Building a Climate for Peace: Sustainable Development in the MENA
Synopsis
This program leverages the current political climate in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) to identify strategic, innovative, integrated, and sustainable approaches to addressing critical environmental and development challenges faced by communities in the MENA region. Taught by leading experts from the region and beyond, and including online learning, in-country seminars, and cross-boundary teamwork, the proposed program aims to create a cadre of academics and young professionals from across the MENA region, who will be equipped with cutting edge knowledge and practical tools to: (i) address the region’s urgent, core environmental and development challenges; (ii) build sustainable and resilient communities; and (3) work together to engender sustainable peace within and between countries. Participants from across the region will thus learn together, share experience and knowledge with one another, and jointly innovate and carry out practical solutions to regional challenges.
The first cohort of participants (2022-2023) will lay the relational, programmatic, and physical bedrock for subsequent cohorts and projects. All in all, the program will contribute to bringing the region closer to achieving the UN’s 2030 17 Sustainable Development Goals. It follows the Middle East and North Africa Climate Week of March 2022, which took place in the UAE, and leads up to the next two COPs to be held in the MENA: the 27th session of the Conference of Parties (COP 27) to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) in Sharm al-Sheikh, Egypt, in November 2022; and the 28th COP in the UAE, in November 2023. It is significant that both of these COPs will take place in the MENA, and important to capitalize on this opportunity.
Background and Rationale
Recent years have made painfully clear the negative effects of climate change and other environmental crises. The reality of the COVID-19 global pandemic has highlighted – and exacerbated – the environmental degradation humans have caused the planet, and the extreme disparities across and within countries. This is clearly notable throughout the Middle East and North Africa region. Professionals in the field, as well as the general public – and particularly the youth – are becoming increasingly aware of the need for an integrated approach to fostering resilient communities.
While different countries or parts of the MENA face specific local challenges, many issues concern multiple communities throughout the region and beyond. These challenges include severe water shortage, which is both a source and a result of ongoing conflicts; food insecurity caused by droughts and/or by the lack of sustainable farming opportunities and sources of livelihood; desertification; and the need for renewable sources of energy. Along with other effects of climate change and global warming, these trends create an existential threat to many.
The environment knows no political borders, and successfully tackling environmental and sustainable development challenges necessitates cross-boundary cooperation. The Arab-Israeli conflict has historically posed an impediment to much needed regional cooperation; this program, therefore, comes at an opportune political moment, where meaningful cooperation between Israelis and Arabs from an increasing number of countries in the region is possible. New political agreements, such as the Abraham Accords between Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain; normalization of relations between Israel and Morocco; political agreements with Sudan; and existing agreements between Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, and Egypt, allow for increased cooperation on environmental and sustainability issues, which can also pave the way for broader peacebuilding initiatives. Importantly, while Palestinians often feel/are sidelined by agreements between Israel and others in the region, this program provides an excellent opportunity to strengthen Israeli-Palestinian cooperation, embedding it within a broader regional context of peacebuilding.
Political agreements are critical; however, true peace – whether between or within countries – requires more than formal agreements or top-level policies. Community-level people- to-people engagements and relationships are vital. Sustainable peace and sustainable development go hand in hand; they both entail the safety, security, and well-being of the societies involved. Ultimately, there can be no sustainable development without peace, and there can be no sustainable peace without sustainable development at its core.
While there is an increasing level of cooperation between the MENA countries on some of the issues listed above, it is largely between governments and/or businessmen, not always having the desired trickle-down effect to the community level. This proposed project aims to empower people and communities “from below”, including women, youth, and other geographically, politically, economically, and socially marginalized communities, to link more effectively with the top-down initiatives.
Given the urgency of seriously addressing environmental issues, and the fragile nature of many MENA societies, this program is both critical and timely. In addition to providing academic knowledge and professional skills, it will offer a unique platform for individuals and societies in the region to share their experiences, good practices, and expertise and learn from those of others, and to forge collaborative endeavors that will benefit participants’ respective countries and the region as a whole. Only through a collaborative effort and a holistic, integrated, and sustainable approach can critical issues be tackled successfully and sustainably.
Participants
Participants in this program will include university students and young professionals from countries throughout the MENA region, and particularly Israel, Palestine/the Palestinian Authority, Morocco, the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, Jordan, and Egypt (though it will be open to participants from elsewhere in the region). All these countries face serious environmental challenges; all place importance on solving them and on reaching the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. All these countries have political agreements and diplomatic relations between them, which facilitate mutual visits (which are an integral part of the program); and all countries could greatly benefit from enhancing the formal political agreements between them in order to achieve holistic and sustainable peace. Ideally, this program will constitute a positive precedent which can be scaled-up, and others in the region will ultimately choose to join.
