Green Prophet is heading into Egypt and we want to hear about all your growing green projects. Now more than ever environmentalists need to stay the course, to lay the groundwork for a better future so that when the powers-to-be (whoever they will be) finally sort out their mess, we will be ready.

Whether it’s rooftop farming, off-grid solar, fair-trade fashion, or earth-friendly architecture you’re interested in, we’re here for you. Contact me (Tafline Laylin, the Managing Editor) directly at tafline@greenprophet.com and I’ll give your project media coverage. Our international readership, which is growing day by day, wants to know that Egyptians are an eco-force to be reckoned with – even if it doesn’t seem that way now.

If you doubt us, check out the American University of Cairo’s Solar Decathlon team. At the height of last year’s revolution, they managed to push through their groundbreaking SLIDES project, gaining recognition as the first country from Africa or the Middle East to participate in the competition. Or hook up with the Hosny brothers at Schaduf, who are slowly helping low-income folk gain control over their lives again.

Despite the numerous challenges facing Egypt, ordinary citizens are making it easier to live a healthier life and to lighten their carbon footprint. The Sekem organic farm is world-renowned, eco-lodges abound and activists fight tirelessly to make their voices heard above the political din. We’re not going to lie: flying into Cairo at this turbulent time doesn’t sound nearly as awesome as snorkeling in quiet, mostly peaceful Oman, but we believe in Egypt.

And we’re ready to fight for a (much more) sustainable future.

The post Green Prophet Hasn’t Given up on Egypt appeared first on Green Prophet.

When Nathan Gray and his posse of skateboarders and street artists collectively known as “The Bedouins” were scouting out the perfect place to build a skate park in post-revolutionary Tunisia, some of the locals suggested they inhabit Imed Trabelsi’s abandoned mansion.

Once the glittering home of the country’s former Construction Minister and nephew-in-law of ousted dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the building and grounds had been trashed by protestors during the Jasmine revolution, so a team of skaters and locals set about converting the place into an inspiring skate and art park. It is also an important location for PUSH Tunisia – a documentary scheduled to make its official debut later this year.

Adaptive reuse

Trabelsi’s swimming pool was filled to the gills with rubbish when The Bedouins came upon it, but within a day it was spotless and equipped with concrete concave cambers repurposed from broken pillars that allow skaters to perform their tricks.

Gray told The Guardian in a recent profile that “everyone showed up and liked the idea of converting the place into something anybody could skate and enjoy. The locals told us they’d help out however we needed them to. They didn’t know hot to build it, but they were down to make it happen.”

Egyptian street artist Yehia Ossama put the finishing touches on this inspiring new urban space with a mural entitled “Al Arab,” which means “The Arabs.” His idea was to honor everyone in the region who has sacrificed their personal security and often their lives for the benefit of a better future.

Films that inspire

This is not the first time Gray has entered a beleaguered zone intent on uplifting disadvantaged or traumatized youth. While he was in university, he traveled to Bangladesh and donated a pile of skateboards and lessons to slum dwellers. Later he returned and lived with his new friends for a while and filmed the documentary “Smile.”

Then, during the Lebanese war in 2006, he gathered Arab and Jew skaters together – “people who aren’t supposed to like each other” – and filmed a second documentary called SOUR aimed at bridging a cultural divide during one of the most divisive periods of the region’s history.

PUSH Tunisia will profile the characters who are being transformed by The Bedouins’ most recent creative outreach program. Each person’s unique history will be chronicled, as well as their response to the revolution and their thoughts about Tunisia’s future.

Creating awareness

“Although the emphasis will be about skateboarding there is also an important element of connecting African, Arab, and American cultures, inspiring those affected by conflict, and creating a sense of awareness of the current events happening in Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt,” according to The Bedouins’ online literature.

Gray hopes that in addition to establishing a platform for the locals to express themselves, the documentary will raise awareness of the people affected by the Arab Spring uprisings – both then and now. They received support from skateboarders, NGOs, and even the American embassy in Tunisia to make this vision a reality.

If you’re in the area, try to catch a preview screening of PUSH – one of the most exciting developments to come out of the new Tunisia.

:: The Guardian

images taken from PUSH Tunisia’s Facebook page

More Creative Arts Projects in the Middle East:

Balyolu: Turkey’s First Honey Tasting Tour

Israeli Artist Transforms Rockets into Roses

Zabaleen Film Portrays Cairo’s Garbage City People

The post The Bedouins Convert Ill-Begotten Tunisian Mansion into a Skate Park appeared first on Green Prophet.

