Newsletter (May to July) 2021

In response to the marginalization of peoples’ voices at the UN Food Systems Summit, APN and partners organize an international webinar on food security in the context of war, occupation, and sanctions

Hundreds of experts from around the world participated in the webinar organized by the Arab Network for Food Sovereignty, the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature, and their partners. The webinar 'The People's Track to Food Security, Genuine Development and Just Peace' was organized as a response to the marginalization of peoples and affected communities by the Summit United Nations Food Systems 2021 (UN-FSS).

APN launches campaign to save the agricultural sector in Gaza after the bombing stopped

The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature launched a campaign to save and restore the agricultural sector in Gaza days after the brutal Israeli aggression had stopped. According to the Ministry of Agriculture in Gaza, the value of losses exceed $200 million.

APN engages efforts and interaction on deliberate Israeli fire in Jordan Valley

The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature launched an emergency campaign to rehabilitate land owned by Jordanianin farmers destroyed by a fire deliberately set by Israelis in the northern Jordan Valley in early June 2021.

APN and ANFS provide critical interventions for preparatory meeting of FAO Regional Conference

President of the Arab Network for Food Sovereignty, Razan Zuayter, and General Manager of the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature, Mariam Al-Jaajaa, made critical interventions in the preparatory meeting of the FAO Regional Conference.

APN participates in organizing market for National Palestinian Economy Week

The event organizers are looking forward to strengthening the connection between  Palestinian farmers and their land and promoting  Palestinian products in the face of the intrusion of Israeli products and the occupation’s attempts to appropriate authentic Palestinian products and markets.

After success last year APN distributes another 400 kilos of jute  mallow seeds in the Jordan Valley

The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature distributed 400 kilos of mallow seeds to 10 Jordanian farmers in the southern Jordan Valley

Zuayter on the 73rd Anniversary of the Nakba: Palestinian unity and revolution are the paths to liberation

During the opening speech, Zuayter said that the meeting is a symbolic global demonstration that carries multiple strong messages and proves that humanity is indivisible. Then, she presented a historical account of the tragedy of Palestine, pointing to the different periods of time of the Palestinian struggle that has not stopped since the Balfour Declaration in 1917.

Journalist Diala Dabbas dedicates episode of  'Helweh Ya Donia' to Green Caravan program

Roya TV allocated an episode to the Green Caravan program, which the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature has been implementing since 2003. They presented the program's objectives, achievements, and some of its challenges in the presence of Razan Zuayter, Chair of the Board at the organization.

APN inspection tour of projects in Palestine

APN expressed gratitude to the farmers through their representative in Palestine, Mr. Ibrahim Manasrah. He thanked the farmers on behalf of the organization for managing their lands well and for the promising produce, which was made possible through generous donations to the organization's campaigns.

APN presents recommendations at preparatory meetings of the UN Food Systems Summit

These meetings aim to register the recommendations of participating organizations on the reality of the agricultural and food sector in the region to the leaders of the UN Food Systems Summit, which will be held in September of this year.

ANFS warns of collapse of food systems in Gaza as result of Israeli bombing

The Arab Network for Food Sovereignty warned that the continued systematic assault on agricultural lands by the occupation puts the people of Gaza in danger of starvation and threatens nearly 20 thousand farmers in Gaza with the collapse of their businesses.

APN launches intensive rehabilitation and media campaign to support farmers in the northern Jordan Valley affected Israeli fires

A campaign was launched by The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature to compensate Jordanians whose farms were damaged by fires deliberately set by Israelis in the northern Jordan Valley. Around 500 dunums of agricultural land were destroyed in the fires. The organization provided the farmers with fruit trees to replace the ones they lost

APN presents preliminary conception for implementing "Arab Tree Path"  project to Sub-committee on the Eradication of Hunger of the League of Arab States

The concept included addressing Arab countries and inviting them to a meeting to discuss the concept note for the project in September of 2021 after the project obtained the approval of those countries at the end of last year. 

ANFS and APN meet organizers of Action Track 5 of Food Systems Summit (FSS) to demand that the needs of people affected by wars and conflicts be included on its agenda

Razan Zuayter, President of the Arab Network for Food Sovereignty, and Mariam Al-Jaajaa, General Manager of the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature, met with the organizers of Action Track 5  on conflicts and crises at the Food Systems Summit (UN-FSS).

APN cultivates agricultural lands destroyed by the occupation during its aggression in Gaza

The Arab for the Protection of Nature planted 250 olive and citrus trees on 6 dunums in Johor al-Dik in Gaza, located 1 km from the border.

Success story of Jordanian farmer who harvests unique honey made in Jordan, Palestine, and Syria altogether

A Jordanian farmer named Osama Masarawe impressed the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature with his beekeeping techniques and honey products. The organization encouraged Massarwe to start a beekeeping enterprise,  provided him with beehives, and trained him on managing them. 

APN and ANFS only Arab delegations at international meeting to discuss effects of crises on food systems 

Razan Zuayter, Mariam Al Jaajaa, and Rami Zurayk represented the Arab region and their respective organizations and institutions, including the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature, the Arab Network for Food Sovereignty, and the American University of Beirut at the meeting, which was organized by Concern America. The meeting discussed the fifth topic that will be addressed at the UN Food Systems Summit.

