40 million
people from poverty. Brazil promises to eradicate hunger by 2015 whereas in the
Indian National Food Security Bill there is no such specific goal being doled
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To me, it seems that while Brazil's
Zero Hunger was time-bound and aimed at making hunger history, India's Food Security
Bill is simply targeted at the 2014 elections. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the same time FDI is going to open doors for US firms like
Wal-Mart and Tesco. The government justification is that this will improve food
chain supply, provide warehouse and especially cold storage facilities, thus
having control over food inflation rates and giving the public the choice to
buy from cheaper outlets. But at the same time, an influx of foreign actors would
have a strong impact on unemployed people who work in small businesses for
their daily survival and have no job security. Farmers, in addition, would not have
the right to demand minimum support price (MSP) since these companies may buy
goods from other countries and then sell them in India. Even though the
government claims that it has placed safety nets in place, e.g. outlets would
be open only in those cities where the population is over 1 million (currently
53 cities) and foreign firms would have to buy at least 30% of their products
from the Indian market, these rules have yet to be accepted by the foreign
companies with which the government is in negotiation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In such circumstances start-up countries like Israel have much
to offer India. To quote former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In an age where community involvement and
partnership with civil society are increasingly being recognized as
indispensable, there is clearly a growing potential for cooperative development
and renewal worldwide”. </i>India should thus consider adopting Kibbutz-like agriculture
practice to minimize transportation and storage problem, which will then lead
to further price control by removing the involevement of middlemen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Land is a productive asset, but for many farmers who lack
scientific agricultural practice, it is in the hands of unproductive people. Moreover,
water and agriculture are inextricable. Thus , it is important to know how to
exploit water for irrigation with minimal effort. Presently in India most farmers
use underground water for irrigation and depend on diesel or electricity to
pump it, which brings financial burden to poor farmers. In this context, there are
many agricultural tools and methods that Israel can share with India, whilst at
the same time getting access to Indian biodiversity – 45,000 plant species which
can bring even further improved plant varieties through molecular breeding practices.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With the changing global climate, post-harvest damage has
become very challenging throughout the world. During the rainy season (Monsoon)
in India the price of vegetables like tomatoes and onions is very high. Bringing
in options such as processed tomato purees and onion paste could present
solutions in such cases. Here we should not forget that Israel exports
vegetable products to the whole of Europe with minimal post harvest damage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Several other small innovative applications like grain
cocoon, biological pest control, and protected cultivation under greenhouses
could also be very useful to solve India’s food security problem. Furthermore,
dairy and fish farms, which stem off the agricultural branch may also benefit
from Israel’s significant technological expertise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="normal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Dr. Akhilesh Kumar is a Postdoctorate Fellow at The Volcani
Center (Ministry of Agriculture and Research Organization) and a Fellow of the Israel
Asia Center</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023898628733640900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090661430129456530.post-81109318058109674712013-08-25T00:47:00.001-07:002013-08-25T01:00:32.816-07:00Changing care: A shift in the global burden of disease - Carolien Van Embden Andres<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-3b44239b-b4a9-9e93-b0ae-be5e3079d0e6"><img height="366px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/JM7ve2PNX0lpvXINomyRZogLGLaZ01T9eblrB9ozbYL-01xOWzDRsefVva8LvByZ4hY4GKisX8S9IS0We__boK-4Q-hWeTkf7dKRhW3fdPjINVtO_74urlvlwQ" width="347px;" /></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-3b44239b-b4a9-9e93-b0ae-be5e3079d0e6" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">International development and health are inextricably linked. One cannot talk about sustainable development without acknowledging the importance of health. This, I believe, most of us can agree on. Yet that is where the harmony ends. It is a jungle out there, in the field of global health. A jungle of ideas and solutions to a legion of health-related issues in a world that harbours so many different people, cultures and environments. </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-3b44239b-b4b2-401b-8f73-e989d09c88f5" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many decision-makers take the concept of a jungle quite literal. Thinking about health in a global sense, there seems to be a traditional divide between the ‘’concrete jungle’’ that is the developed world and the ‘’real jungle’’ that is the developing world. Health-wise, the concrete jungle deals with chronic diseases (non-communicable diseases), whereas all the infectious agents that plague the ‘’real’’ jungle leave developing countries engaged in a combat against communicable diseases.