Arwa's Freelance Site » Youth

SISTERS – The Green Edition: Faith, Families and Features

arwafreelance — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 09:18:17 +0000

After lots of work and even more enthusiasm (well done Brooke!) the very lovely and very special green issue of SISTERS is out. It’s bursting with green quizzes, features, top tips for your home and also a round up of some great eco-Muslims organisations. I’ve contributed an article on the issue of population growth and ask the whether large Muslim families are a blessing or a curse. Read on for more and also to download or buy your own copy.

@FabulousSISTERS – Hymens, Hijabs and Helmets: Muslimahs Who Cycle (arwafreelance.com)

MCM: “Little Green Feats” – AfSL’s Interactive #Sustainability Workshop for Kids

arwafreelance — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 12:19:45 +0000

I caught up with AfSL volunteer Shireen Malik to talk about the sustainability workshop she developed to help inform children about environmental issues in a fun and interactive way. Shireen will be holding the workshops in Manchester until February 2014, so get in touch if you are interested or know someone who is.

Tell us a little about yourself and how you got involved with AfSL?

I’m a full-time mum of three children (aged 9, 7 and 3). I first became involved with AfSL by coming along to a local project of theirs, Old Moat Gardeners (OMG), which was an allotment they had set up in a back garden of a house that was being renovating. I received a letter in my son’s school bag and thought that this would be a fabulous opportunity for my kids to learn about growing own our food! They loved it, especially the younger two. After approximately 2/3 months of going the Local Project Managers of OMG were leaving Manchester and asked if I would be interested in taking over. AfSL offered training, which I completed, and as a result Little Green Feats was born!!

What are the workshop’s aims and why did you want it to be targeted at kids?

The workshops are aimed at children aged 9-11. I have been volunteering in school for some time before I became a Local Project Managers (LPM), and was aware of the ability of this age group so I geared my workshop for them. I have also volunteered for an Islamic charity, the Islamic Society of Britain, in which I delivered workshops to teach children of this age group about Islam which have been very successful. So, I thought why not teach children about sustainability?!

I aimed it at children because they are in their prime for learning, and ideas and thoughts are developed at this time. I also remember where my interest in sustainability came from, and it was by watching Blue Peter when I was at school age! Children are custodians of the future, and I feel that by teaching them how they can make their world better for their future, is important for them.What has the reaction to it been from the parents, kids and staff?

So far, the reactions I have got from children and their parents have been great! Children have enjoyed taking part and parents have said they are applying what they have learnt at home, which is just what we wanted! Teachers have felt that it has supplemented their teaching very well, and confirmed that the children enjoyed every minute of it. I think when you start something new you never expect positive responses straight away, so just to get the response I got was really quite surprising!

Why is sustainability important to you?

Sustainability is important to me mainly because of two things. First of all, in my Islamic faith there are clear instructions to protect the environment and respect the laws of nature. Understanding sustainability and acting upon it, is a form of worship because we are abiding by the religion’s teachings. Secondly, my passion for sustainability has come from regular viewing of the one and only Blue Peter, and related animal and environment conservation programmes when younger.

How can people help support the project and take part?

People can help support the project by volunteering with AfSL and joining the workshops when they take place. They can also help by spreading the word about Little Green Feats to anybody who works in primary schools. We are trying to make LGF available to schools all over Manchester so help from anyone outside central Manchester would be welcome to save journey time to schools in that area. If anyone wishes to volunteer then they can contact myself at shireen.malik@afsl.org.uk or Erika Nagae, (Sustainability and Schools Coordinator for Manchester) at erika.nagae@afsl.org.uk.

Partner organizations & Funders:

- Ward Regeneration Officer (Chorlton and Chorlton Park)

- Manchester City Council and AfSL

Interview conducted by Arwa Aburawa, co-editor of Manchester Climate Monthly

“Little Green Feats” – AfSL’s Interactive #Sustainability Workshop for Kids in #Manchester (manchesterclimatemonthly.net)

Discover: Do’s & Don’t's for an Eco-friendly Hajj

arwafreelance — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 09:42:45 +0000

This is OFFICIALLY the first article I’ve ever written for children and I can honestly say, it was lots of fun. It was difficult to really really tone down the vocabulary and say things simply and clearly but I couldn’t miss the opportunity to speak to young Muslims about the environment. A great opportunity from an up and coming magazine called Discover. Check it out here. To read the article, just click on the image above.

