To emphasize the connection between Islamic values and sustainability and empower youth in local communities, and as part of the Ummah for Earth project, Banlastic Egypt, in collaboration with Greenpeace MENA, hosted an “Iftar For Earth” in Shalalat Park in Alexandria in the context of their ongoing Ramadan month campaign. The event aimed at raising environmental awareness, encouraging mindful consumption, and reviving public green spaces as community hubs.
“These events promote communities of practice, provide networking opportunities, and introduce Islamic environmental perspectives for the first time within the community”, said Mohamed Hagag, Project Coordinator at Banlastic Egypt.
Around 80 individuals participated in the day-long “Iftar For Earth”. The event included several activities designed to encourage sustainable practices during the holy month. The day started with dynamic workshops covering topics related to responsible consumption, mental health, and nature while emphasizing on eco-spirituality and eco-psychology concepts. Practical sessions were also conducted to learn how to transform waste into useful items and crafts.
These workshops were followed by a Garage Swapping activity where participants exchanged recycled items, handmade crafts, and eco-friendly items.
The Iftar itself was plastic-free. Participants got their own catering set to revive the mindset of homemade catering in public parks’ picnics.
“Iftar for Earth is part of Banlastic’s efforts to leverage the power of Ramadan as a holy month to connect people and build community, while highlighting the whole aspect of a plastic free Iftar”, Hagag explained.
To empower local communities and promote traditional and healthy Egyptian cuisine, the food was prepared by marginalized women living in remote areas."Planning eco-friendly Iftars is a call to action for the Ummah to renew its environmental commitment and protect the resources of the Earth", said Nouhad Awwad, Campaigner and Global Outreach Coordinator for the Ummah For Earth project at Greenpeace MENA.
We hope, as Ummah For Earth, by organizing similar activities to encourage Muslims around the world to adopt sustainable practices during the holy month of Ramadan and beyond as a way to express our collective commitment as stewards on this Earth and preserve the natural balance for generations to come.
About Ummah For Earth Alliance
Ummah for Earth is a faith-based climate alliance of 45+ organizations and individual allies worldwide. We have been focusing on empowering communities and local environmental initiatives, shedding light on the intersection between Islamic faith and climate action, and encouraging and helping Muslims and others to raise their voices for the well-being of our common home.
About Greenpeace MENA
Greenpeace Middle East and North Africa is a non-profit completely independent – politically and financially organization. Established in 2018 and is part of the Greenpeace network, which consists of 29 independent national and regional organizations in more than 57 countries
around the world. The Middle East and North Africa is our home, and we work with a creative, collaborative approach to reduce the environmental, economic, and social impacts of the global climate crisis. We encourage finding innovative local solutions to empower our communities to thrive and live in harmony with the environment that embraces them.
About Banlastic Egypt
Banlastic is a social enterprise based in Alexandria that aims to ban single-use plastic and enhance environmental literacy among Egyptian citizens and the Mediterranean region. We do this by leading awareness campaigns in the form of interactive workshops with youth, beach cleanups, Arabic movie screenings, plastic-free events, and more. We also provide alternatives to single-use plastic to encourage a more eco-friendly lifestyle, in addition to working with policymakers to support the environmental work in Egypt through environmental laws for wider