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yet, these ideas are very dated. Within the last decades, the global pattern of disease burden is shifting. Chronic diseases do not only affect the rich and the elderly, as commonly thought. In fact, most deaths from chronic disease now actually occur in developing countries. As their health systems are developed to address primarily acute problems, such as infectious diseases, chronic disease management becomes overshadowed and the issues inadequately dealt with. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The biggest risk factors threatening our health today are blood pressure, tobacco, alcohol and poor diet; risk factors associated with chronic disease. The term ‘chronic’ conveys an important prospect: it means people will be spending more time living with disease. Simultaneously, cases of disability, whether due to disease or injury, will also spread exponentially. Although there is ample evidence available to provide a compelling argument in favour of the strengthening of health systems instead of solemnly targeting individual health areas and acute care, it seems donor-driven funding patterns do not allow this awareness to seep into the agendas of players in the field.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Without going into the power dynamics of money over policy there is a need for change. It is quite simple: changes in disease patterns means changes in care. We ought to be thinking about different approaches to health and healing. What does it mean to be </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">living with</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> disease/disability instead of merely suffering from it? What makes people crumble and what makes them cope?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aaron Antonovsky, an American-Israeli sociologist, studied human resilience by looking into the cases of women that survived the Holocaust. Out of this group of women, only 29% appeared to be in good emotional health. Antonovsky was intrigued by how </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">high this figure was, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">almost one third of women living through such a horrendous experience </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">did</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> actually have a positive outlook on life. This is what inspired him to formulate his </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sense of coherence </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">theory.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">People that have a strong sense of coherence during a difficult situation are able to comprehend, manage and derive meaning from troubling times. As such, they will experience less stress. And this is important. Stress is a major - if not one of the biggest - peril to health and healing. Reducing stress by having a strong sense of coherence can usually be prescribed to having understanding and perspective, resources and social capital. How a person is dealing with a disease will help shape its course.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Having a chronic affliction or a disability shakes the foundations of someone’s being. It changes the structures of daily life; our daily steps, habits and taken-for-granted certainties. As true as this may be for any disease, chronic conditions provide a much longer time-span to process these changes and learn to deal with them. During this process, social networks and institutions are relied on for support.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Diseases do not exist within a social vacuum. What causes disease to occur, spread and ultimately affect those involved is dependent on physical, psychological, social and environmental factors. Health care systems should therefore become more horizontal and integrative. Health issues are often interrelated; infectious diseases are entwined with chronic diseases. Some, such as HIV/AIDS are even hard to place under one banner, as therapeutic measures are increasingly becoming available worldwide. We need health systems that are strong enough to accommodate a plethora of often unrelated health issues,, promote healing as well as coping, and that are open to wider social institutional involvement. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Although this might seem a far stretch from what developing countries promptly need in terms of health care, shifting at least some of the focus towards building strong health care systems will be rewarded in the long haul. Surely initiatives to treat acute health problems remain relevant, as well as, for example, efforts to fight tobacco use and fast food intake. But if the focus is always on absence of disease and complete recovery, instead of the ability to cope with afflictions, we might overlook what is sometimes more important. In the end, the quality of health, as well as ill health, depends on the quality of care.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Carolien van Embden Andres has recently finished her Master’s programme in Medical Anthropology and Sociology at the University of Amsterdam.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023898628733640900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090661430129456530.post-25779752589869857372013-07-27T23:59:00.001-07:002013-07-28T23:29:23.815-07:00חדשנות ויזמות ישראלית לעולם המתפתח – התעוררות והזדמנויות חדשות - דניאל בן יהודה<div class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="direction: rtl; text-align: right; unicode-bidi: embed;">
