From 9 to 15 September, a series of workshops, trainings and lectures took place at the Swedish Institute Alexandria in collaboration with the American university in Cairo, within the Second Climate Communicators Network Meeting. Participants, trainers and lecturers from over 10 countries in the region took part. The programme, with its participatory approach, included an open public lecture on environmental governance and the challenges of achieving sustainable development within the current regional context.
The debate gave the chance for the Alexandria local community to engage with the international speakers invited as well as the participants coming from all the countries. Topics discussed ranged from conceiving climate change and adaptation measures in addition to the global need for a more sustainable economic framework, as well as practical sessions in creating social media platforms, public service announcements (PSA) and new tools for news fact checking. Participants attended also a recycling workshop where they learned how to use plastic and paper waste to create art.
The programme concluded with a 7-kilometre bicycling ride from the historical Citadel of Qaitbay until the heritage garden of Antoniades.
Director of the Swedish Institute, Peter Weiderud, said: We are the first generation to directly experience the consequences of climate change. At the same time we are the last generation who can solve the problem before it is too late. Our biking today is a symbolic message that we believe change is possible.”
Watani International
24 September 2017