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Quality of Life and the Environment in the Negev: How Can We Develop a Sustainable Local Economy?
The Southern Group for the Development of a Sustainable Local Economy
In recent years economic views promoting growth, the exploitation of resources, and competitive markets have proliferated in Israel and in Western society in general. Although economic growth and improvement of the quality of life are worthy goals, particularly in light of the present economic crisis, these processes can sometimes cause damage to social, cultural, and environmental resources.
Dr. Itzhak (Kiki) Aharonovich, an urban planning expert who is a program director at the Mandel Center for Leadership in the Negev (MCLN), explains that the harm done by these processes is especially severe in the Negev. “Among other things, these views and processes have depleted resources, polluted air and water, damaged health and the environment, and even caused crises among various populations and communities in the Negev.” He argues: “This reality mandates an incisive analysis of the socioeconomic factors that produced the current situation, and especially a rethinking of the relationship between the economy, society, and the environment, along with a balance among these components.”
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The study group discusses the challenges that economic development poses to environmental and social well-being
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Representatives of organizations active in the Negev have formed a joint study group called the Southern Group for the Development of a Sustainable Local Economy to discuss the challenges that economic development poses to environmental and social well-being. The members of this group, who attended a unique course given by the Heschel Center in partnership with SHATIL, have been meeting and studying together for several months. At these meetings they focus on the close link between business, the environment, and social values such as justice, equality, and fairness. By understanding this link they are developing an alternative mode of thinking about how best to plan and develop economic activity. |
As part of their efforts to propagate the ideas that guide the group among other activists and influential people in the Negev, group members decided to organize a symposium to present the fundamental principles of a sustainable local economy along with local test cases. One of the aims of the symposium, held at MCLN in early March, was to encourage members of organizations and professionals to join in the study group’s discussions. The aim is to develop together local expertise concerning conceptual and practical changes relevant to economic, social, and environmental development in the Negev. The organizers hope that in the wake of the symposium the discourse will be broadened to include new partners who will promote fresh thinking and operative methods.
Yankale (Jacob) Steinberg, an attorney and the new director of MCLN, notes that MCLN is an active partner in the study group. It hosts discussions and activities by civil society organizations and government agencies focusing on how to help the Negev advance by promoting the welfare of its residents.
Regarding the local economy, which is of special importance in the Negev, Steinberg explains: “When planning or developing a factory or an industrial zone, we have to examine all aspects of the topic—social, cultural, economic, and environmental. We must not focus exclusively on one aspect; we have to see the whole. Because the Negev is in the periphery, and because much of the development activity there, such as the establishment of the Negev IDF Training Base City, is imposed from above, it is easy for planners to ignore the environmental and social consequences of development activities.” He illustrates this through one of the discussions held in the study group: “Do environmental organizations address the employment potential in an area of high unemployment when they oppose an economic project such as the construction of a reception hall in a green zone, and vice versa?”
| The symposium opened with a talk by Dr. Lia Ettinger of the Heschel Center, a graduate of the School for Educational Leadership of the Mandel Leadership Institute, entitled “A Sustainable Local Economy: A New Agenda.” Participants then split into small groups to discuss the following topics related to the Negev: |
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• The food cooperative in Houra as a model of sustainable economic development in a Bedouin village in the Negev
• The transfer of IDF bases to the Training Base City in the Negev: an examination of the entire project in light of the principles of a sustainable local economy
• The quarrying being done in Mitzpe Ramon and its surroundings in view of the principles of a sustainable local economy and as a test case for developing practical tools
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In Short: A Sustainable Local Economy
by Yankale Steinberg, Adv., Director of MCLN
The idea of a sustainable local economy is that the environment, society, and economic development should all be grasped as a single whole, and the interconnections and interactions among the various parts should be addressed. This contrasts with the prevailing approach as represented by the benevolent activities of organizations that focus on a single objective such as social justice, the environment, economic development, or local community development, without ever considering the whole. The fundamental insight underlying the idea of a sustainable local economy is that in order for local development to be grounded in a long-term, sustainable, just, and fair perspective, we must relate to all of these dimensions and to the interactions among them.
Extensive research is being conducted around the world on this topic, along with the development of practical tools. One of the primary sources of knowledge and inspiration that we draw on is the New Economics Foundation (NEF) in the UK. In addition to gathering and disseminating knowledge, NEF is developing practical tools to help organizations come up with activities in keeping with their principles. Among these are the LM3 tool, used to measure local monetary flow, and Plugging the Leaks, which stops the “leakage” of local resources to the national and global economy. Another interesting source of information is the Schumacher Society. A leading source of knowledge and inspiration in Israel is the Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership. |
To learn more about the Mandel Center for Leadership in the Negev click here
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