<span lang="HE" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">למעלה מ-3 שנים עברו
מאז שהתחלתי לעבוד בתוכנית לחדשנות ופיתוח בינלאומי באוניברסיטת תל אביב ו-7 שנים מהיום
בו הבנתי שפיתוח בינלאומי וחדשנות לעולם המתפתח אינם רק תחום עניין אישי, אלא מסלול
מקצועי בו עלי להתמקד. אין ספק שתקופה זו הייתה לתקופה מכוננת בתחום בכלל, ובישראל
בפרט; תקופה של מעבר מפיתוח שהתבסס על מענקים, תרומות ופעילות של עמותות וארגוני סיוע
בינלאומיים לכזה המתבסס באופן גובר על חדשנות, יזמות, פעילות עסקית והשקעות. תקופה
בה מעורבות של הסקטור הפרטי הפסיקה להיתפס כבעייתית והחלה להתקבל כהזדמנות למינוף פעילות
הפיתוח ואף כאמצעי מרכזי למיקסום ההשפעה בעולם המתפתח. תקופה בה התבססו גישות מונחות
חדשות דוגמת </span><span dir="LTR" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">Impact investing</span><span dir="RTL" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"></span><span dir="RTL" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>, </span><span dir="LTR" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">S</span><span dir="LTR" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">ocial entrepreneurship</span><span dir="RTL" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"></span><span dir="RTL" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>, </span><span dir="LTR" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">C</span><span dir="LTR" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">rowd funding</span><span dir="RTL" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"></span><span dir="RTL" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> , </span><span dir="LTR" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">S</span><span dir="LTR" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">hared value</span><span dir="RTL" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"></span><span dir="RTL" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>, </span><span dir="LTR" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">S</span><span dir="LTR" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">ustainability</span><span dir="RTL" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"></span><span dir="RTL" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> <span lang="HE">וכו' שנולדו מתוך שינויי תפיסה בעולם העסקי ובעולם הפיתוח הבינלאומי. כל
זאת לצד מהפך ביחס ל"מקבלי הסיוע", שכבר אינם נתפסים כקבוצות נזקקות פסיביות
וחסרות השפעה אמיתית על תהליך פיתוחם לשותפים מלאים לדרך בעלי בעלות מלאה וזכות בחירה
לכל אורך התהליך. תקופה ב-</span></span><span dir="LTR" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">Base of the pyramid </span><span dir="RTL" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"></span><span dir="RTL" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>, 4 מליארד עניי העולם שמרוויחים מתחת ל-2.5$ ליום, כבר אינם נחשבים
למסכנים חסרי כל שזקוקים לתרומה וסיוע אלא כשוק בעל צרכים ורצונות שמגלם כח קניה של
5 טרליון דולר לשנה.</span></div>
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<span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">במקביל לשינויים גלובאלים
אלו בתפיסת תחום הפיתוח הבינלאומי ובעולם העסקי, החלה להרקם התעוררות/תנועה מחודשת
של אלו המאמינים שפיתוח בינלאומי ותיקון עולם אינם שייכים לעברה <b>הנשגב</b> של ישראל,
אלא צריכים להוות נרטיב מחודש למדינה ולעם היהודי. חברות, אנשי עסקים, יזמים ומשקיעים
החלו אט אט להפנות את תשומת ליבם לעבר שווקי הדרום והמזרח בתקווה לאספקת מענה לאתגרים
הגלובאלים הבוערים שמחתי לגלות זרם הולך וגובר של אנשים הפועלים מתחושת שליחות אמיתית,
בעודם מפנים גב ל"כסף המהיר" של "עולם ההייטק" ונוהרים בקצב גובר אל עבר עולמות חדשים של יזמות
והשקעות חברתיות. לעיתים מדובר ביזמים סדרתיים שכבר נהנו מאקזיט אחד או שניים ולעיתים
ביזמים מבריקים, צעירים ומבוגרים, שהחליטו להקדיש את חייהם וזמנם להשארת חותם על העולם
ותירגום יכולותיהם העסקיות/טכנולוגיות ליצירת השפעה בת קיימא על העולם. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">ולא די בכך, ככל שעברו
השנים שמחתי ללמוד כי, בזכות אותה "התעוררות רוחנית", ובעזרת דחיפה קלה של
מאזניי הכלכלה העולמית המשתנה, אפריקה, אסיה ואמריקה הלטינית כבר אינן יעדי סחר/סיוע
רחוקים הנשלטים ביידי קומץ מאכרים אפרוריים אלא יעד ליגיטימי, ואף מועדף לעיתים, לחדשנות
וטכנולוגיות ישראליות בתחומים של מים, חקלאות, בריאות, חינוך ואנרגיה מתחדשת. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">ברגע אחד התעוררו אזרחי
מדינת ישראל והבינו לפתע את הפוטנציאל העצום שגלום באומת הסטארטאפ, ובמפגשה עם אתגרי
העולם המתפתח ועם עברה המפואר בעולם הפיתוח הבינלאומי ויכולותיה הנשכחות בתחומי החקלאות,
המים, הבריאות וכו'. על טפטפות, רפתות ולולים כבר שמעתם, אולם הסיפורים היותר מעניינים
לטעמי טמונים במיזמים הקטנים והחדשניים שצצו בעשור האחרון, ומהווים דוגמת מופת לעתידה
של התעשייה הישראלית ולמה שאנחנו באמת יכולים להציע לעולם – חדשנות טכנלוגית, חשיבה
יצירתית, פתיחות מחשבתית ויזמות יוצאי דופן בעלי פוטנציאל אדיר לפיתוח מוצרים, שירותים
וטכנולוגיות נדרשות והבאת לשווקים נשכחים. הלא כאן טמון סיפור ההצלחה הישראלי האמיתי.