Spiritual Connection With Nature Is Key – Green Muslim Muaz Nasir

arwafreelance — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 12:08:31 +0000

“The environment is something everyone should be concerned about as climate change, water scarcity and pollution are issues that do not discriminate based on faith.” That’s Muaz Nasir’s response to what he likes to call constructive criticism that the Muslim Ummah focus its energies on ‘bigger issues’ rather than climate change.

Personally, I can’t imagine a ‘bigger issue’ then the future of our planet but I completely accept that this realisation hasn’t quite reached the wider Muslim community. Ground-breaking policies such as the Muslim Seven Year Action Plan on Climate Change were impressive but as Nasir points out, but they failed to “develop the necessary research or resources that would push the climate agenda into the mainstream Muslim community.”

As such, any progress has been slow and the product of hard working individual campaigners rather than national policies. Read on for more about the Muslim-environmental movement in Canada, Nasir’s green Muslim website Khaleafa.com and how he is getting mosques to ‘Ban the Bottle’ among other green ideas he is working to implement in the Muslim community – ideas which can spread around the world.

Here’s a snippet of the interview – to read the full thing go to GreenProphet.com

What do you think are the barriers holding the Muslim community from fully engaging with the climate change agenda?

I think there is a general lack of awareness of the severity of climate change as well as what actions individuals can do to decrease their carbon footprint. The issue is just not on the radar of many Islamic institutions here in North America as it is in Europe. The Muslim community in Canada is fairly young, so there are understandably competing priorities, such as establishing their families and integrating into the broader society; which often takes precedence over the climate change agenda. This is beginning to change as weather patterns shift and the trends in the climate become more visible.

What have been the responses to Khaleafa.com – have you had to face any negative reactions or had to deal with climate sceptics?

The response has been overwhelmingly positive for the most part. I try to keep my articles as neutral as possible, and encourage contributors to base their arguments on facts and to justify their opinions with reference to the Quran, Hadith and Sunnah…

There has been some negative feedback as well, mainly in the form of constructive criticism but also from individuals who feel that Muslims should be investing their resources to deal with bigger issues facing the Ummah. While I understand the direction they are coming from, my response has been that the environment is something everyone should be concerned about as climate change, water scarcity and pollution are issues that do not discriminate based on faith. We all have a collective obligation to ensure that we leave the planet in better condition for future generations and that we do not waste the resources Allah has blessed upon us.

Green Muslim Blogger Muaz Nasir Says Spiritual Connection With Nature Is Key (INTERVIEW) (greenprophet.com)

Mapping Palestine’s Environmental Civil Society – The Good, the Bad and the Uncooperative

arwafreelance — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 10:05:45 +0000

A study mapping the environmental actors in Palestine shows a desperate lack of co-operation between organisations and donors keen to play it safe with ‘practical projects’

The lovely people at Heinrich Böll Stiftung had done something that I have been procrastinating about for almost lifetime (well, not quite a lifetime but a good couple of years at least). They have mapped out the important actors and organisations on the environmental scene in Palestine. Exciting, right!? They have painstakingly gone through all those websites, NGOs and institutes with an environmental focus to bring us a clear image of the state of the environmental movement in Palestine. They found that out of 2,245 NGOs registered in the oPt only 104 were environmentally-focused and of these, just 56 were actually still active. More juicy details after the jump.

