Women in Kerala are joining hands for recovery and sustainable development after the disastrous floods that hit the state last year. Taking guidance from the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), they have found an innovative way to promote community resilience and natural resource management through women’s empowerment and skill training.
Called “Women in Sustaining the Environment” (WISE), the project is a collaboration between Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and Tel Aviv University. Funded by the Consulate of Israel to South India (Bengaluru), it promotes sustainable water governance by supporting women’s participation in the choice, maintenance, and management of natural resources along with other sustainable development practices.
On February 11, 2019, Her Excellency Ms. Dana Kursh, Consul General of Israel to South India (Bengaluru) inaugurated a new collaborative project at our Amritapuri campus.
“It is such an honor to speak to so many wise women here at Amrita who are acquiring and sharing knowledge to make the world better.”
Her Excellency Ms. Dana Kursh
Amrita’s UNESCO Chair in Gender Equality will be working with the UNESCO Chair on Technology, Internationalization, and Education at Tel Aviv University to pilot this program over the next months in flood affected regions of Kerala.
![Ms. Dana Kursh speaks into microphone](https://amma.org/wp-content/uploads/wise-women-in-sustaining-the-environment-amrita-tel-aviv-university-israel-3.jpg)
This is the second Indo-Israel research project between Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and Tel Aviv University. In January, both teams launched a water purification project using Israeli technology under Amrita’s ongoing Jivamritam: Clean Drinking Water Project.
![Ms. Dana Kursh is shown something on a tablet](https://ammanew.org/wp-content/uploads/wise-women-in-sustaining-the-environment-amrita-tel-aviv-university-israel-1-1024x768.jpg)
![Dana Kursch shakes hand with Indian woman](https://ammanew.org/wp-content/uploads/wise-women-in-sustaining-the-environment-amrita-tel-aviv-university-israel-2-1024x683.jpg)
![The AMMACHI labs team poses for a photo with Dana Kursh](https://ammanew.org/wp-content/uploads/wise-women-in-sustaining-the-environment-amrita-tel-aviv-university-israel-4-1024x604.jpg)
![Dr. Syndney Strauss speaks at a round table discussion](https://ammanew.org/wp-content/uploads/wise-women-in-sustaining-the-environment-amrita-tel-aviv-university-israel-5-1024x683.jpg)
![A large meeting takes place around an oval table in front of a screen](https://ammanew.org/wp-content/uploads/wise-women-in-sustaining-the-environment-amrita-tel-aviv-university-israel-6-1024x683.jpg)
![Dr. Sydney Strauss speaks in front of a screen](https://ammanew.org/wp-content/uploads/wise-women-in-sustaining-the-environment-amrita-tel-aviv-university-israel-7-1024x683.jpg)
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At the inaugural event, Her Excellency Ms. Dana Kursh addressed the Amrita community saying “it is such an honor to speak to so many wise women here at Amrita who are acquiring and sharing knowledge to make the world better. It is a privilege to brainstorm together how wise men and women can come together to make a better world specifically with regards to women’s empowerment.”