Experts from United States Governmental and non-governmental agencies participating in the three-day conference on “The Free World and the New Nations” at Arden House, Columbia University’s discussion center, today asserted that Histadrut, the Israel labor federation, was rendering a signal service to democratic advancement of the emerging African states through its technical aid program.
The conference, attended by 60 representatives of government, labor, cooperatives and leaders of Negro and Jewish organizations and foreign affairs experts, was sponsored by the National Committee for Labor Israel. Participating in the discussions were Robert Bonham of the Department of State, who chaired one of the sessions and was an active participant throughout the conference; Edmond C. Hutchinson, State Department assistant administrator of U.S. aid to Europe and Africa; Arnold Rivkin of the International Bank for Reconstruction Development; and Clyde Ellis, leading American expert on cooperatives; and Paul Barton of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions.
Eliahu Elath, president of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, opened the conference in his capacity as chairman of Histadrut’s Afro-Asian Institute for Labor Studies in Tel Aviv. Dr. Elath said that the education of manpower for building the emerging countries of Africa was a matter of utmost urgency. He stated that 3,000 Asians and Africans have come to study in Israel while about 1,000 Israeli experts and technicians have gone to Asian and African countries to assist in developing basic projects and train manpower.
Yitzhak Ben-Aharon, a member of the Histadrut executive committee, outlined a series of steps by which Israel organizes assistance to Africa, starting with a survey by experts made on the scene for the evaluation of local resources. He said the experts then work out an all-around plan and arrange for testing the plan in two or more areas. The Israeli experts and local personal settle in the areas and work on the experimental project. Another part of the plan, the speedy training of manpower for projects, is carried out in Israel.
Another approach, he said, was the creation of joint enterprises by Israeli firms and their counterparts in the Asian and African countries which, in due course, is handled by local manpower and management. By this means, Mr. Ben Aharon declared, “we have managed to speed up training programs and provide for the African states in their struggles for liberation.”
Professor Ben Halpern of Brandeis University said that Israel’s liberation was due to the efforts of Jews throughout the Diaspora while African liberators had no such relation to the American Negro. He noted that the friendly relations between Israel and Africa were well regulated and these countries expected mutual support from each other on moral matters as well as in practical activities.
The conference was directed by Dr. Judd Teller, educational director of the National Committee for Labor Israel.
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