EnPAx Seeking People Interested in Participating in a MENA Interest Group
Feb 13, 2023
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Environmental Peacebuilding Association
The Environmental Peacebuilding Association is seeking people who would be interested in joining a Middle East and North Africa-focused Interest Group.
As regions with debilitating climate and non-climate environmental woes––and a grim array of conflicts––the Middle East and North Africa would appear well-suited for environmental peacebuilding. And yet, with a number of notable exceptions in the Jordan basin, environmental peacebuilding has yet to gain the same kind of traction that it has elsewhere. We hope to help redress that shortfall.
This group’s activities will initially center on networking, exchange of ideas and research, and, crucially, engagement with young peace and security-focused advocates from across the MENA region. Where it goes from there will largely hinge on the particular wishes of active members. But with the upcoming COP 28 in Dubai, a growing number of intra- and inter-state water disputes, and a strengthening regional environmental scene, among other developments, the time feels ripe for a locally-focused Interest Group. (We apply a very flexible definition of the region, stretching from Iran to Morocco––and beyond, if relevant!) This Interest Group is open to both EnPAx members within the region and those whose work relates to it. This Interest Group recognizes the deep political divisions and conflicts in the region. As such, EnPAx is providing this forum to help members to center the environment and engage as practitioners and environmental activists first, helping to find common ground with others in the region. We ask those who are interested in participating to please email membership@environmentalpeacebuilding.org.