אל לנו להסתפק בפרסומות ביוטיוב ובאפליקציות לנערים מפונקים במערב. עלינו לנצל את היכולות
והכלים העומדים לראשותנו ואת עמדתנו הייחודית מבינה גיאוגראפית, אקלימית והיסטורית
ולשאוף להפוך למוקד חדשנות לעולם המתפתח. כמו שסול סינגר, מחבר </span><span dir="LTR">Startup Nation</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> <span lang="HE">נוהג לומר – </span></span><span dir="LTR">Silicon Valley will always be
the innovation Hub for the west but we should become the leading hub for the
rest</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> <span lang="HE">או במילים אחרות </span></span><span dir="LTR">Become a silicon wadi</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>- מוקד
למתן מענה לצרכי העולם המתפתח ולפיתוח פתרונות טכנולוגיים, מוצרים, מערכות ושיטות להתמודדות
עם צרכיהם הרבים. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">הדוגמאות רבות מספור,
כך שאזכיר רק את אלו שאינן זוכות לרוב לבמה תקשורתית בישראל ושאותן הייתה לי הזכות
ללוות בתהליך היוולדן. ממיזמי מים באזורים נדחים בהובלת </span><a href="http://www.water-ws.com/"><span dir="LTR">waterways</span></a><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>, מערכות התפלה וטיהור מים </span><a href="http://www.sundwater.com/" target="_blank"><span dir="LTR" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #df6838; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">SunDwater</span></a><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>, דרך טיפול בשפכים </span><a href="http://www.ayala-nbs.com/%E2%80%8E"><span dir="LTR">Ayala water and Ecology</span></a><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> <span lang="HE">ועד פרוייקטי חקלאות חדשניים דוגמת </span></span><a href="http://www.livingreen.co.il/"><span dir="LTR">LivingGreen</span></a><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>, </span><a href="http://www.tal-ya.com/%E2%80%8E"><span dir="LTR">Tal Ya</span></a><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>, ו-</span><a href="http://www.fairplanetseeds.com/%E2%80%8E"><span dir="LTR">FairPlanetSeeds</span></a><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>. מפיתוח
מערכות סולאריות מתקדמות </span><a href="http://www.nova-lumos.com/%E2%80%8E"><span dir="LTR">Nova-Lumos</span></a><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>, מערכות
תאורה </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"><a href="http://www.globelws.com/">Globe
Light & Water System</a></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> <span lang="HE">ופרוייקטי אנרגיה מתחדשת </span></span><a href="http://www.aravapower.com/%E2%80%8E"><span dir="LTR">Arava Power</span></a><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> <span lang="HE">ועד סלילת דרכים וכבישים בצורה ידידותית לסביבה ולחברה
- </span></span><a href="http://www.anywaysolutions.com/%E2%80%8E"><span dir="LTR">AnyWays
Solutions</span></a><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>. מאמצעים
למניעת הדבקות באיידס </span><a href="http://www.prepex.com/%E2%80%8E"><span dir="LTR">PrePex</span></a><span dir="LTR"> </span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>, רפואה
מרחוק </span><a href="http://www.ewavemd.com/%E2%80%8E"><span dir="LTR">ewavemd</span></a><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> <span lang="HE">דרך טכנולוגיות חינוך </span></span><a href="http://www.uopeople.org/%E2%80%8E"><span dir="LTR">University of the people</span></a><span dir="LTR">, <a href="http://www.globisens.com/" target="_blank">globisens</a>, <a href="https://infra.crowdvalley.com/networks/devtechhub/startups/90315">Appleseeds</a></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span dir="LTR" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> </span></span><span dir="LTR"> </span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> <span lang="HE">ועד למומחיות ב</span></span><span dir="LTR">post harvesting </span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><a href="http://www.ftic.co.il/"><span dir="LTR">FTIC</span></a><a href="http://www.ftic.co.il/"><span dir="LTR">http://www.ftic.co.il/</span></a><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>, איתור מוקשים </span><a href="http://www.geomineisr.com/"><span dir="LTR">GEOMINE</span></a><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> <span lang="HE">ורבים נוספים שעמלים על מנת לספק מענה בר קיימא לאתגרי העולם המתפתח. יש לציין
כי אין מדובר בחברות המספקות פתרונות טכנולוגיים בלבד אלא לעיתים בעמותות ובחברות שמציעות
פתרונות קיימים בדרך חדשנית ובמבנה ייחודי שמהווה את הבסיס להצעת הערך שלהן למול שווקים,
כל זאת לצד מאות מומחים ישראלים המספקים שירותי ייעוץ לממשלות, ארגונים וחברות ברחבי
העולם המתפתח ובשלל תחומים.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="HE"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">בראיה לעתיד אני
מצפה בכליון לשמוע סיפורי הצלחה ישראלים עם השפעה מרחיקת לכת על העולם ושיובילו
לצמיחה מחודשת תחום הפיתוח הבינלאומ בישראלי ולצמיכה של סקטור עסקי חדש בתחום
המונע לא רק ממנעים עסקיים אלא גם ממניעים ערכיים ואתיים עמוקים. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="direction: rtl; line-height: 150%; text-align: right; text-indent: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;">
<span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">אני מזמין אותכם
לקרוא, לשתף ולתרום לבלוג זה ומעל הכל לקחת חלק פעיל בעיצוב עתיד ישראל בתחום. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: right;">הכותב, דניאל בן יהודה, עובד כמנהל פיתוח קהילה
בתכנית לחדשנות ופיתוח בינלאומי באוניברסיטת תל אביב, ממקימי חברת </span><span dir="LTR" style="text-align: right;">DevTechHub</span><span dir="RTL" style="text-align: right;"></span><span dir="RTL" style="text-align: right;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: right;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> <span lang="HE">ומיוזמי קהילת </span></span><span dir="LTR" style="text-align: right;">IsraelDev</span><span dir="RTL" style="text-align: right;"></span><span dir="RTL" style="text-align: right;"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: right;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span> </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023898628733640900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090661430129456530.post-91938149931857900292013-07-25T03:33:00.002-07:002013-07-30T02:57:43.910-07:00Israel and the Developing World: From Herzl to Hi-Tech - Caylee Talpert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2g33z_fIpraF60WbpbquQO962Ja2dXLEXRvBB775zNQPvEOtwiM19CfEt9bLv2Fr9WprG91DckEvjZo_Dy1lIsNG9lWEdvoj3eVBrx7ub1ujJZUnHC_kEjWRuwVaHZRFt_KPyMlbGtpI/s1600/DSC08873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2g33z_fIpraF60WbpbquQO962Ja2dXLEXRvBB775zNQPvEOtwiM19CfEt9bLv2Fr9WprG91DckEvjZo_Dy1lIsNG9lWEdvoj3eVBrx7ub1ujJZUnHC_kEjWRuwVaHZRFt_KPyMlbGtpI/s320/DSC08873.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
