Through a varied program containing inspirational stories and diverse segments, the Annual Dinner for “The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature” had the goal of celebrating achievements, honoring partners, and gathering support for the programs of APN in Jordan and Palestine. In addition, to supporting farmers, the event was advocating people’s sovereignty over food and natural resources.

The General Assembly for the Arab Network for Food Sovereignty gathered in the Jordanian capital Amman on 4/12/2016 with the attendance of 22 members from Lebanon, Tunisia, Palestine, Morocco, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain that represent institutions, associations and unions that primarily seek to unify the efforts of the Arab civil society towards food sovereignty and the protection of natural resources in the Arab countries.

The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature and the Arab Network of Food Sovereignty participated in the meetings conducted in the Arab Forum for Environment and Development that took place on 10th of November 2016 in Beirut. Razan Zuayter, President of the Network led the Civil Society workshop which was concluded with a declaration that was read at the general plenary. The declaration stressed that civil society is key to the growth of modern nations, and more effort should be put to strengthen partnerships between civil society and governments.

APN Advocacy Officer Heather Elaydi was in Rome from 11-19 October, 2016, for meetings of the Civil Society Mechanism (CSM) of the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS), and for the 43rd Annual Plenary Session of the CFS.

More than 150 volunteers participated in two activities on the 21/10/2016 and 4/11/2016 to plant 1000 citrus and annona trees in 5 locations in the Northern valley, Manshieh, Sheikh Hassan and Alrayan. The activities were funded by the Rehabilitation and Care Association Charity and in collaboration with the Union of Agricultural Workers. The activities came to support the resilience of small farmers in the Jordan Valley and prevent them from selling their lands.

APN signs three new agreements aimed at strengthening the resilience of farmers in Jerusalem, Salfit and Bethlehem through the cultivation of a total of 36,000 trees, 70,000 vegetables seedlings, and the establishment of two water collection wells. The projects will be implemented in partnership with Al Nahda Rural Society, Bethlehem Farmers Association, and Salfit Association for Development.

The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature renewed its awareness activities linked to the “Only If You Know Campaign” with four environmental lectures, the first one on Tuesday 25/10/2016 which targeted Grade 8 and 9 students at the Brighter Horizon Academy. Volunteer Firas Qatanani presented both a theoretical and practical lecture on how to plant and grow mushrooms at home.

On December 5th 2016 dozens of volunteers planted olive trees in the land of farmer Khaled Khawaldeh which lies meters away from the Settlement of Beit El. The farmers greeted this initiative, which comes at a time when settlements are expanding rapidly at the expense of their produce, livelihoods and existence.

APN in partnership with Al Nahda Rural Society embarked on an Economic Empowerment Project to Support Jerusalemite Families through training women on agricultural processing and providing them with the means to start their own initiatives. The agricultural products were selected for their economic and nutritional value as well as market demand.

The Green Caravan arrived to the area of Dirar Bin Alazwar – Deir A’la on Saturday 29/10/2016 to grow 500 monthly lemon trees through joint support from Jordan Bank and APN. The goal was to enhance food security and find a consistent and renewed source of income for the farmers. More than 50 volunteers, including employees from the bank, participated in the activity.

APN has contributed a case study to a project on Conflict, Food Sovereignty, and Development Cooperation, coordinated by the People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS) and the CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE), in order to highlight the unique food system needs of communities living in conflict.

APN’s Green Caravan departed towards Alma’adi in the central part of the Jordan Valley on Thursday 3/11/2016 with the participation of 100 volunteers of different age groups to plant 1,350 pomegranate trees on a farmer’s land with the support of the mobile service provider Zain. The goal is to enhance food security and to provide a stable and renewable source of income for him and his family. The activity was full of positive energy with the participation of Zain staff and Ibn Rushd School students under the slogan “Hand in hand, we will plant more trees”.

As an active and founding member in the “Jordanian National Campaign to Terminate the Gas Agreement with Israel “ since its establishment in 2014, APN participated in organizing all activities aimed at ousting the agreement which affects the security of Jordan and its sovereignty over its energy. In addition, it forces Jordanians to normalize relations with the usurper entity that dispossesses people and uproots trees.

APN through its members Razan Zuayter and Hassan Al Jaajaa where invited to the Global Unions Coalition in Support of Alquds and Palestine under the slogan “Together for Jerusalem” on Tuesday 11/10/2016 in the Turkish capital Istanbul.

APN, Raje’ and Jordan University students from the engineering department planted 650 lemon trees in the Jordan Valley on Saturday 12/11/2016. The trees were sponsored by ITG and planted in a small farmer’s land in the area of Abu Abeida to enhance food security and provide an additional source of income. Around 100 volunteers of different age groups, mostly children of the Nasr Camp participated in the activity. The children tied the trees with cards carrying names of their villages in Palestine that they would like to return to one day.

One Love initiative and the APN organized a charity event with Dozan wa Awtar on the 3rd and 4th of Novemeber 2016 at the Ahliya School for girls. The proceedings of the event were dedicated to preparing a children centre in the Jerash refugee camp in Jordan.

APN held a press conference at its headquarters on November 30 to announce its Annual Dinner 2016 that was organized on December 3rd and to display its achievements in supporting agriculture, food security and environmental campaigns. The conference was attended by 20 journalists who were welcomed by APN founding member Razan Zuayter calling them the conscience of this nation much like civil society. “We both monitor and record history”. She said and added “what distinguishes APN is its ability to rely on volunteerism, and local and regional funding only”.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched the “Directive Guide for Farmer Field Schools in Jordan” in collaboration with The National Center for Agricultural Research and Extension (NCARE). The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature was invited to participate in the event at the Kempinski Hotel – Amman on the 22/11/2016.

On Saturday 15/10 a seminar was conducted at the A.M. Qattan Foundation HQ in which the “Educational Research and Development Program”, which is a new stage in the "Palestinian Heirloom Seeds Library" project, was inaugurated. It was officially announced that the Educational course under the title “Seeds: Policies and Cultures” has been launched.

As a member of the Jordanian Federation for Environmental NGOs , APN participated in its meeting on Defining Environmental Policies and Strategies which was held on Dec 18-19 2016 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Aqaba. The workshop was organized as part of the Capacity building and Environmental Governance Project supported by the Small Grants Programme of the UN and Ministry of Social Development.

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