Issue22

Galilee Society Newsletter

In This Issue: Issue 22, November 2006

s Project to Provide Emergency s HRC Conducts Study Day to Promote
Telephone Support for Palestinian Diabetes Awareness Following
Communities Affected by War Meets Completion of Research and Analysis
with Success s Traditional Arabic Medicine: Members
s GS Holds Summer Camp for Arab of the Chinese Embassy Visit the R&D
Children from the War Zone Center
s Legal Advocacy: The EJC Turns up the s News in Brief
Heat on State to Remove Asbestos s How to Support the Galilee Society
from Arab Primary School
s Naqab Department Trains Bedouin
Women and Educators to Prevent
Accidents

Project to Provide Emergency Telephone Support for Palestinian
Communities Affected by War Meets with Success

A committee created by the Galilee Society
and a group of Arab NGOs to provide support
to Arabs affected by the Israeli war on
Lebanon has recently begun a survey of
damages inflicted on North Israel’s Arab
localities. The project was resultant from
meetings initiated and led by the Galilee
Society that addressed the lack of information Image from ataa48.org
and emergency services provided by the state
to handle Arab material and emotional
damages and legal problems resulting from the war.

Despite their position in the path of Hezbollah rockets, Arab communities in Israel suffered from
the complete absence of air raid shelters, sirens, information in Arabic, and access to
emergency services. The state provided no psychological or legal support for Arabic speakers

despite their high concentration in war-affected areas. Arab communities were effectively
abandoned by the state during the war and its aftermath.

To combat this inequality, the Galilee Society and its partners created the Ataa (Arabic for “to
give”) Line, a toll-free number created to provide legal and psychological support for Arabs
residing in war-struck villages. Citizens could access advice simply by dialing *2231 from any
phone, or on the web at www.ataa48.org.

Thanks to extensive promotion in Arab locales, the line was an immediate success, logging
231 calls in the first three weeks alone. For 11 hours per day during the war and its aftermath,
17 volunteers answered calls and dispensed advice and critical information to those suffering
from the war’s consequences. (Click here to read about how the Galilee Society honored
volunteers.)

Two trainings, led by professional lawyers and psychologists, were conducted in early August
to assure that the 17 telephone operator volunteers were qualified to offer effective support.
Complicated legal or psychological problems beyond the qualifications of volunteers were
relayed to a lawyer or psychologist.

The committee and volunteers are currently conducting a survey of Arab villages affected by
the war. They plan to publish two reports, one concerning physical damage and one
exploring the psychological impact of the war.

Funding for the project was provided by emergency support from the Ford Foundation and the
Open Society Institute. Partners in the project included, Adalah, the Ahali Center, the Arab
Culture Association, the Arab Psychologists Association, Ittijah, and the Medical Relief
Committee.

GS Holds Summer Camp for Arab Children from the War Zone

The Galilee Society Health Rights Center in
cooperation with the Arab Cultural
Association and the Baladna Association,
held a five-day summer camp in August for
children who lived in villages struck by
rockets during the July Israel-Hezbollah war.
Held at the Seven Arches Hotel in Jerusalem,
the camp provided children between the ages
of 8-14 group therapy sessions, Arab cultural
events, and visits to area cultural institutions.

The camp, according to Mohammad Khatib, Camp participant
General Program Director at the Galilee
Society, was held to provide the children a
healthy, psychologist-supervised forum to discuss the traumatic events of the war, as well as to
provide the children with a positive experience to replace the usual summer activities they had
missed due to the war.

“I think this camp was successful and achieved its objectives,” said Khatib. “We received a lot

of messages from participants' families expressing their satisfaction based on their children’s
feedback.”

In addition to the children invitees, five
families who lost a family member to rocket
attacks participated. Facilitators included 15
volunteers from the North of Israel, Galilee
Society staff, and mental health professionals
invited by the Galilee Society.