The Facts on Green Palestine

- 104 registered environmental civil society organisation in the West Bank and Gaza

- 56 civil society organisations are actually still active

- Over 70% of environmental civil society organisations feel that their relationship with other organisations is competitive rather than co-operative

- Limited funding and efforts to raise their grassroots presence are two main reasons for the competitiveness between organisations

- 8 key organisations in Palestine based on their size, the variety of programmes implemented and geographic range:

Most organisations complained that international donors attempted to remain neutral by focusing in practical action and lacked the political will to enforce real changes by addressing Palestinians’ rights to natural resources. As such many organisations felt their projects were simply ‘coping mechanisms’. Even so, the relationship between NGOs and funders was generally described as co-operative if highly dependent.

: For the full article and to find out the top 9 key green organisations in Palestine go to GreenProphet.com

: Palestine (Photo credit: Squirmelia)

Organic Farming Boom in Palestine (greenprophet.com)
Without A Strong Civil Society, Middle East Environment Has No Chance (Op-Ed) (arwafreelance.com)

Gulf News: Middle East needs to pitch in for the world

arwafreelance — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 23:52:13 +0000

Arab Youth Climate Movement has demanded that Arab leaders work constructively to achieve GHG emission reduction targets

By Arwa Aburawa Special to Weekend Review

On November 26, Doha is set to get even more international. World leaders, negotiators, campaigners and activists from all corners of the Earth will descend on the city to talk about climate change. Over 20,000 representatives are expected to attend Qatar’s largest conference to date, which also marks the first time the UN climate conference will be hosted in the Middle East. This is clearly a great opportunity for Qatar to enhance its growing role in international diplomacy. Hosting the COP18, however, is also a very risky move, with many predicting the failure of the talks.

International climate change negotiations have been taking place annually for more than 20 years now with the aim of setting national carbon targets to control global warming. Historically, the Arab world has played an obstructive role. Countries such as Saudi Arabia sent negotiators who said climate change was not taking place and insisted that they be compensated for any oil that they would have to stop extracting. Indeed, Qatar itself isn’t exactly a world leader when it comes to action to climate change. The small Gulf state has one of the world’s highest per-capita carbon footprints, with the average Qatari accounting for CO2 that is around 300 times more than an Ethiopian and three times the average American. Not exactly glowing statistics, but Qatar insists that this cause is something they feel passionately about.

“As a coastal dry-land nation, almost 100 per cent dependent on the sea for its water and more than 95 per cent dependent on technology and trade for its food, Qatar is vulnerable to climate change,” Fahad Bin Mohammad Al Attiyah, chairman of COP18, admitted. “Qatar is one of the ten countries predicted to be most affected by a rising sea. So this global issue is critical here at home. It is one that we take seriously. And it is one that we are working diligently to address.” In an effort to spread the message in the country, mosques will be hosting sermons about the climate change and the need to stop water and energy wastage. In fact, back in 2011, the country vowed to only build “eco-mosques”, which would limit the waste of electricity.

Attiyah faces criticism

Qatar has another motive for supporting climate change initiatives: gas. Many commentators have noted that making the transition from fossil fuels to more renewable resources will be quite difficult and gas is a cleaner, less carbon-intensive energy source which should be considered. As a gas-producing nation, Qatar could play a big role in determining the path that nations take towards greater energy independence and reducing emissions. As such, Qatar comes to the conference with its own agenda as well as the hope it will be able to pull off a successful climate summit. Indeed, the chairman of the talks was criticised by the international campaign community for recently fêting 450 senior executives from the fossil-fuel industry and presenting the Petroleum Executive of the Year award.

“As the official conference president, Attiyah should be working tirelessly behind the scenes to shore up a successful outcome of the negotiations, not presenting awards to the top brass of the oil industry,” remarked Avaaz, the international campaigning organisation. “His decision to speak at this week’s Oil & Money conference puts his reputation — and the climate talks — at risk. He needs to change course before it’s too late.”

Will the Kyoto Protocol survive COP18?

So far, the global climate negotiations have failed to secure a deal that legally binds all industrialised countries to reducing their emissions. The closest that the negotiators have come to that is the Kyoto Protocol. This protocol set obligations for industrialised countries who signed up to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 5 per cent from a 1990 baseline. The deal came into force in 2005 but didn’t include nations such as the United States or set legal targets for nations such as China and India which are considered developing nations and are therefore exempt from targets.

