MENA Workshop on Water Security & Environmental Peacebuilding

Oct 14, 2019 - Oct 16, 2019 | EcoPeace Middle East
Rabat, Morocco
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Climate change and its disruptive impact on water resources are increasingly recognized as a threat multiplier that exacerbates conflict in areas around the world. Climate-induced water stress, which leads to increased resource scarcity, drought, flooding and water pollution, was recently identified by the World Economic Forum as the most significant threat facing the planet over the next decade.

EcoPeace Middle East is a unique organization that brings together Jordanian, Palestinian, and Israeli environmentalists. Founded in 1994, EcoPeace has spent decades helping communities and governments in the Middle East cope with conflict and water insecurity, developing a highly-effective people-to-people model that stresses healthy interdependencies and mutual interests. The Program on Water Security – PWS (supported by the Robert Bosch Stiftung) connects EcoPeace’s experience in the Middle East with the needs of civil society organizations around the globe. Complementing government-to-government water diplomacy efforts, PWS seeks to advance local environmental peacebuilding initiatives by helping civil society organizations located in fragile and climate insecure regions to develop their organizational capacity and advance security for their communities.

Despite the urgent need for action, civil society organizations focused on promoting environmental cooperation faces three major obstacles in making their communities more resilient:

  1. Some organizations do not see the connection between conflict and water insecurity and devote their efforts to just one or the other. PWS offers strategies for linking efforts on the two issues by promoting environmental cooperation and at the same time fostering dialogue among diverse stakeholders.
  2. Many organizations are not equipped with the tools and means necessary for improving the resilience of their communities. PWS shares best practices and lessons learned, developing organizations’ capacities to face environmental challenges in the 21st century.
  3. Organizations are often isolated from one another. PWS is building a global network that brings practitioners together to share and learn from one another.

The workshop will gather practitioners from the MENA region to discuss the role that civil society can play in fostering environmental cooperation and increasing the resilience of their communities’ vis-à-vis climate change and conflict. The workshop will create opportunities for an exchange of experiences and capacity building – providing tools, technical advice and training to support strategic planning, political advocacy and grassroots activities that employ EcoPeace’s unique methodology. It will allow participants to gain a deeper understanding of the complexities and best practices of water diplomacy & environmental peacebuilding with a special focus on fostering dialogue and cooperation on the protection, equitable and sustainable use of water and environmental resources.

The workshop is offered by the Regional Program Energy Security and Climate Change Middle East and North Africa of Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung (KAS – REMENA) and the Program on Water Security of EcoPeace Middle East. The workshop will take place in Rabat, Morocco, from the 14th to the 16th of October (three days).

Participation is open to practitioners and civil society organizations from the MENA region. Limited space is also available for individuals from academia, think tanks, development agencies, and foundations.

Click here to fill out the APPLICATION FORM.

Selection Criteria

The workshop is designed for representatives of civil society organizations living and/or working in fragile and climate insecure areas from the MENA region. Limited space is also reserved to policymakers, local leaders, and representatives of academia, think tanks, development agencies, and foundations. Participants will be selected based on their current roles, work experience and proven interest in water diplomacy & environmental peacebuilding.

In our selection we will be considering the following criteria:

  • Country of origin: priority will be given to candidates from the MENA region, based in areas that are fragile and vulnerable to the impact of climate change, where either climate change has already contributed to triggering social tensions and conflicts or it is likely to do so in the near future. The overlay of conditions of climate insecurity with tensions along political, religious and ethnic divides will be taken into consideration.
  • Field of work: candidates will be representatives of civil society organizations that are working on a) environmental peacebuilding and desire to learn about EcoPeace’s model in order to replicate the experience in their region; b) environmental protection and conservation and would like to learn about the connections with peacebuilding; c) peacebuilding and conflict transformation who desire to learn about the role natural resources can play in fostering dialogue and cooperation.
  • Characteristics of the organization: size, number of employees, number of projects implemented, and other relevant details that describe the organization will be taken into account.

Click here to fill out the APPLICATION FORM.

Women are especially encouraged to apply.

Space is limited. The deadline to submit your APPLICATION FORM is August 15th

More information will be available upon request. For any queries contact Giulia Giordano, Ph.D. International Affairs Manager, at giulia@ecopeaceme.org

EcoPeace and KAS – REMENA reserve the right to grant or refuse applications to participate based on its own criteria of diversity and gender balance.