Despite the horror of the participants’ shared
experience living in the midst of war, the
camp succeeded in its objective of providing
a positive and convivial diversion. Volunteers
led visits to the Bloomfield Science Museum, Camp attendees participating in traditional
Arab dancing
the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, the Sport Center
at the Hebrew University, the old city and to
Mini Israel. In addition to these excursions, participants also enjoyed evening activities in the
hotel, such as traditional Arab dance and theater.

The secondary objective for the camp was to establish collaborative links between the Galilee
Society and Palestinian organizations. Partners for the camp included, Al Hakawati Theater
Group, the Palestinian Center for Training, the Palestinian Group for Traditional Dancing, and
the Al Sanabel Theater Group.

Funding for the camp came from participant tuition as well as from support from the Arab-
American Welfare Association, and other sources.

Legal Advocacy: The EJC Turns up the Heat on State to Remove
Asbestos from Arab Primary School

The Environmental Justic Center (EJC) has
successfully advocated on behalf of a primary
school in the Arab village of Majd Al-Kroum to
pressure the State to remove asbestos from
the school’s ceilings. After receiving a
petition from the EJC’s legal advocacy team,
the Ministry of Education moved quickly to
remove asbestos, a dangerous lung irritant,
from the school.

EJC representatives who met with the
school’s headmaster and Parent Teacher Ceiling damage in classrooms in the Al
Salaam School. Ceiling damage allows
Association observed asbestos exposure due asbestos to become airborne.
to dilapidated ceilings throughout the school.
The Ministry of Education specifically forbids
the presence of asbestos in its facilities

Representatives from the school had notified the Ministry in April of 2006 of the problem, but
despite promises from the State that the asbestos would be removed by the end of the
academic year, the work was not completed by the time the Israeli war on Lebanon began in
mid-July

Following the cease-fire in mid-August, the
EJC supported a proposed teacher strike to
force government action, and sent the petition
to the Ministries of Education and
Environment. The State acted quickly to
initiate repairs to the school’s facilities,
preventing the strike. Last month, the Al
Salaam School’s Parent Teacher Association
reported to the Galilee Society that the
asbestos has been removed from the school’s
ceilings.

Asbestos, traditionally used as thermal
insulation or fire retardant, is made up of
microscopic bundles of fibers that may
become airborne when asbestos-containing
materials are damaged or disturbed.
Exposure to asbestos is a potential health risk
because airborne fibers can be inhaled and
lodged in the lungs. Fibers embedded in the Ceiling damage in classrooms in the Al
lungs can cause serious lung diseases Salaam School. Ceiling damage allows
including lung and other cancers, according asbestos to become airborne.
to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/).

The village of Majd Al-Kroum was struck repeatedly by Hezbollah-fired rockets during the
summer’s Israel-Hezbollah conflict.

Naqab Department Trains Bedouin Women and Educators to Prevent
Accidents

The Galilee Society’s Naqab Department has
launched a project to train Bedouin women
and schoolteachers in safety and first aid.

Galilee Society Health Educators have held
two sessions attended by 15 Bedouin women
in the village of Abu Tlol in the Naqab to
combat preventable injuries in the home and
at school. The program aims to conduct ten,
one-hour sessions per village for Bedouin
women, and three sessions total for teachers.
Following the completion of the ten sessions Students in First Aid Course
in Abu Tlol, the Galilee Society will focus on
the village of Al Said, also in the Naqab.

In addition to first aid and injury prevention instruction, the Galilee Society will provide
participants with a first aid kit. Teachers will receive a larger, more comprehensive first aid kid
to keep in the classroom.

Curricula include topics such as where to keep dangerous materials, animal safety, fire
hazards, correct use of medicine, and the use of antihistamines to combat allergic reactions to
bees and other potential allergens.

This project corresponds to the Naqab’s goal to increase Arab Bedouin women's awareness of
good health practices, such as personal and family hygiene, pre- and post-natal care, and
proper nutrition.