APN submits report to government with demands regarding fire deliberately set by Israel in Jordan Valley

The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature submitted a report to the Jordanian government with a list of actions taken, a media kit, and a set of demands regarding their responsibilities towards Jordanian farmers

APN and Gaza Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Platform launch initiative to women's projects in Gaza after the recent war and  outbreak of COVID-19

The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature launched the "Strengthening the Resilience of Women's Agricultural Projects" initiative in the Gaza Strip in partnership with the Gaza Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Platform (GUPAP). The initiative aims to support 45 women in Gaza to resume their agricultural projects in light of the faltering of these projects and the interruption of some of them due to the harsh economic and social conditions. This is especially after the recent Israeli aggression, which caused huge losses and unprecedented damage to the agricultural sector

Mariam Al-Jaajaa: The definition of peace is not clear and the budget for building peace and addressing the root causes of wars and conflicts is microscopic compared to that of the military and agendas aiming to fuel strife

Al-Jaajaa stressed the need to provide a clear definition for peace, pointing out that peace is not a process of resolving military conflicts but rather a critical term based on restoring rights and justice.

PCFS warns of Food Systems Summit bias towards big business interests, prepares to launch 'shadow conference.'

The meeting was inaugurated by Razan Zuayter, Co-chair of the coalition and Chair of the Board at the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature, and attended by a group of professionals from different parts of the world influential in agricultural policies. This led to moving forward with a 'shadow conference' of the UN Food Systems Summit,

APN participates in preparing draft of biosafety law to submit to the Ministry of Environment

The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature organized a research meeting that included environmental experts Bassel Burqan and Hala Murad to present suggestions on the draft biosafety law to be adopted in Jordan by the Ministry of Environment. Zuayter called during this meeting for a real will to hear the opinion of civil society on this important issue, especially with the existence of contradictions in instructions and standards related to the control of modified foods among the various institutions.

Zuayter calls on FAO to coordinate between regional initiatives seeking to enhance food security in the region

Razan Zuayter, President of the Arab Network for Food Sovereignty, continued to provide interventions on the preparatory meeting of the FAO Regional Conference, which was held over three days to exchange ideas and consult on the priorities of the agenda of the conference.

APN updates on its study on land and conflict in the Arab region

Technical advisor of the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature, Professor Rami Zurayk, gave a presentation on the developments of the study titled "Land and Conflict in the Arab Region," during a workshop organized by Rasheed for Integrity.

Al-Jaajaa speaks at High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)

General Manager of the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature, Mariam Al-Jaajaa, participated as a speaker on behalf of the People's Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS). She spoke during a side webinar entitled "Recovery or Transformation? Addressing challenges to peoples' rights, climate justice, and sustainable development" at the invitation of several organizations in the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), which is based in New York City

APN at international conference to discuss ways to "rebuild Palestine" after the recent Israeli aggression

General Manager of The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature, Mariam Al-Jaajaa, participated in an international webinar titled "Rebuilding Palestine" which was organized by American organization Iportal.

Couple donates wedding expenses to APN campaigns

Newlyweds Majd Mohsen and Walid Daher began their lives together by supporting the Palestinian cause.  They donated the costs of their wedding ceremony to campaigns that restore the agricultural sector in Gaza and preserve land in Jerusalem.

APN calls for meeting held by IUCN on deliberate Israeli fire

The meeting aimed to inform participants of the organization's findings regarding the fire in the Jordan Valley and raise the issue at the international level to hold Israel accountable, compensate the farmers, and prevent the recurrence of these crimes

Zuayter: Resilience of Palestinians requires sustainable projects and joint relief and development efforts

Zuayter indicated that support directed to Palestine has been mostly limited to charitable support and rarely towards the sustainable development goals. There is rarely relief and development support at the same time. She stressed that the path towards resilience requires a practical strategic framework that aspires to achieve the major goals in a sustainable manner.

APN presents experience of Million Tree Program as model for sustainable production to international organizations

General Manager of the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature Mariam Al Jaahaa presented the Million Tree Program in Palestine as a successful model for sustainable production

APN rehabilitates 2 out of service wells in Jerusalem

The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature restored two wells in the occupied city of Jerusalem with the support of Nabd Quds Committee. The two wells (80 cm each) cover the needs of two Jerusalem farmers, who own 10 dunums of agricultural land and support 21 people.

APN calls on IUCN to put into action its decisions to hold the occupation accountable for its environmental crimes

The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature participated in the meeting of the IUCN Regional Committee in the presence of its Director-General Bruno Oberle to assess the previous period and provide comments, and develop a strategy for 2021-2024

APN participates in ESCWA webinar on 'Degraded lands in the Arab region'

Chair of the Scientific Committee of the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature Mr. Hassan Al Jaajaa was invited by the ESCWA to participate in a panel discussion on “Restoring degraded lands in the Arab region.” The discussion coincided with World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.

APN presents latest developments in its study "Land and Conflict in the Arab Region" at invitation of UN-Habitat

General Manager of the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature, Mariam Al-Jaajaa presented the latest developments on the organization's study, "Land and Conflict in the Arab Region,".