2020 Dead Sea Convergence Conference | February 1-7, 2020 | Amman, Jordan
During the first week of February, 2020, a delegation of four faculty members from the University of Connecticut participated in an ecological, interfaith convergence called Holy Land Living Water. Convened by Unity Earth, United Religions Initiative (URI), and the transnational environmental organization EcoPeace Middle East, The Dead Sea Convergence Conference, sponsored in part by UConn, provided a unique opportunity for participants from around the world to learn about the ecological challenges in the Jordan River Valley. At the same time, attendees were encouraged by proposals and programs for environmental amelioration through cross-border cooperation put forth by EcoPeace. The group—with offices in Amman, Ramallah and Tel Aviv—has been active since the 1990s in seeking to promote cooperation among adherents of the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths on the urgent environmental issues affecting the region.
UConn’s delegation included Heather Elliott-Famularo (Digital Media & Design/Judaic Studies), Kathryn Libal (Human Rights Institute/Social Work), Jeremy Pressman (Political Science/Middle East Studies), and Scott Wallace (Journalism). Following the conference, a weeklong study tour took the nearly 100 participants in the conclave from the Dead Sea through the West Bank and on to Jerusalem and Haifa, UConn’s representatives gained a firm grasp of the challenges and opportunities presented at this sensitive moment in the history of the Middle East. They also solidified bonds with EcoPeace directors, with religious leaders from the three Abrahamic faiths, as well as with indigenous and other spiritual leaders from around the world.
With the help of a transnational, interdisciplinary team of scientists, EcoPeace has developed a master plan for the restoration of the Jordan River, including the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. The plan has been endorsed by Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian leaders and politicians. The delegation strongly supports a closer collaboration between UConn’s Abrahamic Initiative and EcoPeace Middle East.
