Water management for Peace
Seminar
“Youth in Action”
Water management is a priority for the next years, the lack of resources and the inequality of the possibilities of access to water cause discriminations, social exclusion and don't help development. As certain tourist or farming sectors are privileged, there is an inequality of the allocation of resources which has enormous consequences on the development of the civil society. The high contamination of rivers and oceans affects the health of all citizens and a big economic and energetic investment is needed to produce drinking water.
If water management can respect everybody's rights, it becomes a factor of peace and cooperation. On the other hand, if we neglect this fact or don't urgently treat it, the lack of access to water and the running out of resources will lead to new conflicts in the next years.
The objective of the seminar : to make the trainers of the Youth Program and the volunteers conscious of these problems and to give them pedagogical and technical means so that they can use these stakes during youth camps or during activities in working groups of resolution of conflicts and working groups against discrimination.
To encourage long-lasting cooperation and partnership between associations in order to fight for equal opportunities, the respect to water access for everybody and to sensibilize towards a responsible management of resources by education.
The plan is to organize a youth exchange with the same partners in August 2008.
Programme Elements:
A basic formation about conflicts resolution with the non-violence methodology
Inputs of experts about : water resources management, development of new technologies, prevention and resolution of water conflicts, research in this matter and reinforcing competences
Several excursions and visits to places in correlation with water management in the Hérault county
Group activities to experiment dynamics of conflict resolution and to work in a common project to identify and implement solutions
The elaboration of a common work of long-lasting cooperation should be presented by the participants during different events such as the World Water Congress in September 2008, as an initiative of a group involved in peace and cooperation on the topic of water management for peace.
Language : English and french
In its program, the seminar incorporates:
- Experts' advices about the following topics : Presentation of the international and local context, water resources policy and the researches about it and new innovating forms of reinforcement of capacities
- Management of water conflicts
- Management of water resources and its influence for the civil society on health and discrimination if the access to water is limited or polluted.
- Visits of places concerning water policy in the department of Hérault
- Workshops for inter -cultural dialogues.
The group will consist of two participants by country from Spain, Portugal, U.K., Israel, Palestine, Jordan , Lebanon and France.
This seminar is addressed to program trainers and volunteers of associations who are involved in international cooperation and get involved in the respect of environment. They also need a certain knowledge of water policy and they must want to build a common program in the medium and long term with other international partners in order to build inter-national projects of cooperation.
The activities will be organized with principles and practise of non-formal education based on active and interactive pedagogic, exchanges and practise analyses, team projects, thematic debates, daily evaluation and analysis and production of materials.
Four countries (Spain, United Kingdom, Israel and France) took part in the feasibility visit (Dates: from 2 to 7 September 2007) in connection with the other partner countries.
The elaboration of the seminar program was completed during this visit.
The seminar and the exchange will be held in 2008.
The project consists of:
- a preparation visit
- a seminar 11– 18 April (16 participants)
- a youth exchange in 2009 (40 participants)
- a delegation will participate in the World Water Congress 1-4 September in Montpellier
- a network for long-term cooperation to solve the problems created by the regional or international water policy. A delegation would take part in The World Water Congress in Montpellier in September 2008.
The partners :
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Wi'am Center for conflict resolution
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Palestinian Authority
Spain
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Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research
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Sede Boqer, Israel
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The University of Newcastle
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Newcastle, United Kingdom
Irbid, Jordan
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Batroun for the development
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Lebanon
Coimbra, Portugal
