APN | Qatar

31 December 2024 – 2 January 2025

Razan Zuayter, APN Chairperson, was a distinguished guest lecturer for the Ri’aya Youth Program, hosted by Al-Mujadilah Center, an initiative under Qatar Foundation. The week-long program, designed for young women, aimed at preparing participants for leadership roles in addressing contemporary issues.

On 31 December 2024, Zuayter delivered her first lecture titled “Understanding Colonization, Settler Colonialism, and the Weaponization of Food and the Environment”. In her presentation, Zuayter unpacked the root causes of regional challenges through a presentation of the historical and contemporary dimensions of colonialism, with a focused lens on the Israeli settler-colonial project in Palestine. Highlighting its roots in European colonialism, she traced its evolution to the ongoing genocide and ecocide perpetrated by the Israeli occupation in Gaza.

Zuayter further enriched the discussion by contrasting colonial exploitation of the environment as a commodity with Islamic teachings which regard the environment as an integral part of the universe's diversity, manifested in the concepts of unity and diversity. She demonstrated how Islamic principles continually strive to achieve social, environmental, and economic justice.

Zuayter delivered a second lecture on 1 January 2025 titled "Food Sovereignty and Green Resistance," highlighting the importance of strengthening local food systems as a means of enhancing economic and political independence. She presented APN’s work in agriculture, mobilization, and advocacy as a case study of green resistance.

She also participated in a mentorship session with the participants, guiding them on how to develop a future action plan aligned with their capacities and local context to achieve their goals in sustainable agriculture and food and environmental sovereignty.