APN | Amman

24 – 25 November 2023

 

AIESEC, a platform dedicated to empowering youth, invited APN to serve as a keynote speaker in two sessions, engaging a cohort of Jordanian university students in discussions centered around "Environmental Sustainability" and "Environmental Occupation".

During the session on "Environmental Sustainability", APN Media Coordinator, Asmaa Awwad, provided an overview of APN's four programmes. She highlighted the prevalent confusion surrounding the concept of sustainability in Arab countries. This confusion, she explained, arises from the disparity between the local understanding of sustainability and the Western perspective dominating the "elitist" discourse. Western countries, being at the forefront, often propose terminology based on their priorities, creating a divide between sustainability theorists and advocates and the frameworks directly implemented by grassroots movements. Awwad identified two major obstacles. The first is the neglect of the significance of sovereignty over resources and food as a prerequisite for development. The second obstacle stems from overlooking the impact of wars and intraregional conflicts in Arab countries, further delaying progress in addressing environmental sustainability.

Notwithstanding the challenges, Awwad emphasized that dedicated efforts, detached from the constraints of conditional financing, lead to accomplishments. Through support and collaboration with individuals and local and regional institutions, APN successfully planted 3 million trees and established its presence on local, regional, and international platforms dedicated to agriculture and environmental issues.

In the "Environmental Occupation" session, Awwad highlighted that those who contribute the least to climate change often bear the most severe consequences. Using the example of the Zionist occupation, she underscored its significant role in driving the climate crisis in Palestine. Despite Palestinian emissions being a fraction of Israeli emissions, Palestinians experience severe repercussions of climate change, including food insecurity, water scarcity, land use changes, and soil degradation. Moreover, they endure the challenges of living under a harsh colonial regime that systematically destroys the environment in Palestine. This regime obstructs climate adaptation plans by depleting and stealing natural resources and preventing Palestinians from accessing clean energy sources.