Newsletter April, May & June 2015

APN Cultivates Areas around Al-Aqsa Mosque and in the 1948 Palestinian Lands

Scores of volunteers have taken part in an operation planting or distributing more than 1400 tree seedlings in Palestinian lands aimed to enhance steadfastness of farmers. The operation was held on April, 29th, 2015 under the slogan of “They Uproot a Tree, We Replant Ten”, covering parts of the grounds of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and lands in Jabal Mikles, Sikhneen, Wad A’ra, and Ar’ara in the Muthallath area, Araqeeb, Khasham Ranneh, and Likya village in the Naqab inside the 1948 Palestinian lands

Hayat FM Radio Listeners Pledge Support to Tree Planting in Palestine

A large number of listeners have pledged support to APN campaign to plant more tree seedlings in Palestine during an open air program on Radio Hayat FM. The program was aired in cooperation with APN on April, 20th, 2015 under the slogan of “They Uproot a Tree, We Replant Ten”.

Developing a Work Strategy for the Green Caravan Program

APN, joined by a number of experts, volunteers and farmers has held a workshop to develop a mechanism and long and medium term strategy for the Green Caravan program supporting agriculture in Jordan. The workshop took place at Amman Landmark Hotel on April, 25th, 2015, and was facilitated by APN volunteer Tareq Abu Al-Hawa.

New Victory for APN at the Negotiations on the Framework for Action for Food Security and Nutrition in Protracted Crises

The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature (APN) and the Arab Network for Food Sovereignty have announced that the international negotiations on the Framework for Action for Food Security and Nutrition in Protracted Crises have come to a conclusion on the eve of May, 22nd, 2015 at the Rome headquarters of the UN Food and Agriculture (FAO) Agency.

Thousands of Fruit Tree Seedlings Planted in Jericho

More than 45 thousand fruit tree seedlings have been planted in the Palestinian city of Jericho as part of the Jordan Valley Project conducted in conjunction with the Palestinian Farmers Union and Welfare Association. The project was completed on June 30th, 2015 and seedlings of olive, grapes, avocado, citrus, guava, papaya, pomegranate and almond trees were planted in an area of land exceeding 1500 dunums, owned by 450 farmers

APN Plants Trees of Hope in Gaza Strip

APN has carried out a series of agricultural projects in cooperation with local Palestinian societies and groups planting more than 1899 tree seedlings in Gaza Strip. Nearly 57 dunums of land in Khan Younes, Juhr Al-Deek, East Bureij and Beit Hanoun were planted with the seedlings supporting 51 farmers with 280 household members.

APN and Al-Hannouneh Join Hands to Grow Pomegranate Trees in Deir Alla

APN, in conjunction with Al-Hannouneh Society for Popular Culture joined hands in planting pomegranate tree seedlings in Deir Alla/northern Shuneh lands in a move asserting their partnership and relationship with the mother land, as well as to foster food security in the Jordan Valley region.

Planting and Crop Harvesting Activities in Al-Bayoudah

On April 17th, 2015, a group of APN volunteers headed to provide assistance to the residents of Al-Bayoudah village in Jordan in harvesting barley and planting fruit and forest tree seedlings in their lands.Three hundred tree seedlings were offered by APN to support food security in the region. They included almond, apple, Halabi pine nut, fig, blueberry, jujube, olive, carob, oleander, zenzlecht and other tree seedlings

APN Lobbies and Draws Government Attention in Rome

APN has organized intensive bilateral meetings in Rome with governmental representatives in the Committee on Global Food Security (CFS) to exchange views on the draft framework of action for nutrition and food security in protracted crises which was later negotiated by country members on May 8th & 9th, 2015 and on May 18-23, 2015.

Support in Qatar for APN’s Third Million Tree Campaign

The Qatari Rozana group has held an Iftar banquet in Doha in support for APN’s Third Million Tree campaign in Palestine. The event was held on June 28th, 2015 under the sponsorship of the Qatari Red Crescent Society and in coordination with Al-Sidra Agricultural Company.

Solidarity with Al-Shuyookh Town

Raising the slogan of ‘They Uproot One Tree, We Replant Ten’, scores of Palestinian volunteers joined by foreign supporters have replanted 1,200 olive and almond tree seedlings in the town of Al-Shuyookh in Hebron region as part of APN aided initiatives to support Palestinian farmers facing the threat of confiscation of their lands by Israeli occupation authorities. The volunteers were quick to respond after Jewish settlers from two nearby colonies uprooted similar seedlings planted earlier.

The Pulse of Life Back into a Palestinian Village

Hundreds of volunteers have managed to bring the smile back to the faces of Abd Rabbu household members whose house lies close to the Israeli separation wall. The volunteers managed on May, 5th, 2015 to plant 1,500 fruit tree seedlings in the family land in the village of Al-Waljah in Bethlehem governorate. The village is blessed with natural supplies of water and green land with residents attached to their land and a love to farm it.