Why women’s right to vote is important not only for gender equality but for the planet

It been a political roller-coaster of a year for the Middle East and it doesn’t look set to stop just yet. Yesterday, an event many thought would never happen in their lifetime finally happened- Saudi women were granted the right to vote. Not only did this de-bunk claims made by ‘Ethical Oil’ that Canadian tar sands were better than Saudi oil due to the latter’s gender bias but it also meant that women in the country were strengthening their ability to fight climate change and better resist the devastating impact it could have on them.

It is widely accepted that women will be worst affected by climate change and troubling phenomenons such as land grabs due to gender inequality which means they are less equipped to secure their own protection. For example, in the case of land grabs a recent report by Oxfam highlights their particular vulnerability as they lack the same land rights as most men and so they are more likely to be mistreated. Consequently, the recent move in Saudi to grant women an equal voice in the political sphere by 2015 is an important step to achieving gender equality which is vital if women are to tackle the impacts of climate change.

Saudi Women Gain Green Political Voice

Not that Saudi women weren’t working to tackle environmental problems facing the country prior to the vote. I spoke to the pioneering green women-led Saudi intiative Naqa’a around a year ago and they showed great concern about the need to stop climate change and deal with environmental issues in Saudi such as water shortages and wastefulness.

Although a women-led group, they also highlighted the fact that the need to protect the environment was a duty required of every Muslim – man and woman. However, the right to vote means that eco-friendly women in the country now have a stronger voice and will be able to express their views at the polls and at government policy level.

Building on protests demanding women’s right to drive in Saudi, it finally looks like the establishment (who are probably keen to avoid full-scale protests such as those in Syria and in Bahrain by pushing through these much-needed reforms) are paying attention to their citizens and their demands for change.

Clear Restrictions Which Need Challenging

Even so, there are some clear limitations to the recent news. For one, the law won’t take effect till another four years and some have criticized the overall democratic nature of governance in Saudi stating that the vote doesn’t really have an influence on the way the country is run. What’s more, women still cannot drive or travel abroad alone so there is still some way to go for gender and political equality.

Despite these restriction, it is encouraging to hear that women in Saudi have been granted the right to vote and stand for elections. It’s a step in the right direction and these are really exciting time we are living through at the moment in the Middle East – let’s hope that they will be just as green.

: Image via en_el_houston/flickr.

For more on Saudi and the environment see:

King Abdullah Gives Saudi Women Right To Vote

Interview With Naqa’a: Saudi Women Fight For Environment

Saudi Spring For Women Drivers In Saudi Begins Now!

The post Saudi Women Granted Right To Vote (And Save Planet) appeared first on Green Prophet.

We speak to conservationist Mindy Baha El Din about the rise of the environmental movement in post-revolution Egypt, tourism and the challenges ahead

Mindy Baha El Din was born in the US and came to Egypt in 1988 armed with a degree in Arabic and Economics as well as a passion for birdwatching, to establish a conservation education centre at Giza Zoo. Through her work she met Sherif, Egypt’s foremost ornithologist, who she would later marry and together they formed a formidable team campaigning on everything from bird hunting controls, developing Egypt’s protected area networks to ecotourism.

“Over the years, we have witnessed massive changes and degradation to Egypt’s natural heritage,” remarks Mindy. “It’s shocking how one generation’s decisions about natural resources is affecting the present and all future generations of Egyptians. Both Sherif and I have a strong sense of civic duty- we have tried our best to make a difference but it is an uphill struggle.”

Arwa Aburawa: Let’s start off quite broadly to get a sense of the situation on the ground. What are the major concerns for nature conservationists working in Egypt?

Mindy Baha El Din: During the past 30 years, many of the country’s natural resources have been degraded, depleted and destroyed. Whole ecosystems have disappeared or are being transformed through uncontrolled development, pollution, and increasing disturbance.  Not a single habitat is left unscathed: coastal, marine, deserts, wetlands, and agricultural land. Protected Areas are not effectively protected. Uncontrolled hunting and trade has decimated our wildlife populations. Our fisheries are collapsing. Exotic species such as the Palm Weevil are spreading and killing our native date palms. Over grazing and harvesting of vegetation is rampant in the desert.