As the protocol ends this year, the talks in Doha will focus on extending this deal and attracting enough signatories to maintain its significance. Japan, Canada and Russia have already decided not to be part of the new commitment although Australia and New Zealand have expressed their interest. At the Doha talks, countries will be also be battling it out on the length of the next commitment period and the greenhouse-gases targets.

Governments are, at present, focused on coming up with a new climate change treaty on the emission cuts after 2020. They hope to have this deal done by 2015. In the meantime, negotiators will look to extend the Kyoto Protocol for at least another five years or even eight years so that it would converge with the 2020 agreement.

The European Union supports an eight-year extension with a mid-term review of the carbon targets. The Alliance of Small Island States, the Africa Group and Least Developed Countries, however, favour a five-year extension with an update of commitments based on the results of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report which will be out in 2014. Another issue that has been raised is that there isn’t much time between the talks and the end of the Kyoto Protocol (31 December), which means that getting any agreement through national bureaucracies could further delay action. So, it looks like there is everything to play for at the talks and the pressure will be on.

World heading towards catastrophic 6C warming

The lack of progress on a far-reaching and all-inclusive climate deal means that every year, the action needed to avoid serious global warming increases. Targets go up and the chance of getting the big players such as the US and China to agree to them goes down. Recent research by the consultancy group PricewaterCoopers (PwC) found that the low rate of emission cuts in major economies could cause the Earth to warm by 6C by the end of the century. Scientists and campaigners say that a 2C increase is the limit to avoid potentially dangerous climate change.

Jonathan Grant, director of sustainability and climate change at PwC said, “[T]he analysis illustrates the scale of the challenge facing negotiators. The new reality is a much more challenging future in terms of planning, financing and predictability. Even doubling our present annual rates of decarbonisation globally every year to 2050, would still lead to 6C, making governments’ ambitions to limit warming to 2C appear highly unrealistic.”

“There are a lot of important issues that need to be resolved in COP18,” says Wael Hmaidan, director of Climate Action Network. “The most important one is closing the ambition gap in greenhouse gas emission reduction between what science requires us to do to avoid catastrophic climate change impacts and what is offered on the table by governments. At the end of COP18, governments must agree on an action plan to raise their commitments and close this gap.”

‘Arab world must show climate leadership’

One way that the Arab world could contribute, says Hmaidan, who is from Lebanon, is by presenting their own greenhouse gas emission pledges to the international community. “Qatar and other Arab countries should start the conference by presenting a greenhouse gas emission pledge to the international community. This is essential to raise the level of trust among all countries, and will prove that the region takes climate change seriously. Also, the region needs to prove that they will continue taking climate change action after COP18.”

Indeed, what has been particularly interesting during the lead-up to this conference is the emergence of various Arab and Middle Eastern climate change groups and coalitions. One of the newest groups is the Arab Youth Climate Movement (AYCM) which brings together more than twenty national coordinators from 15 Arab countries. During a “Day of Action” on November 10, groups from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Libya, Egypt, Qatar, Mauritania and Bahrain took to the streets, radio waves and national TV to demand the Arab world “take the lead against climate change”.

According to a joint statement released by the group, the AYCM was “established to raise the urgency around climate change, and push Arab leaders to fulfil their responsibilities towards future generations, by working constructively and strongly on the national and international level to achieve greenhouse gas emission reduction in the region and globally”.

The AYCM added that during the COP18 in Doha, Arab governments, especially Qatar, must put forward emission reduction pledges to the international community and demonstrate the leadership that all Arab youth dream of. “The reputation that the Arab region only cares about protecting the oil trade in the negotiations has to change, and this can only happen if Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia, completely change their approach towards climate change,” AYCM said. “We, the youth of the Arab Spring have not freed the land, to only see it taken from us by the catastrophic impacts of climate change.”

The Arab world has certainly come a long way in the last couple of years and the fact that Qatar is hosting these talks has put an important and much-needed spotlight on the issue. For this focus to remain, however, the region must commit to cut its emissions and help secure the success of the climate talks. If it does that, COP18 could mark the start of a political shift in the Middle East that removes climate change from obscurity and places it on the top of the agenda.

