Aleida Guevara: I am Joining APN | The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature
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أليدا أرنستو جيفارا في المؤتمر الصحفي: أنا منذ اليوم عضو في العربية لحماية الطبيعة!

Prior to its annual event, the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature (APN) announced at a press conference that donations the Group had raised will be used to plant around 150 thousand fruit tree saplings in Jordan and Palestine.

The announcement came three days ahead of the Group’s annual event which marks a culmination of months of work and achievements in the fields of agriculture, food sovereignty and environment protection.Invited to the event on March 30, 2019 as a special guest, Dr Aleida Guevara daughter of the legendary freedom fighter Ernesto Guevara told the press conference that she was deeply impressed with APN’s mission and work and considers herself, from now on, a member of the Group.

She said her presence in Amman affirms the right of the Palestinian people to their land and sovereignty. Guevara, a Cuban physician, went on to say:  “I am proud of being Cuban; my country is under a US-imposed siege. We severed relations with Israel in respect of the Palestinian people.”APN’s board director Rami Barhoush, briefing reporters on 2018 achievements, said 2,366,297 fruit tree saplings were planted, in conjunction with partners in Palestine, in the lands of 26,466 farmers who support households with around 207,709 family members. The planting effort was part of the Group’s one million tree campaign to develop and protect agricultural lands in Palestine.Regarding APN’s Green Caravan campaign in Jordan, Barhoush said agricultural activities were carried out over the past year in Ruseifeh, Karak, Tafileh, Madaba, and Salt, the Jordan Valley, Ajloun, Amman and Dhleil.Over 30 thousand fruit tree saplings were planted in lands with an area around 885 dunums owned by 975 families. The cultivation of the tree saplings was carried out with the assistance of 3,400 volunteers who joined in the agricultural activities counting around 100.APN’s general manager Mrs. Mariam Al-Jaajaa said in the press conference that the Group is pursuing its work in the food sovereignty program which focuses on influencing formulation and application of environmental agricultural and food policies at local, regional and international levels.APN has been named as a member of the Arab League Committee on Hunger Eradication, and a co-chair of the working group of combating hunger in the context of conflict.

Co-founder of APN Mrs. Razan Zuayter was elected as co-chair of the World Peoples’ Coalition for Food Sovereignty. The alliance consists of civil society groups and movements concerned with food sovereignty.