A Pollution Solution

October 31, 2007

Israeli West Baka, with a population of 33,000, has agreed to connect its sewage-treatment plant (under construction) with a proposed waste-disposal network for the 4,200 Palestinians of East Baka. “The towns were once united…[but] then a new era of social suffering began,” said East Baka Mayor Hussein. When the barrier went up, it separated students from schools, medical professionals from hospitals, and artisans from workshops and stores. Further, thousands of acres of olive trees were uprooted.

The agreement was signed at the European Commission, a negotiating arm of the EU that deals with trade and cooperation. “It’s precisely this type of project, bringing two communities across a border together for a common endeavor, that reminds us that hope is possible,” said Roy Dickenson, director of operations. “It’s the concrete, practical projects that make people work together…that bring peace.”

By Charleeda Sprinkle, Assistant Editor

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