Arwa Aburawa is a freelance journalist specialising in environmental issues and the Middle East. She is an editor at GreenProphet.com and also an “Adopt a Negotiator” fellow for the COP18.

: This article was originally published at Gulf News.

Adopt a Negotiator: Ready, Steady, Doha!

arwafreelance — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 18:40:06 +0000

Why the Middle East has a lot to gain from the upcoming climate talks if it plays its cards right

With less than a week to the latest UN climate talks, things are getting pretty hectic in the Adopt a Negotiator virtual office. Plans are being made, visas sorted, frantic emails written, policy papers read in the early hours and bags packed. Although a fellow myself, I probably have more in common with you – the humble, interested reader. I haven’t sorted out any travel arrangements, I have no visa and although I’m excited about the upcoming proceedings I won’t be there in person.

That’s because I’m the AaN’s first (I think!) Online Fellow who will be keeping a close Skype-enhanced eye on the proceedings from the comfort of my home. I am particularly excited to be taking part in the COP18 as it is the first time the talks are taking part in the Middle East – which is my neck of the woods so to speak.

As a campaigner with family and friends in the Middle East, I really want the talks to be a huge success for a number of reasons. Firstly, the Middle East is vulnerable to climate change and will be seriously affected by issues such as drought, floods, food shortages and possibly conflict if we don’t stop runaway climate change. So, the region has got everything to gain from a fair and decent climate deal which includes both developing and developed nations. In fact, the talks seem to have highlighted this fact and – if the rumours are true – various Middle Eastern nations will be demonstrating their commitment by coming to the talks with their own carbon reduction pledges.

Secondly, these talks are the biggest opportunity for the region’s environmental movement to get their message to the locals and draw people into their campaigns. I am not saying that they could achieve this in two weeks but the talks could be an amazing spark which helps develop a diverse and effective climate movement in the Middle East. With over an estimated 20,000 people gathered in Doha, Qatar – COP18 is also a great networking opportunity for Middle Eastern campaigners to pick up new skills, strategies and learn how to talk to people about climate change without scaring the bejesus out of them. Believe me, it’s a tricky one.

So, with the spotlight on the region and it’s environmental movement, will COP18 be remembered as a turning point or just another big conference that rolled through Doha? Let’s hope and pray it’s the former and not the latter…

: Photo of street sign in Doha via bradjward/flickr.

:Original post published at Adopt a Negotiator.

2Up 2Down: Liverpool Biennial, Housing and Regeneration

arwafreelance — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 07:45:28 +0000

Brick by Brick and Loaf by Loaf, we build ourselves

A couple of months ago, I was lucky enough to be able to contribute to a pretty amazing Liverpool Biennial project working on regeneration in Anfield called Homebaked: 2Up 2Down. It was lead by a unique artist called Jeanne Van Heeswijk whose work focuses on re-imaging social spaces and encouraging greater participation and interaction in public spaces. Although the project – which is working to convert a shutdown space into a community bakery and centre- was launched a couple of weeks ago, for many it was another stage of a much longer process. One which see the homes as well as faith and trust returned to the residents of Anfield.

I was tasked with the rather lovely job of speaking to all those taking part in the project- either as volunteers or providing expert advice. The volunteers were particularly amazing people and I really enjoyed chatting them to about everything from art, houses, gardening to what they felt ‘living well’ was all about. You can check out all the profile interviews on this page.

Bread and houses – Liverpool Biennial pulls off a brilliant mix of art, theatre and social action (guardian.co.uk)

Egyptian campaigner: ‘Corruption not climate awareness is holding us back’

arwafreelance — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 19:35:53 +0000

We speak to Egyptian campaigner Sarah Rifaat about the environmental movement and why bureaucracy and corruption are still the biggest barriers to change in Egypt

Like many people in Egypt, Sarah Rifaat suffered from childhood asthma caused by the high level of pollution swirling around the city she grew up in. What Sarah did differently when she grew up however, is refuse to accept this as the norm. Sarah’s asthma was her first lesson in the importance of a healthy and sustainable lifestyle which led her down the path of environmental campaigning. Today, she works with 350.org as the Arab world co-ordinator and is also part of a new Arab Youth Climate Movement. I caught up with Sarah to find out more about her work and what she would change if she was Egyptian president for a day.