idea that Israel has an important role to play in the developing world, is by
no means a new idea, in fact it can be traced as far back as 1902, long before
the establishment of the state when Theodor Herzl, in his book <i>Alteneuland</i>, envisioned that the
struggle for “the redemption of the Africans” would eventually become the
continuation of the struggle for the “redemption of the Jews.”</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
idea of the Jewish State playing an important role in the developing world
found expression among Israel’s founders where already David Ben Gurion spoke
about Israel’s ‘moral duty’ to the rest of the world and, in the 1950s, Golda
Meir began establishing close relationships with many developing countries.
MASHAV, the Centre for International Cooperation, a department within the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs was founded in 1958 and in the early years of
Statehood Israel had more embassies in Africa than all countries other than
France. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Initially
there was both strong ideological and political rationale for this cooperation,
which was seen as a vehicle for Israeli “soft power” and gaining support for
the fledgling Jewish state from many of the new voting members of the United
Nations. Furthermore, economically, the developing world was seen to offer
important markets for Israeli goods and African leaders looked to Israel as a
supporter of decolonization and an important source of technical support. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBZx1rIHonp_2SBmLRBNLY0R206i_IV9G9eDt1LXCSTRPKFYChMLU5HhiVqy4POBFUzUkPUX-r30XwFzBqlrnul0k-upc9KM9KrtV2ivW1qWmheXiYXU9zijP4vSnlEvb24iPVeDalTw/s1600/DSC06139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBZx1rIHonp_2SBmLRBNLY0R206i_IV9G9eDt1LXCSTRPKFYChMLU5HhiVqy4POBFUzUkPUX-r30XwFzBqlrnul0k-upc9KM9KrtV2ivW1qWmheXiYXU9zijP4vSnlEvb24iPVeDalTw/s320/DSC06139.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Initially
these efforts paid off, Israel enjoyed a period of close diplomatic ties with
Africa and during the late 1950’s and 60’s Israel enjoyed relative support at
the UN and other international forum. However, the situation changed
drastically in the 70’s when 27 of the then 33 African states severed relations
with Israel following the Yom Kippur War. This had severe implications for
Israel’s official development assistance which has never quite recovered. Over
the years MASHAV’s operations have been considerably downscaled. Between
1959-60 the MASHAV budget comprised of approximately 34% of the total MFA
budget, today it stands at only 3%.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Given
this political context Israel’s engagement with the developing world has in the
past been somewhat tenuous. While Israel has made some important contributions,
for example in fields such as agriculture where for years Israeli invented drip
irrigation has been increasing crop yields or by sending water, infrastructure
and medical experts to developing countries, these contributions have often
been in spite of significant political obstacles. However, a shift is underway
in international development discourse which suggests that Israel’s greatest
contributions are yet to be seen. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On
an ideological and political level we have seen the notion of <i>Tikkun Olam</i> or <i>“repairing the world</i>”, which has become an important mantra for
encouraging Israeli assistance to the developing world. This concept, which
became popular in liberal Jewish communities during the past decade, has in
recent years found its way into the speeches of world leaders from Barack Obama
on his recent visit to Israel in March to Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and even
President Peres himself at the recent Facing Tomorrow Presidents Conference in
Jerusalem. However it’s not only rhetoric, (although there is plenty of that)
driven by the notion of <i>Tikkun Olam</i>,
a multiplicity of Israeli and Jewish organisations have emerged, from </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.britolam.org/"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Brit Olam</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
and </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.tevelbtzedek.org/"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tevel B’Tzedek</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> who have been sending volunteers to
the developing world for years to </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.israeldev.org/#!israeldev-network/c1ghi"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">NGOs that are working to connect Israeli social and technological
innovation</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
with solving the challenges of the developing world such as </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.innoafrica.org/"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Innovation Africa</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
or the </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.israelimodel.co.il/"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Israeli Social
Model.</span></a><a href="http://www.israelimodel.co.il/"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However,
perhaps the greatest opportunities for Israel’s potential involvement in
international development comes with the recent shift in the international
development community globally to seeking more sustainable methods for
assisting the world’s poorest countries. Increasingly the aid industry is
turning to market-based solutions and private sector-driven development to
galvanise entrepreneurship and reach scale in these countries. Technology and
innovation are seen to play an important role in this new discourse. This is an
area where the entrepreneurial spirit of Israel, the <i>Start Up Nation</i> has a potentially important role to play.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Israel
is already a world leader in some of the areas where the developing world has
the most pressing needs such as agriculture, water, renewable energy, medical
and education technologies. Furthermore the developing world represents immense
markets for innovative Israeli technologies as these countries offer the
potential for “leap frogging” into adapting modern technology from the start
without having to undergo the often difficult shift away from existing