Many innovative endeavors which tackle the issues exacerbating and resulting from global warming already exist in these countries. For example, in all there is an emphasis on renewable energy and increasing the availability and quality of drinking water, which include projects to desalinate sea water and/or to reuse wastewater. Additionally, all countries wish to create more resilient communities, preserve cultural heritage, and enhance cross-boundary and intercommunal relations. Below are select examples of relevant initiatives taken by/within a number of countries:
Israel’s Ministry for the Protection of the Environment defines environmental issues as a matter of national security, and emphasizes the importance of youth as environmental agents of change. Israel has been a leading hub for hi-tech and agricultural innovations for decade, sharing its know-how with countries in the Middle East and Africa. Israel is a leader in wastewater management and water desalination, as well as in carbon sequestering. In October 2022, the first International Summit on Food from the Sea and the Desert was held in Eilat, Israel.
Palestine, whose situation is worsened by prolonged conflict with Israel, has long been engaged in environmental protection. Palestine suffers from issues of wastewater management, water shortage overall, pollution, and loss of biodiversity, among others. The Palestinian Environmental NGOs Network- Friends of Earth Palestine (PENGON-FoE Palestine) is a coordinating body among different Palestinian NGOs working in the field of environment. Several organizations already work in Israel and Palestine separately, in addition to the joint Israeli-Palestinian-Jordanian cross boundary environmental peacebuilding and sustainable development endeavors (see EcoPeace; Arava Institute).
In Morocco, renewable energy creates about 35% of the kingdom’s electricity needs; Morocco aims to be at 50% renewable energy (for electricity needs) by 2030, and to reach 100% renewables by 2050. Morocco is among 47 countries to carry out a 2020 Voluntary National Review regarding the country’s progress toward the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030. According to the UN Sustainable Development Goals website, Morocco has made significant investments and efforts toward the country’s successful development. It has mobilized a third of its GDP to fight poverty, social inequality, and climate change while enhancing its natural resources.
The UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure unveiled, back in 2017, its Water Security Strategy 2036, which aims to ensure sustainable access to water. The UAE has also been working for years to develop renewable energy sources. It has put forth its National Climate Change Plan, which serves as a roadmap to bolster nationwide actions for climate mitigation and adaptation in the UAE until 2050. In March 2022, the UAE hosted the Middle East and North Africa Climate Week of March 2022, and towards the end of 2023 it will host 28th session of the Conference of Parties (COP 28) to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change).
The Kingdom of Bahrain suffers from pollution, freshwater scarcity, and desertification. It has taken major steps towards achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aligning its national development agenda accordingly.
In Sudan, The Sudan State of the Environment and Outlook Report 2020 is the first of its kind to comprehensively take stock of the condition of the country’s environment and the trends affecting it. The report follows an earlier issue-based environmental report, the Sudan Post-Conflict Environmental Assessment, which compiled field studies on the environmental impacts of the conflict in Sudan that ended with the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
In Jordan, too, sustainable development has emerged as a hot topic in many reform agendas and strategic management plans. The latter deal with social economic, and ecological sustainability. In 2015, “Jordan 2025. A national vision and strategy” was released, which includes several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including the eradication of poverty, the improvement of the educational system, the provision of clear water and sanitation, the guarantee of decent work and economic growth and the development of the sustainable communities and cities. Jordan is the Arab leader in terms of green electricity, excluding hydropower. It hopes to produce 50% of its electricity from renewable energy by the year 2030.
Egypt Vision 2030 is a unified long-term political, economic, and social vision, developed in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It represents a foothold on the way towards inclusive development, cultivating a prosperity path through economic and social justice. Among its goals is the significant reduction of greenhouse gasses by 2030. Egypt will also be hosting the 27th COP in November 2022, in Sharm al-Sheikh.
Program Philosophy and Goals
In theory and in practice, this program views sustainable development and sustainable peace as mutually dependent and mutually constitutive. One cannot exist without the other, to the extent that in their truest, most holistic sense they are almost synonymous. Given that increased environmental and social awareness and activism are particularly noticeable among youth, this program largely targets university students and young professionals, equipping them with the knowledge and tools they need to build a sustainable MENA.
Sustainable Development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It has four intertwined and mutually dependent dimensions, including society, environment, culture, and economy. Sustainability is a paradigm for thinking about the future in which environmental, societal, and economic considerations are balanced in the pursuit of an improved quality of life. Sustainability can be thought of as a long-term goal, while sustainable development refers to the many processes and pathways to achieve it. Climate change, the loss of biodiversity, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable consumption and production are all issues at the heart of sustainability. For peace to be sustainable it must include, at its core, practices of sustainable development. Development, to be sustainable, must include peace – within and between communities.
The program’s long-term goal is to create a cadre of young academics and professionals from across the MENA, who will be equipped with cutting edge knowledge and practical tools to: (i) address the region’s core environmental and development challenges; (ii) build sustainable and resilient communities; and (iii) engender sustainable peace, within and between countries. Participants from across the region will thus learn together, build sustainable relationships, share experience and knowledge with one another, and jointly innovate solutions to regional challenges.
