From Participant to Coordinator:

Roy’s Journey with EcoPeace’s CDYP Program

Roy Rotberg is a 31-year-old Israeli who in May 2025 completed his temporary role as Coordinator for the CDYP program at EcoPeace. His story offers a unique and layered perspective on the program—having experienced it both as a participant and later as a staff member. Roy was part of the 2nd CDYP cohort, completing both the basic and advanced tracks. Later, he returned to the organization as a temporary Coordinator, replacing a staff member on maternity leave. This transition—from participant to staff—allowed him to engage with the CDYP community from multiple angles.

As a participant, Roy had the opportunity to meet a wide range of people across the region, and as a Coordinator, he worked closely with participants, including his Jordanian counterpart—also a member of the same cohort. Their collaboration added a sense of continuity and regional connection to the program’s goals.

At the time of his initial involvement, Roy was pursuing a BSc in Geology and Earth Sciences. He hadn’t heard of EcoPeace before but was drawn to it during a period of uncertainty about how to apply his academic background. “I wanted to see the bigger picture, how decision-makers work and how I could use my environmental and geology knowledge in the region,” he shared. He also felt a need to break out of the strict academic environment: “I wanted to meet other people outside my campus bubble.”

EcoPeace’s flexibility made it possible for him to continue his studies while participating in the program. For Roy, the experience was transformative: “It gave me the opportunity to get out of my ideological comfort zone, to interact with people with other opinions than the mainstream media and close friends.”

When asked how he experienced joining the program, his face lit up: “First of all, it was out of this world. I was so privileged to even meet the other participants from Jordan and Palestine. How I imagined them was so different from reality. When I went to Jordan [for the regional event where the Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian CDYPs met], I discovered that many of them are super connected to Western culture, very educated and willing to communicate and to share their reality and their challenges. It was also the lack of opportunities. Only when I met them, I understood that. Learning about them wasn’t enough.”

Throughout his participation, Roy gained valuable insights and contacts outside of academia. His involvement even led to a job opportunity. After presenting his final project, an EcoPeace mentor reached out to him via WhatsApp with a simple message: “Give me your CV now.” That message turned into a job interview, and eventually, a role in a cleantech startup focusing on wind turbine monitoring. “That’s an important thing to recognize,” he said. “It was my first step into the private sector and the startup world, very much thanks to EcoPeace.”

When the conversation turned to regional environmental cooperation, Roy paused for reflection: “Let’s start from the end. Even as a participant back then, the same question arose: do I believe in regional cooperation? I think it is super important. It is sad that it is not covered in the media and not covered in the education system. It is done behind the scenes. I am thankful to Gidon [EcoPeace Co-Director] that he gives room for it.”

Both as a participant and later as a Coordinator, Roy was exposed to the work of the Government Relations (GR) team at EcoPeace. He was impressed by their dedication and achievements. As a result, during his time as Coordinator, he made a point to integrate the GR team into the CDYP curriculum. “Regional cooperation is very important,” he emphasized, “and everyone should be exposed to it as much as possible.”

The way Roy came to work at EcoPeace is also a story in itself. “This story starts at the house of the Swedish Ambassador, last August. I was invited along with other alumni to share my experience. It was nice for me because I didn’t keep in touch so much because of the war and it was an opportunity to reconnect. I also wanted to do something meaningful with my life…I wanted a job that would give me a reason to wake up every morning with joy.”

Roy spoke about how the war affected him and everyone around him. Yet, at that alumni event, something shifted: “[I saw] seeds of hope. A small group of people that don’t want to lose their character and ideology, even in this unfortunate reality, and it gave me hope. Then, of course, Dana [the manager of the EcoPeace Education team] gave a speech and made me cry.” Shortly after, Dana offered him the Coordinator role for the CDYP program—a position he held for six months. 

He has since transitioned to a new position as Operations Manager for an organization that produces environmental educational content including projects in gardening, aquaponics, hydroponics, and mushroom cultivation.

Roy acknowledges the critical role of his network in opening doors and strongly encourages EcoPeace to continue building its Alumni program.