HRC Conducts Study Day to Promote Diabetes Awareness Following
Completion of Research and Analysis

The HRC conducted a study day in November first to present data collected for a diabetes and
cardiovascular disease (CVD) awareness project focused on the village of Tira.

This research focused on a carefully selected target group of diagnosed diabetic and CVD
patients about the management and treatment of their conditions and resultant complications,
and was conducted in two clinics, Clalit and Maccabi, in the central Israel village of Tira. The
research is part of a larger project to promote diabetes and CVD treatment throughout Arab
communities in Israel.

Project goals are to empower diabetic patients and their families and to empower civic
involvement through identifying and maximizing community resources and health system
organization. The project comprises capacity building workshops, research, and an advocacy
campaign to promote the rights of patients to adequate and comprehensive health care.

The study day brought together nearly 100 patients, health care professionals, and Galilee
Society staff to discuss the findings of the research and to promote awareness of diabetes. The
program included presentations by the General Director of the Galilee Society, the Mayor of
Tira, a Tira physician, and representatives from the two surveyed clinics, Clalit and Maccabi. In
addition, other activities were conducted to offer patients advice on the treatment and

monitoring of this disease.

Traditional Arabic Medicine: Members of the Chinese Embassy Visit the
R&D Center

Members from the Chinese Embassy visited
the Galilee Society R&D Center and Al
Maissam on September 6th. The group
included Deputy Head of Mission, Ms. Zhang
Xiaoan; Science and Technology Counsellor,
Mr. Feng Xuan; and Third Secretary, Mr. Chen
Dechun. The visitors came to discuss various
opportunities for collaboration with Galilee
Society Scientists. However, their focus was
traditional medicine and the overlap between
the Arabic and Chinese practices.
Representatives of the Chinese Embassy
with R&D Center and Al Maissam staff
The highlight of the visit was the trip to the
botanical gardens of Al Maissam. There, Al
Maissam Director, Dr. Omar Said, and Mr.
Yunatan Ritter guided the visitors through an ethnobotanical history of the region. It was clear
during the tour that Dr. Said's knowledge of Traditional Arabic Medicine is second nature,
extending beyond his studies on the subject. His discussion reflected his comfort with the
subject matter, as he was able to weave a discussion between the scientific nomenclature and
real-life application of each plant. Mr. Ritter also engaged the visitors in a discussion of
various plant species.

This was the first such dialogue between the
Chinese Embassy and Israeli-Arab scientists.
As such, it was a unique opportunity for
intercultural exchange. Traditional Chinese
Medicine scholars were formally invited to the
First Regional Conference on Traditional
Arabic and Islamic Medicine that the Galilee
Society is hosting in August 2007 in Amman,
Jordan.

Both Arabic and Chinese traditional medicine
are holistic approaches that view an illness as Representatives of the Chinese Embassy
with R&D Center and Al Maissam staff
a deficiency in the balance of the entire body
system. Traditional Arabic medicine, also
known as Graeco-Arabic medicine, is based
on the concepts of four humors and energy/life force. The four humors are basic substances
(originating from earth, fire, water and air) that make up the human body. When these are held
in balance, the life force is at its optimal strength. While the theories seem more abstract and
closer to alternative medicine, the methodologies employed in the Graeco-Arabic tradition are
the predecessors of modern allopathic medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine also follows a
theory of balance to achieve optimal health and well being. The most well known of these is
the theory of yin (darker element) and yang (brighter element).

News in Brief

HRC: Recent and Upcoming HIV/AIDS Activities

The Galilee Society conducted two workshops in the Triangle (central) region of Israel for 40
high school students to promote HIV/AIDS awareness. The first workshop took place in Kufu
Karee’ on July 14 and the second took place in Reina on October 5.