Tourism too will be affected as our tourism assets vanish…divers, birdwatchers, desert safari enthusiasts will go to other countries that protect their resources. Even conventional tourism will be impacted if the overall environment is trashed! The resulting ecological imbalances will also strain our limited resources even further causing more poverty, conflicts and instability. Then there are the “global issues” like climate change…what about sea-level rise, think of our coastlines disappearing under water and all the environmental refuges.

Arwa: Following the revolution, do you feel that issues such as conservation and protecting the environment have taken a backseat?

Mindy: Environment and nature conservation wasn’t given much priority before the revolution so it’s not surprising it has received little attention afterwards. In the final years of Mubarak, we saw the Ministry of Environment systematically weakened (intentionally?) until it became ‘virtually’ powerless. After the revolution, there have been more pressing needs, so once again the environment is sidelined. However, as things stabilize environmentalists are speaking out.

There have been some major campaigns such as the ‘Stop Fishing at Ras Mohammed’, ‘Don’t Kill the Lion for Tourism‘ and a number of individuals came together to launch the ‘Save the Lake Qarun Protected Area’ campaign to highlight the threats to Egypt’s Protected Areas. The animal welfare lobby and nature conservationists are taking the lead… We’re turning into real activists! The Ministry of Environment seems to have ceased functioning, they even cancelled their involvement in World Environment Day, so it’s up to NGOs and the public to speak out.

Arwa: Clearly there has been some progress but how do you think environmental activist can help push nature issues further up Egypt’s agenda?

Mindy: We are new to “environmental activism” as it was not tolerated in the past, although it seems to suit the current atmosphere in the country. But to get the environment on the political agenda, we need to put environmental issues in terms that people can understand.  What does it mean for the average man, woman and child? Egypt’s priorities in fact are all related to the environment: food, water, heath, energy, employment and education. Egypt is facing some very serious environmental challenges. The country has limited natural resources and has to decide how to manage these to meet the needs of a growing population.

The former government was patronizing and came to be seen by the people as a parent who takes care of them but the government can’t do everything- the people must contribute. What I remember most about the Jan 25th revolution was seeing the youth cleaning up the streets after the protests. They were taking back responsibility for their country…. “Egypt belongs to us!” I hope this feeling of national pride, ownership and custodianship will continue.

Arwa: There have been various campaigns, like the ones you mention, which show nature and tourism going head to head. What role do you think that tourism plays in nature conservation? Positive or negative?

Mindy: Tourism is very important for Egypt as fewer tourists means fewer jobs! Of course there are positives and negatives from tourism…Tourism is a type of use, if not properly planned and managed it can destroy the very resources that brings the tourists”. No reefs equals no diving, it’s a simple equation. Tourism development has to be appropriate; it is absurd the government wanted to build a huge tourism complex “Porto” style at Lake Qarun Protected Area on top of a highly sensitive site proposed for World Heritage status.

It is also essential we make sure local communities benefit from tourism. We need a more fair distribution of the proceeds from tourism for conservation to succeed. There are a lot of Egyptians who live below the poverty line and are preoccupied with meeting basic needs. Therefore, we have to create tangible benefits from nature conservation. Only through economic incentives will we convince people to protect habitats, wildlife, geological formations, cultural heritage sites, etc. We need local communities to cooperate with us, not against us!

Arwa: Do you think that there are enough organizations and people working in Egypt to protect important nature reserves?

Mindy: No. There are major deficiencies in the existing bodies and new organizations need to be created. And even if we establish new institutions, programs and projects there will be major manpower constraints- considerable time, energy and resources will have to be invested in training people. We also should not forget, those individuals at the front lines, the rangers working in Egypt’s Protected Areas- these guys are the unsung heroes of nature conservation in Egypt. The rangers are underpaid, unappreciated, work in remote and harsh conditions and often don’t even have cars and other essential equipment. It is amazing what some rangers have done like Dr. Gabeli at Lake Qarun, he has shown genuine innovation and commitment in trying to protect the fossils and antiquities there.

Government is also important. If we can successfully lift the stranglehold of bureaucracy and old ways of thinking, we can see some real innovation in biodiversity conservation in Egypt as has occurred elsewhere in the world. It’s the government’s call. If they continue to put people in high-level positions that have no knowledge, experience or even interest in environment, Egypt will not advance. The country has very good national experts so why not use them?