technologies to better solutions. In a city or village where there is no
electricity, renewable energy offers an important solution and can be built
into new projects from the start. Similarly in these countries entrepreneurs
face little competition. Take </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.safaricom.co.ke/business/solutions-by-business-size/large-corporate/m-pesa"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mpesa</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
in Kenya for instance: unlike the West where entrenched interests of credit
card companies and regulations are an important impediment to adoption of
mobile banking, in Kenya 70% of the population uses mobile money, and other
countries in the region are quickly following suit.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Israelis
understand innovation that comes out of necessity, we have experienced it in
our own development, frugal innovation and out-of-the-box thinking that is so
relevant for the developing world offers the innovative Israeli spirit an
opportunity to thrive. Given both current and future economic growth rates and
demographic shifts, the developing world is the future, and Israel well
positioned between Africa, Asia and Europe intersects these worlds and has an
important role to play in this demographic and economic transition.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
Israel, with its recognised expertise in innovation and technology, was to
focus its entrepreneurial energy on addressing some of the world’s most
pressing problems, then both the nations of the developing world and Israel
itself could have much to gain. The </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.israeldev.org/"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">IsraelDev Network</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> comprises of individuals and
organisations that recognise this potential and hope to raise awareness to help
nudge our civil society leaders, politicians and entrepreneurs in that
direction. We hope you will join us in this endeavour!</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Caylee Talpert is the Director of Special Projects at Tel
Aviv University’s Innovation and International Development Program at the
Hartog School of Government and Policy where she manages the IsraelDev Network.
Caylee holds an Msc in International Development from the London School of
Economics.</b></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023898628733640900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090661430129456530.post-87347950135693173382013-07-25T03:24:00.001-07:002013-07-30T03:12:40.613-07:00From Poverty to Prosperity - By Danielle Abraham<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: top;">
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<b>An Israeli initiated UN
resolution on "Entrepreneurship for Development"<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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Israel, now famously known as the Start-Up Nation, is renowned for its
remarkable spirit of entrepreneurship. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Much space has been dedicated to detailing how
Israel produces more start-ups per capita than any nation on the planet, how Israel
has the third highest number of companies on the NASDAQ, surpassed only by
America and China and how Tel Aviv was named the second most
entrepreneurship-friendly city in the world. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But that is only half the story... <o:p></o:p></div>
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Israel is not only reaping the benefits of a strong
and growing entrepreneurial spirit at home, but is striving to share this
spirit with the world. Israel is
encouraging other nations to support entrepreneurship for economic growth and is
highlighting its crucial role for achieving sustainable development.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As Ron Prosor, the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations stated three
weeks ago, "Entrepreneurship is the key to unlocking the challenges of the
21st century. It should be a central focus of the United Nations’
post-2015 development agenda."<o:p></o:p></div>
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Consequently, Israel is looking to harness its entrepreneurial spirit
for international development and demonstrate how entrepreneurship can be used
to tackle the world's most pressing development challenges; making the
transition from the Start-up Nation to the Development Start-Up Nation. To such
ends, in December 2012, the United Nations approved an Israeli initiated
resolution on <b><i>"Entrepreneurship for Development".</i></b> The
resolution was designed to encourage countries to support entrepreneurs as a
means of advancing growth and prosperity in the developing world.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The resolution, initiated, authored and submitted by
Israel to the UN General Assembly marked a significant turning point and itself
constituted a historic landmark for the UN body. Firstly, the resolution was
innovative in and of itself. General Assembly resolutions usually clarify
policies which countries are then to adopt and implement. In this case,
however, the resolution reflected a bottom up process. The resolution was based
upon existing activities undertaken by Israel, through MASHAV - Israel's Agency
for International Development Cooperation, in using entrepreneurship for
development and then shared with the world. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Secondly, the resolution marked the first time in
the UN's history, that the General Assembly recognised the need to promote a
culture of entrepreneurship in the developing world as a means of advancing
economic growth, eradicating poverty and encouraging human development. The
resolution called on developing nations to support entrepreneurship through
numerous measures. For example, through improved regulatory environments, the
strengthening of domestic financial institutions and policy initiatives that
promote entrepreneurship and encourage talented people, including women and
youth, to put their ideas into action.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Finally, the resolution also marked a further shift
in the UN's development approach, away from the provision of aid and towards
empowerment, towards a greater investment in human capital. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As a follow up to the resolution, an event on
"Entrepreneurship for Development" was held at the UN on 26<sup>th</sup>