Two Representatives from the Church of Scotland, a faith-based organization based in
Edinburgh, visited the Galilee Society Headquarters in Shefa ‘Amr on October 23. Tiberias-
based Jen Zielinski and Jerusalem-based Rev. Jane Barron met with Galilee Society staff to
discuss the importance of promoting HIV/AIDS awareness in Israel and the particular
difficulties inherent in promoting awareness of a taboo disease in this culture that is at the
same time traditional and modern.

The representatives said that Galilee Society research indicates that HIV/AIDS isn’t exclusively
an African problem, and that there is need for HIV/AIDS work in the Arab world. Galilee Society
staff agreed with the representatives that much work remains to be done to promote HIV/AIDS
prevention.

The Church of Scotland has funded the Galilee Society’s HIV/AIDS project since 2004.

EJC Announces Completion of Project to Facilitate Environmental Hazard
Reporting: The GreenLine

The Environmental Justice Center has
created an interactive form on the Galilee
Society website to facilitate the report of
environmental problems. Written in Arabic
and accessible from the GS home page, the
form allows citizens to convey concerns
directly to the EJC’s legal advocacy team.

EJC Initiates Scholarship Program
to Encourage Environmental Study
in Israel

The Environmental Justice Center has
initiated a scholarship program to encourage
environmental study for university school
students in Israel.

The program is open to all Israeli students The GreenLine
studying geography, environment, or health,
and provides 2000 NIS ($467) to be applied
to school tuition. Candidates for the award are required to submit a proposal for a community
environmental project. Once accepted, the students have five months to implement his or her
project. The scholarship committee stipulated that projects must be related to environmental
conservation, and must involve pupils from school.

Examples of accepted proposals are a green yard, a community environmental hazard report,
and an aviary. The Galilee Society will report in this newsletter on student projects at the end
of the five month period.

Funding for the project comes from MISEREOR, the German Catholic Bishops’ Organization for
Development Cooperation.

Galilee Society Headquarters Building Expansion Project Breaks Ground

Workers began construction in early October to add two new floors to the Galilee Society
Headquarters Building in Shefa ‘Amr, Israel. Mahmoud Al Hafaz Construction Company won
the bid for the contract at the end of September and within weeks began to set up scaffolding in
preparation for construction. The first phase, which will create the load-bearing structure, is
scheduled for completion in January 2007.

The first floor will house the R&D center’s administrative offices and laboratories, and the
second floor will be leased out to provide a constant stream of funding for the Galilee Society.

New Board Members Elected and Volunteers Honored at October Staff
Meeting and Ramadan Celebration

The Galilee Society welcomed three new board members and honored volunteers at an
October staff meeting. In addition to the official proceedings, those in attendance celebrated

Ramadan with a traditional break of the fast meal.

More than 25 volunteers were also present at the event to be honored for their gracious
support of Galilee Society activities. Nearly 95% of the volunteers were women. They were
presented with a certificate of appreciation by the Board of Directors. Organizations present
included the National Medical Relief Committee; Al Hali; Itija; Voice of the Employee; Adalah,
the legal center for Arab minority rights in Israel; and the Arab Psychological Organization.

Of the three new board members, Dr. Iyad Jahshan is a gynecologist from Nazareth, Mr. Abed
Msalha is a nurse in the French Hospital in Nazareth, and Ms. Rosland Daem is a lecturer in
the Arabic College for Education – Children’s Literature.

Reelected members include Mr. Wael Omari, Ms. Souad Diab, Dr. Walid Kaddan, and Dr.
Abdallah Shahin.

The Galilee Society would like to wish its new elected board success and productivity.

Naqab Department Successfully Petitions State to Provide Arab-Language
Classes in Psychology and Special Needs Education

In the Naqab Department’s ongoing efforts to
improve services to Arab-speaking residents
with special needs, it has successfully lobbied
the State to offer psychology and special
needs education courses in Arabic at the
Open University in Beer El Saba'.

This program marks the first time many of
these courses have been offered in Arabic at
the University and is in line with the Naqab
Department’s goal of launching health
advocacy and outreach initiatives to secure
Students at the Open University
rights and services for the Arab Bedouin
community in the Naqab.