Tell us a little about yourself and how you got involved in the climate change movement?

I’ve always had a passion for environmental conservation ever since I was a young girl. I can attribute that to specific moments in my life, such as the time when my grandfather taught me to name flowers in his garden, or when I used to watch Captain Planet. All these moments made me feel that I had a responsibility towards the world around me.

In college I studied mass communication and wanted to be a graphic designer, but I took a course on Environmental Issues and used my design skills for environmental awareness initiatives. After I graduated I volunteered to facilitate workshops for children at the World Environment Day celebration which is held in Cairo every year. I tried to lead a more environmentally conscious existence, but an activist I was not, climate or otherwise. That all changed in 2009 when I got an email inviting me to go to a 3-week climate advocacy workshop organized by 350.org and IndyACT in Turkey.

I and 20 other young Arabs went on a sponsored trip to Turkey to learn about climate change and also about using the tools of art and media for climate advocacy. We were there with participants from 39 other countries to learn about how to organize for the first 350 global day of action on October 24th. I’ve been part of the movement ever since as a volunteer field organizer till 2011, when I assumed the role of the 350 Arab world coordinator.

So you’ve been involved in the 350.org campaign for a couple of years now. Can you tell us about what you feel the campaign has achieved in Egypt so far?

I feel that the campaign has managed to involve more Egyptian youth in climate activism and organizing, as well as link climate change to local issues such as sustainable transportation. The campaign has also managed to encourage local collaboration between different groups and NGOs.

What changes have you noticed in the environmental movement in Egypt over the last 5 to 10 years?

The environmental movement has become more developed and more widespread than ever before – especially among youth. There’s a lot more recognition now of the link between environmental issues and social justice issues, which has led many groups that haven’t been involved in environmental activism to join forces with environmentalists.

I understand you were also part of a recent campaign to setup a Arab Youth Climate Movement. How did the meeting go and what can we expect next?

The workshop was about uniting youth climate activists from around the Arab World, with the aim of launching a strong regional youth network on climate. The activists came from 14 different Arab countries and got a chance to jointly discuss global and regional climate politics and acquire organizing skills, such as activists story-sharing, action planning and campaigning. In addition we also managed to bond as a team and formulate a common vision for the regional network. The AYCM is now focused on organizing the first Arab Day on Climate Action on November 3rd and is gearing up for participation at the Conference of Youth and COP18 in Qatar later this year.

What do you think are the unique barriers that Egypt faces in terms of tackling its environmental issues?

Corruption, outdated policies, vested interests and extremely bureaucratic governmental institutions are the biggest barriers for many environmentalist. There are those who might argue that lack of mass awareness on some issues is a barrier, and while that is true in some cases, the events of last year have proved that you only need a dedicated few to bring about massive change. However, in order for us to create lasting change, we need to transform the systems and institutions that have long kept the status quo.

What one thing would you change if you were leader of Egypt for the day?

I would create more open and intuitive channels of communication between government and civil society and try to launch some process by which governmental planning is truly inclusive, transparent and decentralized.

:: Images courtesy of Sarah Rifaat and 350.org

::Originally published at GreenProphet.com

Big Issue North: One-parent families on the rise among British Asians

arwafreelance — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 15:30:35 +0000

Arwa's Freelance Site » Youth

SISTERS – The Green Edition: Faith, Families and Features

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MCM: “Little Green Feats” – AfSL’s Interactive #Sustainability Workshop for Kids

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Mapping Palestine’s Environmental Civil Society – The Good, the Bad and the Uncooperative

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Adopt a Negotiator: Ready, Steady, Doha!

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Egyptian campaigner: ‘Corruption not climate awareness is holding us back’

Big Issue North: One-parent families on the rise among British Asians