Australian ambassador participates in Israel’s Clean-Up Day
Andrea Faulkner
At a ceremony in the Hazon Forest, KKL-JNF World Chairman Efi Stenzler emphasised the cooperation between people of all religions and all ages, who participated in a joint effort to make the country more beautiful: “Cleaning up is not something we do only one day a year, but all year long,” Stenzler said. “KKL-JNF makes certain that Israel will be green, and has planted over 240,000,000 trees. All of us together will make certain that the forest will be cleaner, and together, with joined forces, we will make a better country.”International Clean-Up Day began in Australia in 1993 as a local initiative to encourage cleanliness. The project was adopted by the United Nations, and today, 120 countries worldwide participate. In Israel, KKL-JNF leads Clean-Up Day activities for the tenth consecutive year, as part of its efforts to protect and develop the environment and to bring communities closer to nature.
“Today I am proud to be an Australian, the country where this idea was conceived,” said Ambassador Faulkner. “It is very important that children and adults all over the world take part in protecting the environment and in joint worldwide activities on behalf of the Earth. KKL-JNF has made Clean-Up Day in Israel into a magnificent project.”
The Australian ambassador recently visited the Negev and the Arava to learn about KKL-JNF projects in these regions – forests, reservoirs, settlement and agriculture. In a conversation with her, she noted: “I visited so many amazing places that are an example of how man can contribute to the environment, using advanced technologies. I was very impressed by JNF Australia’s contributions on behalf of Israel’s environment. There can be no doubt that there are many things that we can do together for the environment. The message is very simple: a clean environment makes the world a pleasant place to live in.”
In addition to the many projects for environmental protection and development that friends of KKL-JNF in Australia are involved in throughout Israel, especially in the Negev, this year also, JNF Australia generously supported and encouraged Clean-Up Day in Israel.
Rob Schneider, JNF’s Chief Executive in Australia, told J-Wire: “I was in Adelaide at the time of the Clean-Up and in touch with Israel. Ambassador Faulkner expressed great joy at participating in the Clean-UP and also expressed her admiration for the work that KKL-JNF does in Israel.”
It’s great to see a lady with a background in Art and Music as the new Australian ambassador to Israel.