Friday 11 December 2009

Raghida Haddad - award Earth Journalism


Earth Journalists Awards is planning to honor the best written piece on what should concern us all. In their 15 finalists, stands out Raghida Haddad an executive editor of Al-Bia Wal-Tanmia (Environment & Development), environment magazine in the Middle East. In 2008, she spent 2 weeks in the Arctic Ocean to witness global warming.
COP15, or the 15th meeting in Copenhagen of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, is about pulling as much efforts and initiative to think and act in the best possible ways and reverse human's destructive behavior and impact on the planet.  Discussions are still hot. Fund raising and commitments of payment are piling up. Alarmists will say the end is near. Others will talk about positive ways that have worked. 
Overall, the Arab world is discreet, as it is divided in two camps: countries with little resources to act upon it, and countries producing oil and gas that have more important issues to address. "Will the polar bear survive the ice melt down at the arctic circle" is not on the agenda.  Others might argue that we also have human rights, freedom and equality topics that are more urgent than the well being of the polar bear.
At best, we can hope that more awareness will trigger actions on the individual smallest scale to the largest governmental impact.


In Kuwait, en.v magazine is a leader in this field of awareness and promotion. They held their 3rd annual "recycling through art" exhibition at the Avenues mall on Dec 7th.
link to EN.V


Link to al Bia wal tanmiya magazine
Link to Earth Journalism Awards
Link to Raghida's article

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