Arwa: Finally, what do you hope for the future of Egypt and it’s natural landscapes following the revolution?

Mindy: The Egyptian people have inherited a mess. Hopefully, we can learn from the past mistakes and improve things. Clearly there is a need for better legislation, monitoring, enforcement, planning, management, coordination and more awareness.  We are back again to the need for qualified manpower. We need to strengthen our Protected Areas. We need hunting and fishing management, rangeland management, and control of exotic species. To identify conservation priorities, more fieldwork and research is needed to assess habitats and inventory biodiversity.  This all fits well into Egypt’s objective to advance science and technology.

Nature conservation is not a luxury, it is a necessity! It not wise or sensible to continue to destroy your environment if you want to have a sound, stable, healthy and prosperous country whether now or in the future. Also, with better education and affluence there have been more Egyptians interested in nature. There are now more Egyptian divers, desert safari enthusiasts and eoctourists- I know Egyptian who have traveled to Antarctica, Tanzania, South Africa and climbed the Himalayas. Now Egyptians are talking of wanting to explore and see more of their own country.  I believe they too will fall in love with Egypt and will want to protect it.  The revolution is a process, it will take time, but at least there is hope now!

::Top photo via Mindy Baha El Din. All the other images via JPBennett1/Flickr.

For more on Egypt’s environment see:

The Famous Potters Of El-Qasr, Egypt Got Soul

Egypt May Survive Climate Change Thanks to AUC Students

When Tourism and Nature Collide- Protected Land Under Threat In Egypt

The post “There Is Hope Now”- Conservationist On Egypt’s Post-Revolution Future appeared first on Green Prophet.

The cozy Felfela restaurant in downtown Cairo serves up delicious food with plenty of choices for both omnivores and vegetarians. Just one block from Tahrir Square, where hundreds of thousands of citizens assembled to reclaim their country, the restaurant offers weary travelers a welcome reprieve from the city din. But business is slow. On Saturday night I found this haven for foreigners virtually empty.

Since the revolution, tourism traffic has dropped precipitously, causing both citizens and the government to take drastic recovery measures. (One guy thinks he’s going to fight a lion!) Although security for locals is not as rigorous as it was when Egypt was a police state, foreigners who observe a few basic tips will find the country perfectly safe.

Just about everyone who lives in Egypt knows how richly this country relies on tourism for their financial stability, so the likelihood of encountering trouble is incredibly small. More likely, people will bend over backwards to provide excellent service. But that doesn’t mean tourists act less diligently than they would while traveling through Johannesburg, Los Angeles, or Berlin.

1. Avoid known trouble spots:

What was supposed to be the second angry Friday in downtown Cairo turned out to be something no one wrote home about. Even so, it was difficult to know that beforehand. Even though I really, really wanted to experience revolutionary Egypt, since I had no real professional justification to attend the demonstrations, it seemed smart to play it safe and stay away.

When traveling through a politically-charged country, it helps to know when to say when. Also, seedy elements frequently target heavily-populated areas in order maximize damages. Avoid these places, then both you and your family back home will have better peace of mind.

2. Check in with your embassy:

I’m not a big fan of big brothers in any country, but if I feel insecure about traveling because of social unrest, then it seems sensible to register with the embassy just-in-case. That way, if the kaka hits the fan, they will be more likely to help you out. Better yet, the embassies can let you know that the kaka is coming before it actually makes contact with the fan.

3. Know before you go:

Locals can spot a lost tourist from a mile away, so it always pays to know where you are heading. This is particularly true in Egypt, where a very small percentage of the population can communicate in a language other than Arabic. In some countries it is possible to jump in a taxi when lost and let the driver set you right, but in Egypt, that is likely to confuse matters more. It’s a good idea to buy a decent map and plan your route carefully (without becoming closed to spontaneous experience). This includes consulting your favorite guide to get the scoop on the best bus and train routes.

4. Make connections:

I’ve always been the kind of traveler who makes an effort to meet the locals instead of sticking with the comfort of “my own kind.” Even so, I like to know that if something goes wrong (if I lose my passport, my money, or my bus driver falls asleep at the wheel), there is at least one person in the country who cares that I survive the experience. One really great way to make friends on the road is through Couchsurfing. This organization is far better than sliced bread.