Replanting Fruit Tree Seedlings in Wadi Qana Cut by Israeli Settlers

On the 3rd of May, scores of volunteers have managed to plant 300 fruit tree seedlings and distribute 5000 thyme seedlings among low-income farmers in lands threatened with confiscation by Israeli authorities to expand a settlement in Deir Estia in Salfit governorate in the occupied West Bank. Volunteers efforts were hampered by Israeli soldiers who halted the planting of a further 100 tree seedlings

The ‘Green Caravan’ on the Move

APN has planted a variety of tree seedlings in Ghor Al-Mazra in the Jordan Valley in Jordan in cooperation with Zikra Initiative and Al-Afaq Al-Mud’eea School. The planting activity which took place on April 8th, 2015 included growing pomegranate, guava, fig, pomelo, lemon and olive tree seedlings.

Growing Carob Trees to Celebrate Land Day with Safeway

The ‘Green Caravan’ campaign volunteers have planted 200 carob tree seedlings in the Ministry of Agriculture forest in Nzoul Al-Areda area as part of the global land day celebrations. Carob trees are known to have economic, nutritional and medical benefits with a lack of need for water and intensive care.APN carried out the planting on April 16th, 2015 with support from Safeway Company and in cooperation with the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture and with the participation of Safeway management team members.

Observing Land Day in Ramallah

APN has distributed 1,026 fruit tree seedlings to farming families in Ramallah, marking the Land Day and celebrating a week of spring activities. Seedlings of citrus, guava, grapes, almond and olive trees were distributed among 100 families in the village of Safa in coordination with Mr. Hassan Karaja (a resident of Ramallah) and cooperation with Hanthalah Cultural Center. The village faces frequent confiscation of land by Israeli occupation authorities with more than 3,191 dunums seized so far for colonies and bypass routes.

The Fourth Regional Multi-Stakeholder Workshop on Food Security and Nutrition Convenes in Amman

APN has organized participation of the Arab civil society groups in the Fourth Regional Multi-Stakeholder Workshop on Food Security and Nutrition held in Amman on April 28-29th, 2015.The workshop was launched by the FAO Near East and North Africa Regional Office in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and the World Food Program(WFA) with the participation of country delegates, the civil society and private sector representatives.

APN Takes Part in the Palestinian Housing Right Conference

APN has been invited to the opening session of the second Palestinian Housing Right conference held in the West Bank city of Ramallah. It was launched on May 27th, 2015 by the Palestinian Land Research Center headed by Dr. Jamal Talab

The One Million Tree Campaign in a Lecture in Seattle

An Arab-American audience in the US city of Seattle has responded with much interest to a briefing on APN’s Million Tree Campaign in Palestine.APN volunteer Farah Kaddoura took part in the regular meeting of the Food Justice Group in the American city on April 21st, 2015. She apprized the audience on APN work and activities including its campaign to plant trees in Palestine to support farmers on their lands and foster food security

APN Takes Part in a Regional Conference on Water Governance

Representing APN, engineer Mohammad Qtaishat took part in a regional conference organized by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and RKNOW in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. The objective of the conference ‘ IUCN-Nature and Water Knowledge Sharing Forum’ held during, 12-14,2015 was to exchange knowledge and expertise in water integrity and water governance, develop capacities of stakeholders in the Middle East and North Africa region to improve management of water resources and to discuss the development of RKNOW and strategies for IUCN work.

‘Israel’s Gas Deal’, an Occupation

APN has joined a series of activities launched by the National Jordanian Campaign-in which the organization is active- in protest against the proposed natural gas deal with Israel. The campaign’s activities marking Jordan’s Independence Day on May, 25th have called on the government to abandon the deal. Activists in the campaign sent out congratulation cards to the cabinet and parliament members on the occasion wishing them to protect the nation’s independence and sovereignty and reject dependency on the Zionist enemy by importing its natural gas

Jordan Dubai Islamic Bank Joins in APN’s Tree Planting Campaign

A number of Jordan Dubai Islamic Bank employees have joined APN’s volunteers in planting forest tree seedlings in Ghamadan National Park which lies on Queen Alia Airport highway. The planting work was carried out on May, 5th, 2015 in coordination with Amman Municipality. It was part of APN’s Green Caravan program aimed to foster food security, expand the green cover, combat desertification and increase forest growth.

Supporting Farmers against Israeli Violations in Za’atarah Village in Bethlehem

The land of a Palestinian farmer in a village in Bethlehem governorate has been replanted with fruit tree seedlings. As part of APN’s the ‘Land is Ours’ campaign, 80 almond, fig and pomegranate tree seedlings in addition to 1000 thyme and sage seeds were planted in the village of Za’atarah close to the Dead Sea area.

Save Bergesh Forests

The National Save Bergesh Forests Campaign has held an interactive event at Souk Jara aimed to raise awareness and remind people of an environmental massacre of Bergesh forests, ninety kilometers northwest of Amman

More Trees Planted in the Ghamadan National Park

As part of its ‘Green Caravan’ campaign, APN, joined by male students of Al-Ihtiraf Al-Dawliya Academy and in cooperation with Amman Municipality has planted tree seedlings in the Ghamadan National Park on the airport highway in Amman.

‘Today We Plant, Tomorrow We Eat’

Twelve olive tree seedlings have been planted in Marka Girls School in Amman as part of APN’s Green Caravan program. The planting event which took place on May,27th, 2015, declared by the school administration as a ‘day of bliss’ came under the slogan ‘Today We Plant, Tomorrow We Eat’.