From the East to the WCC General Assembly in Germany
Simon Awad: We cannot achieve food security and our land is still in danger!
People in the Holy Land are prevented from the access to water resources and renewable energy in order to kick them out from their land
Karlsruhe – Germany
“For this is what the Lord says — he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited— he says: I am the Lord, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:18). God created the heavens and the earth and everything in them for the good of the world and mankind. He infused His creation with goodness, and provided in such a way that mankind's success could be guaranteed. God's creation glorifies His name. How beautiful is the work of His hands! The Church blesses all God’s creatures, prays for their protection, praises the Creator and thank Him for all the blessings. The role of Man at the center of the Church and the world is essential for the care for God’s blessed creation.
It is true that the environment is facing many dangers, but various societies in the region and the world are still practicing the ecclesiastical and social environmental traditions on many occasions and seasons throughout the year, as well as in their daily habits and lives. Therefore, we can say that hope for a clean and safe environmental shelter still exists.
The Environmental Education Center (EEC) in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) constitutes a successful example of initiatives that seeks for the environment’s protection and people’s awareness on sustainable ecosystems. What are its programs? What are the most prominent environmental crises? And what are the practical solutions?
Answers were given by the environmental expert Simon Awad. He is the Executive Director of the Environmental Education Center, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature - IUCN in Palestine, and Director of a many environmental institutions that aims for the protection of nature, in Palestine. Awad is also a member of the “Advocacy for Climate and Ecological Justice” committee at the World Council of Churches (WCC). He raised the environmental concerns of the Middle East to the WCC 11th General Assembly, which was held in Karlsruhe, Germany, from 31 August to 8 September 2022, under the theme "Christ's love moves the world to reconciliation and unity."
In a discussion during the WCC General Assembly, Awad highlighted the importance of the environmental traditions in the Eastern Churches which have a diversity in theologies, and explained the environmental circumstances in the region, in addition to the role of the education center he presides.
Environmental Heritage: Between Social and Ecclesiastical Traditions
Firstly, Awad affirms "the importance of preserving the cultural and natural heritage, because when our God created the earth, He created it in its goodness. So that we would be the generation that protects the land and invests it sustainably for the future generations. 30 or 40 years ago till today in our Arab or Eastern culture, many Arab villages are still living sustainably on a daily basis through various actions such as collecting water, planting and harvesting fruit trees..."
He adds, "We also seek to work on the rational use of natural resources preventing its wastage. Thus, it is important to protect this environmental heritage. Noting that many of our daily folk proverbs stress the need of using natural resources sustainably. Hence, the environmental issue has a daily main place in religious societies. My grandmother, for example, used to fast two days a week, Wednesday and Friday, according to our tradition. This is called vegetarian fasting in Europe. My family also practices the forty-days fast and abstains eating animal products and meat.
He continues, "Aforetime, our societies used to reduce home economics in order to protect nature and its elements. However, we are witnessing industrial revolution and life, and thus we are facing a schism between our heritage and beliefs on the one hand, and what we are experiencing today on the other."
But how Churches are practicing ecological traditions in their services? Awad explains that “in many seasons, Churches celebrate nature’s elements such as fruits. For example, the Church blesses the pomegranate in the summer. In each season the Church blesses one of the most famous elements in this season. The eastern Churches inherited these traditions and thus we are also inheriting them socially and religiously. For example, people fast in the spring, which is a period of condensation and growth of nature, so we let nature develop itself and animals take care of their children..."
Wars Are an Obstacle to Environmental Protection
The Middle East and the Arab world are suffering from many environmental crises. The environment and Human are together facing many dangers due to various factors, such as political and security crises… So what are the most prominent environmental challenges in the region?
Awad answers, "What we suffer most from in the Arab world is the Western dominance and imperialism in our region. In fact, we are one of the regions that have witnessed destructive wars, so they have not been able to achieve autonomy. The region is facing today, for example, the Israel's control of water resources in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine. According to United Nations reports, Israel controls about 85% to 90% of the water in the Palestinian areas which is safe for drinking and daily life use. Therefore, the water shortage crisis is important, especially that it is also necessary for sustainability achievement.
The wars have also negatively and significantly affected the development of various aspects of life, especially the protection of the environment! According to Awad, “the region suffers from major issues and crises, which negatively affect the development of the agricultural and industrial sectors... We cannot achieve food security, and our land in the region is still in danger and faces water scarcity."
He continues, "Many of our important concerns today are centered around the sustainable development and the protection of environmental and natural resources. In fact, our region is witnessing an exacerbation of crises and wars which are escalating at different times, in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine, for example. Therefore, wars have led to many environmental repercussions, especially the destruction of all the natural resources which are necessary for any type of development people can make…”
The Environmental Education Center in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land
What is the role of the Environmental Education Center in advocacy and guidance in the communities of the region?
Awad explains that the center “implements many awareness programs and courses throughout the year. Our center highlights, for example, ways to save energy and reuse water... as well as greywater and blackwater reuse… In this context, one of our programs was adopted in Palestine, in the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, and in schools. The program contributes to the rationalization of water consumption so it can be used in other actions, such as garden irrigation.
Through his mission in the “Advocacy for Climate and Ecological Justice” committee, Awad raises voices to the World Council of Churches. He said “what we suffer most is being under occupation. Many far regions in our country are facing lack of electricity, so they seek to use the solar energy system. These areas also receive aid from foreign and European institutions that offer them the necessary tools to produce energy and other daily life use, in addition to well pumps. However, the Israeli occupation and aggression continues to destroy all these advanced environmental technologies. Therefore, Europeans are facing a conflict with the occupation, and people are being prevented from the access to water resources and renewable energy aiming to a forced displacement from their areas.
Environmental Challenges: From the Environmental Education Center to the WCC General Assembly
From the Middle East to the world, Awad raised many issues to the WCC 11th General Assembly. He said, "we are discussing here many issues, especially the ones related to daily behavior… and thus aiming at reducing for example the use of plastic materials... We also exchanged our experiences with other countries so we can develop our societies and provide solutions to our problems despite all the difficulties. So we have to identify Good Practices and behaviors.”
He continues, "In the center, we seek for example, to reduce waste in schools through distributing food storages, water bottles, and organic fertilizers, to 1500 students. As well as, we are facing other challenges such as the use of petrochemicals, plastics and nylon... Therefore, the center distributes environmentally friendly bags to be used in various activities and for purchases...".
He adds that the Center also “implements awareness programs for about 4 to 5 thousand students throughout the year, during which they participate in several workshops on the protection of nature, environment and resources, and how to have a harmony with each other and the environment. We also work with school students to highlight their rights, especially to live in a clean and healthy environment…, as well as their responsibilities of good citizens. In fact, these programs have achieved fruitful results since many years.
The “Care for Creation” is also one of our programs. We seek, for example, to protect birds by preventing their hunting, and we have currently issued a document proving the presence of 391 birds in Palestine... We organize an annual conference, with the participation of about 300 to 500 people, on environmental justice. This year the conference will be in its 13th edition. In this framework, we also organize an olive festival and are working on the care for farmers and advertising their products..."
Actually, many initiatives seek to protect the earth and creation, based on our responsibility entrusted to us by God the Creator. However, our common home is still witnessing many dangers! Thus, it is necessary for governments and concerned parties to make the necessary efforts. So they can achieve environmental justice and plan for a safer future, before it is too late!!
Communication and Public Relations Department