FoEME

Friends of the Earth Middle East was generated over ten years ago as a joint project between Israel, Palestine, and Jordan. Originally, its creator saw an opportunity with the peace wrought by the Oslo Accords to start looking at environmental sustainability. With the breakdown of the peace process, though, this turned on its head: Environmental sustainability projects were now a road to peace. FoEME now does a variety of educational, advocacy, and sustainability projects focused on joint needs (wastewater treatment, conservation of regional water sources, etc.). It’s been very successful. A particularly joyful story: In one region, FoEME’s advocacy halted construction of the Barrier in a section that would have cut off a peaceful Palestinian village from a nearby Israeli area – neighborhoods that had been previously friendly. Rather than arguing on the basis of human rights, illegal construction, etc. (arguments which have been made before but have not carried the day), FoEME argued against the construction on ecological grounds. And they won!