How can change occur if we’re not free to write about sensitive issues like human rights and the environment? According to the 2012 census by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), there are 232 journalists in prisons worldwide, over half being held in the Middle East, the most of them surprisingly in Turkey. The online […]
Dancing is good for you, but the Harlem Shake is a cringe-worthy global phenomenon that’s spawned a thousand epic fails: the YouTube dance craze’s been done underwater, on commercial air flights over the Grand Canyon, and now, by soldiers in the Israeli Defense Force. “It’s just a sign of the times when you see soldiers dancing and […]
The Harlem Shake is a cringe-worthy global phenom that’s spawned a thousand Epic Fails: the YouTube dance craze’s been done underwater, on commercial air flights over the Grand Canyon, and now, by soldiers in the Israeli Defense Force. “It’s just a sign of the times when you see soldiers dancing and reacting to internet sensations […]
Thanks to a network of Israeli divers, and the Health Ministry, Israeli non-profit environmental association Zalul is now keeping the public up to date on the condition of the country’s waterways. By commissioning road-navigation app developer Waze to add a water-pollution application to its popular smart phone service, the founders of Zalul (which means clear […]
Calling all media professionals in Palestine or Jordan: increase your eco-broadcast effectiveness by applying for some hands-on training by top media pros. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is leading a series of workshops focused on journalism, new media and management for media professionals working in Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. The workshops are part of the European Union […]
The Bee’ah School of Environment (BSOE), an education initiative created by a United Arab Emirates-based environmental and waste management company, recently announced it is expanding its networks in the eastern and central region of Sharjah, engaging with 160,000 students in over 200 schools. The BSOE envisions an expansion of this initiative, hoping to spread throughout […]
When I first took over Green Prophet’s Facebook page, we had just over 1,000 likes. That was about one year ago. Now we have just over 5,500, and communicate with dozens of people on a daily basis. That number may seem small – especially when compared to a handful of “green” blogs in the US […]
The Middle East's love affair with wild animals has hit the headlines again. No, there haven't been sightings of cheetahs on the streets of Dubai or dead wolves and owls on parade, rather Middle Eastern royals are being accused of aiding a massive sell-off of the Serengeti. And in a new twist to the land-grab meme, this land sell-off is not to secure access to precious food supplies but, rather, to indulge in the hunting whims of the Middle East's elite.
Olympians Wojdan Shaherkani and Sarah Attar landed world records before the Games even began. But online they battle a new war where social media is calling them the “Prostitutes of the Olympics” You know the story: two teens arrived in London as the first women athletes to ever represent the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), […]
It is worth remembering that a few decades ago, there were no environmentalists in the United States. There were no rules that prohibited polluters from spewing toxic fumes into the atmosphere. Nobody was watching the agriculture industry to ensure that their pesticides weren’t contaminating water ways. Americans were asleep. Then Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring hit […]
Let’s admit it: the Kony Video is big. With more views in a week than any other TV show and YouTube video showing a number usually reserved for the latest antics of the Kardashian Clan, the video has quickly and effectively managed to communicate its message. The controversies surrounding the cause as pointed out by some […]
Launched by 7iberINC, Once Upon A Water aims to tell the story of Jordan’s vanishing water supply and how they can have a ‘happily ever after’ According to the WHO, Jordan has one of the lowest water resource availability per capita in the world. By the year 2025, if current trends continue, per capita water […]
What do the Occupy Wall Street protests and the Arab Spring have in common? A desire for radical change The Arab Spring protests which swept through the Middle East show us that despite years of apathy, humans do have the ability to make radical changes. As such, the difficult decisions we need to take to avoid the […]
Green Prophet launches the Green Prophet Eco Hero 11 Award for 2011. Who are your eco-heros for the Middle East and North Africa region? With so much green, inspiring energy in the Middle East North Africa region, we decided to give local green prophets a little pat on the back. At the end of the […]
The Green Sheikh, who attended the event, encouraged everyone to get out of their comfort zones to help create a more sustainable UAE The main problem with a lot of green events and green conferences is that they end up preaching to the choir. The green-savvy will attend to learn more but it’s very hard […]