A group of 47 Arab students have registered to attend these special classes. The Naqab
Department has pledged to work closely with the students to resolve problems and to offer
emotional and financial support. The training of young, motivated, Arab-speaking promises to
improve educational opportunities for Arab-speaking special needs citizens of the Naqab.

Naqab Department: New Pamphlets Aim to Promote Local Plant Use for
Food and Medicine

The Naqab Department has produced five
different pamphlets promoting the use of local
plants in improving the health of the Naqab
Bedouin. These publications aim to
scientifically present healthy, local, traditional
plants in order to combat the trend of
increased consumption of processed foods by
Bedouin.

Up to 5,000 copies of each pamphlet will be
printed and distributed to targeted groups, Brochure concerning garlic's healthful
especially women and educators involved in qualities
the Naqab Department’s early childhood and
health education programs and patients at the
mobile health clinic.

Examples of promoted foods include barley, ginger, garlic, and chamomile.

Galilee Society R&D Scientists Active in the International Scientific
Community

Dr. Isam Sabbah participated in the First Mediterranean Congress on Chemical Engineering
for the Environment in Venice, Italy in October. He delivered a lecture entitled, “The Effect of
Immobilization on the Rate of Biodegradation of Phenol at High Concentrations,” which
presented the outcomes of Nedal Massalha's MSc thesis work, supervised by Dr. Sabbah. The
latter also published the results in a paper coauthored by Mr. Massalha and Dr. Sobhi
Basheer.

On October 30, Dr. Hassan Azaizeh attended a conference in Amman, Jordan on the “Efficient
Management of Wastewater, Its Treatment, and Reuse in Mediterranean Countries,” hosted by
EMWater. Dr. Azaizeh presented his joint research with Dr. Jeries Jadoun on alternative
energy from agricultural waste. His talk was entitled, “Biogas Production in Anaerobic
Codigestion of Olive Mill Wastewater and Swine Manure.”

How to Support the Galilee Society

Help achieve equitable health, environmental, and socio-economic conditions and
development opportunities for Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel by supporting the Galilee
Society.

How to Donate to the Galilee Society

Tax-Exempt Donations
In order to facilitate giving, the Galilee Society has recently received tax-exempt status in the
United States, via the Friends of the Galilee Society. To donate in the United States, please
make checks payable to the Friends of the Galilee Society and send them to:

Dr. Shouki Kassis
Chair, Board of Directors
7 Lee Road, Audubon, PA 19403
United States
kassis25@comcast.net
Tel: +1 610 662 3693

Bank transfers to the Friends of the Galilee Society can be made to the following account:

Account Name: Friends of the Galilee Society
Bank Name: PNC Bank
Branch: Audubon Village Shopping Center
Account Number: 86-0943-9642

Please inform Friends of the Galilee Society of your donation:
rbarghouti@gal-soc.org.

Direct Donations
To donate to the Galilee Society directly, please send checks (in any currency) payable to the
Galilee Society at:

P.O. Box 330
Shefa-Amr, 20200
Israel

Alternatively, bank transfers (in any currency) can be made directly to the Galilee Society's
bank account:

Account Number: 9800
Bank Name: Bank Hapoalim
Branch Number: 731
Bank Address: Jabour Street, Shefa-Amr 20200 Israel
SWIFT Code: POALILIT

Please inform us of your donation at fnassar@gal-soc.org.

The Galilee Society - The Arab National Society for Health Research and Services is a leading disk utility
community-based Arab NGO. The overriding goal of the Galilee Society is the achievement of equitable
health and socio-economic conditions for the Palestinian citizens of Israel.

The Galilee Society
P.O. Box 330, Shefa-Amr 20200, Israel
Tel.: +972 4 986 1171
Fax: +972 4 986 1173
Email: admin@gal-soc.org

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