“I’ve learned how to inspire volunteers and how to delegate authority. I’ve learned that an effective campaign is based on three major components: spokesmanship, lobbying and activism. Sometimes it only takes five people, who make a satirical presentation at an entrance to some convention, to make a potent headline in the newspaper the following day. Having said all of this, I must add that, in my opinion, Green Course’s most significant achievement is bringing together young, caring and talented people with good ideas.”

Public Transportation is the main campaign Ram and his volunteers are focusing on at the Tel-Aviv chapter nowadays. Three years ago, one of Green Course’s lobbyists found out about a well thought out plan for improving TA’s public transportation system. This Reorganization Plan(link to Article in Jerusalem Post) was written by Ayalon Highways and forgotten about until Green Course pulled it off of the dusty shelves of the Tel-Aviv municipality and demanded it be implemented without delay. The plan consists of five stages. The first stage was carried out last August, and recently the Minister of Transportation announced that the second stage will be executed this summer.

“Having been born and raised in Tel-Aviv”, Ram explains, “I’m highly aware of the local public transportation shortcomings. There is great satisfaction in hearing on the radio that the Minister of Transportation is committing to deadlines and knowing that it has a direct connection to recent activities and press releases your organization was responsible for. It’s amazing to see how the work of a rather small group of dedicated people from our chapter is able to influence decision-makers and national policies.”

Three years ago, Green Course formed a coalition of advocates, residents, the local municipality, the ISPNI and others, determined to restore Ein Zahav to its former glory. Thanks to the leadership of Green Course and the hard work of all those involved, the Water Authority has agreed to stop pumping mineral water and to give Ein Zahav back to the residents of Kiryat Shmona.

Public transportation in Israel is in a perpetual state of change with ambitious plans for improved public transportation within all the main cities in Israel. Currently, Israel’s roads are becoming over-run by private cars. The amount of cars on the road has doubled from 1 million in 1990 to 2 million today while population increase was about 50%. Since 2000, every year 45,000 vehicles were added to the roads of Israel. With this significant increase, traffic has risen and air-quality in the cities has decreased. It is time that Israelis leave their cars and embrace public transit.

In Tel Aviv, the event held at the Cinematheque included Green Course members dressed up as Minister of Transportation, Yisrael Katz, and Mayor, Ron Huldai, with each one seemingly blaming the other for responsibility to enforce the bus lanes.  In the current state of affairs there too few public transport lanes are operative and enforced. Opening further lanes to public transport will improve the transportation system as a whole. Everyone entering the conference saw our signs and heard our message while inside the Cinematheque.

In Jerusalem, where the transport infrastructure has been in dire state for years, a protest was held with a display showing students waiting at the bus station for so long that they start to age and, finally, become skeletons. The goal was to get students to realize they can demand better service. Once they realize the unfairness the aggressive push to increase service will begin.

In Rehovot, where the municipality recently was awarded a 1,000,000 NIS budget for reorganizing the city transport system and nothing in this regard seems to be happening, Green Course student volunteers marched down the main street from the Weizmann Institute of Science to City Hall. They walked with signs and protested congested traffic. Of the people that were spoken to, many said that they would look further into the issue when voting for mayor. “Countless people are now more educated about the issues of public transportation,” said Green Course chapter director at Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, Tamir Klein. He added, “People don’t feel that they deserve quality public transportation. Our goal is to open their eyes. This realization will give people a voice to demand better public transportation.”

Green Course is behind the authorities at every step of the way pushing for these changes and pushing for them to happen soon.

President Peres praised the individuals and organizations awarded with the prize stating that such volunteers make him feel proud to be Israeli. “I am excited. Seeing the beautiful side of Israeli society which deserves much appreciation is not a common event. Being used to seeing unattractive sides of the Israeli reality, we forget our country has other, wonderful sides to it. You, the volunteers represent the light, the warm and sensitive heart beating at the center of Israeli society.”

Gil Ya’acov, Executive Director of Green Course: “Receiving the award is a great priviledge for Green Course, and indeed reflects the publics’ understanding regarding the deep significance of environmental issues; unfortunately, decision-makers are not fully there yet.”

The President Award follows Green Course’s recieving the Transparency Label from Midot, a Joint Meitav Investment House and Joint Distribution Committee initiative in April this year.

Earlier this year, Green Course underwent an evaluation process through Midot, a corporation assessing and rating non profit organizations in Israel. After examining the professionality, credibility and other in -depth aspects of the organization, Green Course received the very good A- mark.

The current transportation policy favors private cars over public transportation. MK Pines Paz, who attended the event, noted that the public expects that the Mayor and Minister of Transportation will advance efficient public transportation. MK Dov Henin, who also attended, remarked that it not possible that Tel Aviv will wait another 30 years for appropriate public transportation. “The time has come that Tel Aviv align itself with the transportation ideas that have proven themselves in similar cities in the world,” say Henin.

Yael Sril Mohliver, Green Course campaigner for public transport, “The large number of people who turned out today highlights that the public expects appropriate public transportation. The 9% raise in public transportation costs, as part of the national budget, proves that the decision makers are disconnected from the public and forget that public transportation is a basic right…”

Green Course is demanding:
* Planning and budgeting priority be given to public transportation at the cost of reducing the infrastructure for private vehicles.
* Immediate and significant improvement in public transportation in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area
* Implementation of the bus line reorganization plan for the Tel Aviv metropolitan area
* Creation of a metropolitan authority for transportation in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area
* Planning and enforcement of public transportation lanes
* Establishment of bike lanes which are contiguous
* Freezing of plans for additional parking lots and interchanges in Tel Aviv

More than 1000 people each year die from air pollution related diseases in central Israel alone. This is only the tip of the melting iceberg of Israel’s environmental challenges. Environmental issues need to be addressed at all levels of society, but one of the best places to start is with raising public awareness among the leaders of tomorrow.

Green Course is Israel’s largest environmental volunteer organization, with over 6000 student volunteers in 26 chapters on campuses across Israel. Our work focuses primarily on air pollution, sustainable energy and public transportation.

Through Green Course students are active in education and media projects to raise public awareness to environmental issues including work with schools and youth groups as well as work with students on issues such as greening university campuses. In addition our leadership training program provides outstanding students with the tools they need to become the future environmental leadership of Israel.

Green Course