The Green Cell – Akko
Acco’s Citizens Volunteering for the Environment.
The Green Cell was established in 2002 as a result of a special environmental course which was given by Acco city municipality, the local association for the environment, and Acco city education and community services departments.
The voluntary activities for the environment have united Jewish, Arab, secular and religious citizens, and opened the gate for mutual study.
During the course, the group built a community volunteering program which focused on education for environment awareness and the cleaning of Acco’s beach. 40 Green Cell volunteers have initiated cleaning campaigns on Acco;s beaches during which they collected pieces of porcelain and litter which was classified for recycling and cleaning.
Together with Acco;s school students the Green Cell volunteers have carried out the following projects:
1. Decorating a15 meter wall from recycled porcelain pieces at the Eyal School
for Special Needs and at the Gordon elementary school.
2 Increasing environment awareness and concern and the involvement of the
community.
3. School activities which included workshops on environment subjects.
4. Building a musical amusement garden out of recycling materials in Eyal
School for Special Needs.
5. Teaching and arranging art recycling workshops at Oranim College.
These projects illustrate how litter can be used as a resource,
a source of decoration and education
The Green Cell members have also joined other local projects like; New Age for Acco; and a ;City with Quality;
The consistent voluntary activities of the Green Cell members have helped to bring in commercial resources to the environment projects for improving Acco;s exterior.
The Green Cell activities are being appreciated outside Acco and as a result , the volunteers won the Ministry of Environment’s prize for “Excellent volunteering” in 2003, which was given for cleaning Acco’s beaches, for
educational activities and the consistent goal of preserving the quality of life and environment in Acco