June 2013. The conference was co-hosted
by the Israeli Mission to the UN and the President of the General Assembly and
addressed how entrepreneurship can help move developing countries from poverty
to prosperity, using Israel's remarkable success as a model.<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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The conference featured entrepreneurs from around
the world and representatives from an incredible range of countries. It also
shone a spotlight on Israeli innovation and ingenuity as a model for poverty
eradication and financial growth. The event was divided into an opening segment
and then three panels: one on entrepreneurship for development; the second on
entrepreneurship education and the third on entrepreneurship as a tool for
empowerment. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Entrepreneurship has vast potential to contribute
to the attainment of sustainable development and to change the world. The
realisation of such potential, however, is heavily dependent upon commitment
from governments and effective investment in human capital.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As we look to the future, MASHAV is committed to continuing its investment in human capital and to sharing Israel's expertise and great spirit of entrepreneurship with the world. To date, in cooperation with the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT) of the Organisation of American States, MASHAV has reached over 22,500 beneficiaries in Latin America and the Caribbean Islands, training them in entrepreneurship.</div>
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The State of Israel, through MASHAV, is striving to encourage and empower a new generation across the devleoping world to push the boundaries, to see new possibilities, and to find solutions to this century's most pressing challenges, to move the developing world from poverty to prosperity.</div>
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See the UN webcasts of the event below:</div>
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<a href="http://webtv.un.org/meetings-events/watch/opening-thematic-debate-on-entrepreneurship-for-development-general-assembly/2509521693001" target="_blank"><b>Opening Thematic Debate on Entrepreneurship For Development</b></a> </div>
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<b><a href="http://webtv.un.org/meetings-events/watch/panel-1-thematic-debate-on-entrepreneurship-for-development-general-assembly/2510526397001" target="_blank">Panel 1: Entrepreneurship for Development</a></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><a href="http://webtv.un.org/meetings-events/watch/panel-2-thematic-debate-on-entrepreneurship-for-development-general-assembly/2511774903001">Panel 2: Entrepreneurship Education</a></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><a href="http://webtv.un.org/meetings-events/watch/panel-3-thematic-debate-on-entrepreneurship-for-development-general-assembly/2510733503001">Panel 3: Entrepreneurship as a Tool for Empowerment</a></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Danielle Abraham is currently a Policy Advisor
to the Director of Policy Planning and External Relations of MASHAV, Israel's
Agency for International Development Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.</b></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023898628733640900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090661430129456530.post-57908346056138600142013-07-25T03:17:00.003-07:002013-08-04T05:44:25.281-07:00The World Water Crisis and How Israel Can Be of Service - Ornit Avidar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhthEzKHqX3lLpPZn0_rXlBqc0QSRpeDfrXOVVusT20HAqRGmH4tLMqZ8a0j2wIUhQo9mmoxcRFDJIN-WdTblLR8OpkDRjchanWuSNnO1osgMThiOnnD_UYtS1tm0_E3Ifq594w_uqJ1jA/s1600/OrnitForageMokora6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhthEzKHqX3lLpPZn0_rXlBqc0QSRpeDfrXOVVusT20HAqRGmH4tLMqZ8a0j2wIUhQo9mmoxcRFDJIN-WdTblLR8OpkDRjchanWuSNnO1osgMThiOnnD_UYtS1tm0_E3Ifq594w_uqJ1jA/s320/OrnitForageMokora6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Been
there done that" – is probably the best way to explain Israel's
advantage and ability to contribute to the water challenges of developing
countries. Our own experience of dealing with draught and lack of water sources
for over 60 years and our success in flourishing the desert and having a state
of the art water supply system has made the Israeli water industry an expert
and stockpile of knowledge and know-how for these critical issues.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whenever
I meet ministers, project managers and other interested entities in Africa,
immediately a trust factor forms, because I am perceived as someone who
represents a nation that has passed and been in the same situation. Out of
necessity, innovation transpires and this is also where the hope factor comes
in, if we the Israelis were able to find solutions so will they.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what
are the factors of Israel's success?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What did
Israel do to achieve the fantastic fact that "today with 8 million people
Israel uses the same amount of natural water as we did in the 1960's with 4
million people".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Well p<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">ersonally I have to say that the first is </span><u style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">our awareness</u><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"> of the water shortage, which turned Israel into a </span><u style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">water saving society</u><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"> – that might seem strange to many, but this awareness is inbreed into children from the age of two,</span> in the kindergartens and throughout the whole education system up to pamphlets
and commercials on national TV for adults. Not to mention regulatory issues
mandated on industry, progressive water tariffs and more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. This awareness has brought on the development and use of different conservation techniques. <span style="text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">The famous of them all is drip irrigation, which
was invented and already used in Israel in the 1960's. Since agriculture is the
highest user of water in most countries, the potential of drip irrigation in
water conservation is enormous; Drip irrigation saves up to 50% compared with
