Table 2 Challenges of cross-border involvement

   "Political pressures limit the extent to which MEHA can operate and then on a more individual basis ...People can easily wear out." (P1)

Social Pressure

   "Collegial and societal pressures on partners mitigates against face-to-face meetings and other cooperative ventures." (P5)

Personal Exposure

   "Some people are angry about this relationship, so it is very difficult to speak about the whole people here... So we have a great problem to expose ourselves, even to the professionals." (P4)

Achieving Practical Results

   "Only few people saw the importance or the value of this project at the very beginning. One, because they didn't see any tangible results, as it were, on the ground...seeing is believing, and the centre which was opened in Amman by itself was something to me that was very moving... it lifted the morale of those who are involved." (P3)

Asymmetrical Distribution of Knowledge and Resources

   "... academic level in Israel is much higher than in Jordan. It takes much more time to achieve the same level. But even so I think we have a great success." (P9)

Leadership

   "Leadership has been very dynamic in keeping all parties involved, even at points when things are politically deteriorating." (P10)

Lack of Recognition

   "Everybody knows what MSF is, but people don't quite know what CISEPO is." (P1)

Sustainability

   "We need ... to train a younger generation of (leaders) for the long-term sustainability of CISEPO and MEHA over the next ten, twenty years... maintain what we have over the long run." (P7)