public participation

The theme "Women, Environment and Gender Equality" is one of the main goals that the Association of Environmental Justice in Israel (AEJI) has placed in its activities. The topic is integrated into the three main areas of the AEJI 's activities: 1.Initiatives for research and development of tools for dealing with environmental nuisances, including gender planning, development of indices for community resilience in time of climate change  and environmental deterioration, health and exposure to hazardous materials, and more; 2. Advance policy to reduce environmental inequalities, including initiating special session in Knesset at  the committee for advance women status and gender equality on the Environment Day, advance of legislation on the protection of disadvantaged groups of workers that expose to environmental hazards such as Cleaning (mainly female) workers, and others.      3. Field activity at is intended to empower population groups that are socially excluded. AEJI held workshops for women in  Arab society, conducted professional excursion with the participation of landscape architects and planners to raise,  advance and act for implementing of planning of public space, based on the characterization of gender needs in a  traditional society as a separate park for women. In addition, AEJI is member in international forums and participates in international initiatives that draw attention to the issue of gender equality as part of a broad concept of advance environmental, climate and civil rights policies. The following is a photographic documentation, which reviews variety of activities in the field of 'Women and Environment' that the Association for Environmental Justice has initiated, guided and takes an active part since its establishment in 2009.

In May 2008 a unique conference on Environmental Governance and Democracy was held at Yale University with UNITAR aimed to discuss globally “Institutions, public participation and environmentally sustainability: Bridging research and capacity development”. The conference was the first stage to host discussions with participation of different stakeholders form dozens of countries, to defining the linkages between democracy and environment. During the conference 2 days diverse themes of participatory governance on environmental fields were raised and relevant other topics. Among the participants were Ms Carmit Lubanov, and the Yale-Unitar conference was among the motivation that led to establish few months later (2009) the Association of Environmental Justice in Israel (AEJI) as independent research and resources center on environmental justice and assisted with framing our focuses on access to justice, linking research and capacity development. Please find the review of the conference by Achim Halpaap at the time of the conference Associate Director and Head, Environment Unit, United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)  

The Association of Environmental Justice in Israel (AEJI) participated at the "2015 EU Israel innovation Seminar" . AEJI' Director, Carmit Lubanov,  participated at the Engaged Society session, presented AEJI unique model  of “Social-environment  greenhouse  - KESEM”. (In Hebrew KESEM  K- for community/קהילה, S- for environment/ סביבה  M – for Governance/ ממשל ) . Please see the attached file with the graphic Model and key targets and channels/pillars  of activities, part of it already on process of implementation. The Social-environmental  greenhouse structure – is a platform we initiated to build Green vision in the Arab society municipalities and provide professional tools , in a way that mobilize the local community to be engaged on environmental activities and on the environmental decision making process on their communities and on regional level. The initiative of KESEM Model of work based on our experience in frame of our Green Vision project at  the Arab municipalities at the Southern Triangle region (The region between Kafr Qassem in the south to Qallanswa at the north and includes also the villages and town of  Kafr Barah, Jaljulyah and  Tirah).