sprinklers and much more if you compare it to traditional flooding irrigation. Conservation
can also be done in the home, by literally using less water and closing the tap
frequently, but technology also stepped in here and today we have regulating
flow devices ("hashamim" in Hebrew), 2 flush system toilets, low
flush and many more. The Industry has its own innovations such as A/C water
collection, water cooler tower water reuse, grey-water reuse for flushing,
industry water reuse and regulations which improve with the years.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">3. The lack of natural sources, </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; text-indent: -24px;">brought on the need for new sources and with it </span><u style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; text-indent: -24px;">waste water reuse for agriculture</u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; text-indent: -24px;">: </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; text-indent: -24px;"> </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Israel produces 520 mcm (million meter cube) of sewage water per year;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">475 mcm is collected and treated (91%), the aim is to reach up to 500 mcm by 2015;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">360 mcm is reclaimed for irrigation (75%), </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; text-indent: -24px;">(</span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; text-indent: -24px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Israel NewTech presentation</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; text-indent: -24px;">), I am proud to say that this is a world record, the next country in line reuses around 30%.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: -24px;">4. <u>Desalination</u> - I</span><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">srael is the 4</span><sup style="text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">th</sup><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;"> in the world in
reverse osmosis use, and 30% of its water today is desalinated with a capacity
to provide Israel with the water it needs for the future. But desalination is
an expensive and capital industry, so, several Israeli companies have invented
solution using the solar desalination and wave desalination technology to
substantially reduce the use of energy in the desalination process.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">5. <u>Water Management</u> - C</span><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">ontrol and monitoring, these are very important
components of water usage and savings, over 50% of water can be saved due to proper
management.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;"><b>Put all of these together concurrently with innovation and experience, you have a whole industry which can cater its services towards developing countries and can assist in tackling the vast existing water shortage. </b></span></span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ornit
Avidar founded <a href="http://www.water-ws.com/" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: rgb(102, 102, 102) !important; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">WaterWays™</a> in light of the
growing need for clean water in off grid and rural areas and the understanding
that everyone is entitled to clean drinking water. Since then she has promoted
this issue and the issue of pragmatic low cost innovative solutions for all, as
well as sustainability models for long-lasting projects. <a href="http://www.water-ws.com/" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: rgb(102, 102, 102) !important; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">WaterWays™</a> is a provider of water
solutions for rural areas. Do partner with us for projects in Africa - ornit@water-ws.com</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00023898628733640900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090661430129456530.post-9882927384775001872013-07-24T02:25:00.000-07:002013-08-25T00:58:52.490-07:00Welcome To The Newly Launched IsraelDev Blog!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This blog will serve as an interactive platform and "go to place" for all issues related to international development and Israel's role as an engine of social and technological innovation in the developing world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be happy to share with our community of followers, videos, events articles and op-eds, in answer to the most prominent and controversial questions of international development, addressing issues from education to health, food security to water and technology.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Regular contributors and guest experts will interactively share their ideas and stimulate dialogue around paramount issues of global poverty and Israel's role vis-a-vis development challenges. <span style="line-height: 1.2em;">Stay tuned for more information in the upcoming days and to read our latest entries!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We welcome contributions from experienced writers and experts in the field. To submit an article and to learn more about how to get involved, please contact <a href="mailto:Diana@sraelDev.org?subject=Blog%20Contribution%20Enquiry" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: rgb(102, 102, 102) !important; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Diana@sraelDev.org. </a><span style="line-height: 1.2em;">Also, if you wish to learn more about the IsraelDev network and the different opportunities to get involved, please contact info@IsraelDev.org and watch the video above introducing our network and activities.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I look forward to this being a positive and interactive platform to share knowledge and ideas on the potential of Israeli social and technological innovation for the developing world and to stimulating an ever growing international development community in Israel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sincerely,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6em;">Diana Rabba</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6em;">Blog Editor</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Diana Rabba is the Editor-in-chief of the IsraelDev blog and a geopolitical analyst for the consultancy firm Wikistrat. Diana holds an MA in Legal and Political Theory from University College London.</span></strong></div>
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