Newsletter October, November, December 2017

APN Celebrates Mandla Mandela and Omar Barghouti at its 2017 Annual Dinner

On the 25th of November, 2017, APN held its Annual Dinner at the Landmark Hotel with approximately 800 guests in attendance. The Dinner included a dense panel discussion between M.P. Mandla Mandela, grandson of the late Nelson Mandela, BDS co-founder Omar Barghouti, and APN co-founder Razan Zuayter. The speakers presented three models of peaceful resistance that aim to beat injustice, racism and occupation. Prior to the panel discussion, a film about APN’s accomplishments in Jordan and Palestine was shown, and a welcoming note was given by APN President Rami Barhoush.

APN Gives a Speech Representing Global Civil Society at the Opening Ceremony of the 44th Session of the Committee on World Food Security in Rome

APN General Manager Mariam Al Jaajaa gave the civil society speech at the opening ceremony of the 44th session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), which was held on the 9-13th of October 2017 in Rome. Mariam Al Jaajaa was also invited to speak at a side event on “Women’s Roles and Rights in Situations of Food Crises, Famines and Conflict” along with Hilal Elver, the Special Rapporteur on the right to food.

APN Launches a Campaign to Plant 24 Thousand Trees to Support Jerusalemites

In support of smallholder farmers, APN through its Million Tree Campaign, launched a campaign to plant over 24 thousand olive, stone fruit and grape trees across the 25 villages in Jerusalem. The first activity, funded by the Women’s Association for Jerusalem – Bahrain, has been implemented in Beir Surik.

APN Carries Out Livelihood Projects to Support Female Agricultural Workers in the Northern Jordan Valley

In an effort to enhance food sovereignty in vulnerable communities, APN responded to the ambitions of a group of women agricultural workers from the Rahma Association for Orphans in the Zamaliya village – Northern Jordan Valley. APN rented a 10 dunam plot of land for the women for two years and supplied them with all necessities for the first planting season.

APN in AFED: We Call for Ending the War on Yemen

Razan Zuayter, president of the Arabic Network for Food Sovereignty and co-founder of APN, was invited as a main speaker and a coordinator of the civil society session at the Arab Forum for Environment and Development meetings held on the 2-3 November 2017 in Beirut. Zuayter intervened calling for an immediate end to the war on Yemen.

APN General Manager Al Jaajaa Elected to Represent West Asia at the Civil Society Mechanism Meetings and to Represent West Asia in the Advisory Group

APN General Manager Mariam Al Jaajaa was elected to represent West Asia in the Coordinating Committee of the Civil Society Mechanism (CSM) for the second term 2017-2019, and was accordingly invited to take part in the Committee’s meetings on the 5-6th of October and in the CSM Open Forum that followed on the 7-8th of October 2017. Al Jaajaa gave a speech addressing civil society organizations on “Responding to Famines and Food Crises and their Root Causes”.

The Green Caravan and Jordanian Banks Plant 1,320 Trees to Support Food Sovereignty in the Jordan Valley

As part of an institutional partnership with Jordanian banks, APN carried out 4 planting activities targeting over 60 families in the Jordan Valley. The activities were organized in collaboration with Ahliya for Agriculture in the central Jordan Valley and the Al Numeira Environmental Assocation in the southern Jordan Valley. The trees were planted with the help of 200 volunteers.

APN and Sanabel Collaborate to Build a Garden at the Secondary School for Girls at the Jerash Refugee Camp (Gaza Refugee Camp)

APN has committed to constructing a new environmental and sustainable garden at the Jerash refugee camp’s Secondary School for Girls. Sanabel Landscape Design and Services, has volunteered to design the garden as part of its corporate social responsibility program. The aim of the project is to create an outdoor outlet for students and a space for participatory learning.

APN Leads Workshop on Conflict at the Land Forum in Tunis

APN President Rami Barhoush was invited to lead a working group on conflict and war and their impact on food and nutrition security at the 6th MENA Land Forum conference titled “Towards the Implementation of Guidelines on Acquisition in the Middle East and North Africa”. The conference was held in Tunis on 25-27 October, 2017.

Zuayter Elected as Co-Chair of the “Conflict & Fragility” Working Group of the CPDE

On the 8th of December, 2017, Razan Zuayter, President of the Arab Network for Food Sovereignty, was elected as co-chair of the “Conflict and Fragility” Working Group of the civil society platform CPDE. The CPDE is part of the Global Council for Development Partnership and aims to relay a united voice on development effectiveness at the United Nations and the European Union.

APN and Umniah Plant 1,000 Fruit Trees in Support of Food Security

As part of its Green Caravan Program, APN organized two activities to plant 1,000 citrus, grape and guava trees, sponsored by Umniah, in the central Jordan Valley.

APN Plants Custard Apple, Guava and Avocado Trees in Khudoori – Tulkarem

On 24/10/2017, a group of volunteers carried out an activity to plant trees with high economic value, including mango, avocado and custard apple. The trees were planted in Khudoori – Tulkarem, adjacent to the Apartheid Wall. The activity was part of the “we plant to revive” project under the Third Million Tree Campaign in Palestine, and was organized in collaboration with Palestinian Agricultural Development Association (PARC) and students from the Palestinian Technical University – Khudoori.