Regional Hubs for sustainable development and sustainable peacebuilding will be established in a number of the participating countries (in collaboration with existing hubs, where such exist). The UAE, Israel, Morocco, and possibly others are well suited to host such a center/s. These regional hubs would serve as hubs for all subsequent cohorts of the program, and for the collaborative innovative projects that emerge from their collaborative efforts.
Student, Professional, and Volunteer Exchanges are another long-term goal. Program graduates will volunteer/work in each other’s countries, to both gain and share expertise, and to implement projects they will have initiated through the program.
All in all, the program will contribute to bringing the region closer to achieving the UN’s 2030 17 Sustainable Development Goals. It follows the Middle East and North Africa Climate Week of March 2022, which took place in the UAE, and will follow the 27th session of the Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) in Egypt in November 2022, and lead up to the COP 28 to the UNFCCC, which will be hosted by the UAE in November 2023.
Program Objectives
In the initial phase, the program will equip cohorts of young professionals/students with strategic knowledge, tools and skills in sustainable development and sustainable peacebuilding. By taking part in the program, participants will build sustainable relationships and design joint projects that tackle local and regional challenges. The first cohorts will lay the relational, programmatic, and physical bedrock for subsequent cohorts, projects and phases.
A main requirement of the program is for participants to work jointly on at least one cross-boundary project. These projects will be presented at the (COP 28) to the UNFCCC in Dubai, in or around November 2023. Successful projects will apply for funding to enable their implementation.
Program Design
The program’s first cohort will consist of 6-8 students/young professionals from each of the 8 participating countries, totaling between 50-60 participants. They will be people who are pursuing careers in environmental sciences, sustainable development, and peacebuilding. Participants will be chosen through a rigorous selection process to ensure that they are both suitable and committed to the goals this program espouses.
The program includes an online learning component, coupled with 4 country visits in its first year (and additional visits in subsequent years). The sustainable relationships built among program participants will constitute the bedrock upon which joint, innovative endeavors that benefit the peoples of the region will be planned and implemented. While all countries participating in this program prioritize the pursuance of sustainable development goals and support progress and innovation, they also place a great deal of importance on preserving their cultural heritage. All these goals will be achieved in this program.
Online lectures/presentations will be given by leading regional and international experts – both academics and practitioners. Examples of topics that will be covered include: Introduction to Sustainable Development and Environmental Peacebuilding; Comparative Approaches to Global Injustice & Social Inequality; Environmental Analysis and Impact Assessment; Gender Analysis/Gender and Development; The Right to Water; Water Management; Desert Ecology; Causes and Results of Desertification; Sustainable Farming; Environmental and Resource Governance; Agriculture and Rural Development; Renewable Energy for Development; Carbon Sequestering; Tourism and Development; Ethics, Rights and Development; Social Entrepreneurship; Education and Development; Cultural Preservation and Interfaith Peacebuilding; International Youth Policies and Programs; Connecting Bottom-up and Top-down Initiatives and Approaches; Nature-based Solutions; and more. In additions, presentations and training will be given on cutting edge knowledge and practice developed by experts and/or institutions/organizations in the MENA.
An integral part of the program will be country visits (ranging from 1 to 2 weeks each) in the UAE, Israel/Palestine, and Morocco. During each of these visits, the entire cohort will travel together through the host country, see firsthand the sustainability/environmental challenges faced by local communities, and learn how these are being tackled. Resource people and counterpart entities with common objectives in each host community will provide lectures and hands-on learning experiences. Principles of conflict resolution and peacebuilding will be intertwined - taught and practiced - throughout the program.
At the end of the program (about 12 months), each participant will receive an academically sanctioned certificate of completion (granting university/ies TBD).
A main requirement of the program is for participants to work jointly on at least one cross-boundary projects. Successful projects will seek funding for implementation. Projects will be presented at the (COP 28) to the UNFCCC in Dubai, and/or in other relevant international forums. Successful projects will apply for funding to enable their implementation.
The program will consist of the following phases:
Preliminary phase: Recruiting and selecting participants; finalizing curriculum details.
Phase 1: Bi-weekly online meetings (3 months)
Phase 2: Country visits 1 (7-10 days each) interspersed with online meetings.
Phase 3: Project development in cross-border teams (4 months) interspersed with online
meetings.
Phase 4: Presentation of projects to cohort. Seeking funding for implementation.
Phase 5: Participants work or perform internship in one of the other countries in the region.
These phases will be repeated with subsequent cohorts. Opportunities for interactions between members of different cohorts (such as conferences and regional or international forums) will be part of the follow-up, serving to achieve the goal of a regional cadre of skilled and motivated academics and professionals.
Program Team
The program’s team includes highly skilled and experienced academics, practitioners, innovators, and social entrepreneurs from throughout the region, as well as a number of international advisors. Lecturers via Zoom/Teams will be regional and international experts. Country visits/workshops will include local resource people in each country.