5. Pay attention:

It happens that during our travels, we stop paying attention to what is happening in the world around us.

And then suddenly, we wake up from a hangover and realize that we haven’t read a single newspaper in two weeks. This is particularly bad form when traveling through an unstable country, where the situation can change quite quickly. Stay informed, keep your eyes open, exercise sound judgement, and you will have a very interesting time!

5 Eco-Lodges for the Intrepid Traveler (recommended by a local eco-ficionado!):

• El Hammra Eco-Lodge (located in the village of Wadi–El-Natron, midway between Cairo and Alexandria): http://www.elhammraeco-lodge.com
• Basata Ecolodge in Sinai: http://www.basata.com
• Al Karm Ecolodge: (Saint Catherine, South of Sinai): http://saharasafaris.org/ecolodges/alkarm/index.htm
• Fustat Wadi El Gemal (located in the Eastern desert, 850 km from Cairo, 40km South of Marsa Alam): http://www.wadielgemal.com
• Al Tarfa Desert Sanctuary Lodge (located in the Western desert): http://altarfa.net

images via Maged Helal, Al Lanni, and Jordan Klein

More environmental/travel news from Egypt:

Eco Sins of the Cheshire Blogger

Egypt May Survive Climate Change Thanks to AUC Students

Egyptian Man Plans to Fight African Lion for Tourism

The post 5 Tips For Traveling Safely In Post-Revolution Egypt appeared first on Green Prophet.

Che Guevara had his motorcycle and they had their bicycles: Revolutionaries on wheels went from all corners of Cairo to Tahrir Square to demand a better future for their country. They got there faster than most, as traffic was a killer and the metro station on Tahrir square was no longer operative. Once there, they voiced their demands for freedom and dignity. The people demanded the removal of the regime and the regime obliged.

On the 12th of February the revolution showed a new even more beautiful face, overnight it metamorphosed into a green revolution. People cleaned Tahrir square, separating waste at source and sweeping every grain of dust on the pavement. Afterwards, they started repairing and painting the sidewalks and fences.

Seeing thousands of people brooms and paint brushes in hand in Tahrir Square on the 12th of February brought tears to my eyes. Egyptians were finally reclaiming their streets and concerned with the beautification of their surroundings. I asked myself, why would that be? Is it a new born sense of ownership? Is it the hope that was born with the revolution? I even contemplated other potential changes, will the revolution impact cycling?

The old regime which was a bit tight on agglomerations and under the emergency law police kept their eyes on large gatherings. Egyptian cyclists occasionally riding in groups of 100 to 150 were harassed. Ride leaders were interrogated as to the nature of activities (and whether the rides were demonstrations of some sort) and requested to issue permits for events gathering a large number of people.

Now that the right to peaceful demonstration has been granted (or rather snatched from the claws of the regime) and at a time when we expect the lifting of the emergency laws, can we hope for a change? Can we expect thousands of cyclists to fill the very same square that called for democracy to in turn call for a bicycle friendly city?

Will Cairo that kept the whole world glued to television and computer screens in the past weeks be the next Critical Mass city?

Critical Mass is a bicycling event typically held on the last Friday of every month in over 300 cities around the world. The ride was originally founded in 1992 in San Francisco. The inspiration behind the ride was to create social space via the bicycle. The purpose of Critical Mass is not usually formalized beyond the direct action of meeting at a set location and time and traveling as a group through city or town streets on bikes, although for some bigger scale events there is an activist group formed around it, organizing the rides and communicating the desires and problems of the cyclists to the city council.

Critical Mass rides have been perceived as protest activities. A 2006 New Yorker magazine article described Critical Mass’ activity in New York City as “monthly political-protest rides”, and characterized Critical Mass as a part of a social movement; and the UK e-zine Urban75, which advertises as well as publishes photographs of the Critical Mass event in London, describes this as “the monthly protest by cyclists reclaiming the streets of London.”

More on greening Cairo:
Keep It Clean Cairo
Tap Into Solar Energy at MENASOL
Get A Ride With Egypt Car Poolers

Inji El Abd is the co-founder of the Green Arm (a platform and incubator for environmental initiatives in Egypt) and the Cycling for Change movement (whose mission is to make Cairo a bicycle friendly city).

The post Time For A Cycling Revolution and “Critical Mass” In Cairo appeared first on Green Prophet.