President & CEO of ANERA: Some Final Thoughts
By: Bill Corcoran
Source: ANERA
This month I step down as president of ANERA after a decade of challenging yet incredibly rewarding work. As I reflect on these past 10 years, I’m proud to leave behind an organization that has grown on all levels.
Three of our projects stand out to me as emblems of our success. The Jenin wastewater irrigation project is an innovative technical, environmental and economic effort that has changed the lives of farmers. The early childhood development program has transformed the education sector in Palestine—and no other organization has been as committed to this mission than ANERA. And lastly, the new sports for development program in Lebanon is offering Syrian refugee youth a chance to have fun and learn, while also providing psychosocial support and conflict-management skills.
But for all of our achievements, there have been immense obstacles working in this region of the world. When I became president of ANERA, the 2006 war in Lebanon had just ended. Over the past decade, Gaza has seen three invasions. These conflicts have a cumulative effect—damaging infrastructure and changing lives forever. At the same time, our staff have provided inspiration in these bleakest moments. For several weeks during the 2014 Gaza war we provided a massive delivery of drinking water. I was amazed at the resilience and heart of our staff. They worked tirelessly, even as the bombs fell, because they knew people depended on them.
It’s this quality that reminds me of the word samood, or steadfast support. The situation in Palestine and the Middle East can beat you down and rob you of hope. But it’s this samood that has ensured our endurance. One of my greatest personal achievements is learning to embody the spirit of this word. No matter how bad things got, I always tried to rally myself and staff.
Unfortunately, the political situation continues to worsen overseas. It’s been frustrating seeing the global community fail to stand up and solve these issues.
ANERA was established as a temporary committee but still exists 50 years after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. It’s a testimony to our strength but also the lack of political progress. That’s why I stress projects and not politics. We can’t change the headlines but we can change whether a community has water or health care or schools. I have never allowed politics to drag ANERA down.
Often when Americans think of Palestine, they think of politics. They think of conflict. Of violence. But here at ANERA we’re talking families. That’s the one thing that binds us together. People share common problems, unlikely as it seems. People worry about putting food on the table and creating a future by sending their children to school. We all have common struggles.
Above all, the past 10 years at ANERA have instilled a deep belief in our common, shared humanity.
As we enter a new era in ANERA’s mission and work, I urge everyone to remember that we share a common humanity with those we are helping. We’re not so different after all.