APN in Muscat: States Complicit in War and Occupation Must be Held Accountable and Fined

On 11-12 December 2017, APN, represented by its Project Manager Mohammad Qtaishat, attended the Regional Symposium on “Sustainable Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Improved Nutrition in the Near East and North Africa”. The symposium was organized by the FAO, in collaboration with UNICEF, IFPRI, WFP and the League of Arab States. The symposium was hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in Muscat, Oman.

APN and National Paints Enhance Food and Water Security for Farmer Um Ali

On 7/10/2017, APN and 70 volunteers from the Sanfur Mohandes team of the University of Jordan headed to the central Jordan valley to plant 500 citrus, guava, grape and olive trees and construct a water collection pond for irrigation.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Hosts Members of APN Accompanied by Mandla Mandela

On 23/11/2017, Mr. Atef Tarawneh, Speaker of Jordan’s House of Representatives, received members of APN who were accompanied by M.P. Mandla Mandela, grandson of the late Nelson Mandela. Mandela assured that his presence in Amman is a reflection of his support and respect of Jordan and Palestine, and asserted the words of his late grandfather that South African freedom will always be incomplete so long as Palestine is occupied.

APN Holds its Annual Press Conference

On 22/11/2017, APN held its annual press conference at the Landmark Hotel – Amman to showcase its achievements in 2017 and its future plans for 2018. The press conference also hosted Omar Barghouti, BDS co-founder and guest speaker at APN’s Annual Dinner.

USAID Assistance: With or Against Agricultural Development

In November 2017, APN submitted a paper to the CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE) policy research on the “Implementation of a Human Rights Based Approach in Development Partnership.”

APN Collaborates with Youth Initiatives to Plant 950 Trees and 4,800 Vegetable Seedlings in the Southern and Central Jordan Valley

APN’s Green Caravan organized 3 activities to plant 950 trees and 4,800 vegetable seedlings in the southern and central Jordan Valley with the help of 100 volunteers from different youth initiatives.

APN Soars in Media Interviews

APN was invited to several radio and TV stations to discuss its different programs and current environmental challenges.

“Tamam” Chicken Supports APN Allocating Proceeds to Plant Trees in Jordan

Tamam International Poultry Company launched a noble initiative allocating part of its proceeds to support planting trees in Jordan through APN’s Green Caravan.

APN and the Young Engineers Committee Plant 400 Trees in the Central Jordan Valley

On 27/10/2017, APN, in collaboration with the Young Engineers Committee of the Jordan Engineers Association and the Ahliya for Agriculture, organized an activity titled “Plant Dignity” as part of the Green Caravan program. In support of food security, 400 fruit trees, sponsored by the Jordan Housing Developers Association, were planted in the Rubay’ and Dharar bin Al Azwar areas of the central Jordan Valley.

APN Organizes Awareness Campaigns in Schools

On the 26th of October, 2017, APN headed to the Ahliyyah School for Girls where it gave an informative lecture about its programs, and the significance of planting trees in both Palestine and Jordan. Almost 200 students from both the Ahliyyah School for Girls and the Bishop’s School for Boys attended the lecture and learned more about environmental and agricultural challenges in Jordan and Palestine and ways to overcome them.

Development Effectiveness: Benefit or Harm

On 12-13 October 2017, APN Board Members Hassan Al Jaajaa and Razan Zuayter participated in the Fifth World Council of the CSO Partnership on Development Effectiveness (CPDE) in Berlin. During the meetings, the Council’s new strategies were discussed and two new presidents were elected. Zuayter intervened stating that the CPDE should reevaluate aid effectiveness in times of war and occupation, whereby aid often perpetuates conflict.

From an Interview with APN: Do We Unknowingly Import GMOs and Who is Responsible

On 14/12/2017, Amal Hudhud, representing the investigative journalism organization ARIJ, conducted an interview with APN co-founder Razan Zuayter on the state of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Jordan.

APN Attends Several Meetings

APN met with Dar al-Fatwa in Lebanon and a delegation from the OECD in Amman, and attended the Environmental Regional Conference for the Middle East.

APN Supports the “Basmitak Hat’allim” Initiative

On 9/12/2017, APN co-founders Hassan Al Jaajaa and Razan Zuayter were invited to Lebanon’s Dar al Fatwa by its General Manager Mr. Hassan Freiji. The purpose of the visit was to look into potential collaboration between Dar Al Fatwa’s Charity Fund that serves to support the Palestinian people, and APN which serves the same goal. The two parties introduced their respective organizations and looked into cooperation in 2018, whereby the Fund will allocate some of its proceeds to plant 10,000 olive trees in Palestine. This will fall under APN’s Million Tree Campaign that is on its way to surpassing the 3 million mark. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) On 13/12/2017, APN met with a delegation from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to discuss APN’s programs and the challenges that the active civil society faces in the field of environmental protection in Jordan. Environmental Regional Conference for the Middle East APN was requested to conduct an agricultural study and consultation for the Jordanian initiative “Basmitak Hat’allim” (you will make an impact).