Through a varied program containing inspirational stories and diverse segments, the Annual Dinner for “The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature” had the goal of celebrating achievements, honoring partners, and gathering support for the programs of APN in Jordan and Palestine.

In addition, to supporting farmers, the event was advocating people’s sovereignty over food and natural resources.

Around one thousand people attended the event which was held on 3-12-2016 at the Landmark Hotel in Amman.

Lawyer Abdullah Hawatmeh and TV presenter Hanaa Al Araj, introduced the programme and the guests of the event, including former Prime Minister Awn Al-Khasawneh , Farmer Um Ashaq who remained steadfast living in a cave on her land in Wadi Fukin in Bethlehem, and the musical band Guitanai.The President of the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature Rami Barhoush said in his speech that “Jordan is the lung that Palestine breathes from” and that “Jordan faces environmental issues and challenges and we are proud to execute many campaigns that support environmental issues in both Jordan and Palestine.” And he stressed on the activities which are conducted by the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature that “solidify the idea of volunteering and organized team work.”                                                                                                                                                                                                               

 For her part, the President of The Arab Network for Food Sovereignty Razan Zuayter said “Every winter we wait for these friendly moments that gather us together.

Hundreds of us, from all platforms, from all creeds, and from all generations and professions, we celebrate together and grow life together.” She added, ” Our winter this year is warmer and more hopeful as it hosts guests and representatives of farmer organizations from Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Syria, Lebanon, Qatar, Bahrain, Palestine and Jordan that came to participate in the General Assembly of the Arab Network for Food Sovereignty. We gather to emphasize once again that there is no room for any real development in this region without the immediate halt to the internal senseless wars and without immediate eradication of fear, dependency, despondency, nihilism, and apathy from our minds and hearts.

Finally, most importantly we need to unify and redirect our compass once again towards liberating Palestine.

Former Prime Minister Awn said in his speech “ The interest from the international law on the subject of the environment is a reasonably new matter, however all the civilizations cared about the environment even in primitive societies”, in his speech  he reviewed the steps in the evolvement of the international law and gave examples of global issues in this context.

As Um Ashaq went up the stage, she received a long round of applause from the audience, she is the person who resisted for 80 years and chose to live in a cave on her land to protect it from confiscation. Not for a day did she accept to leave her land despite the threat of the Israelis and their continuous attacks on her land as she lives next to several settlements, the wall and the green line. In this context Um Ashaq said “Israelis were firing and we were farming.”

In the conclusion of the event, that included lottery draws and an auction on a set of items, Guitanai band performed a group of traditional songs which included “Hilwa ya baladi” and “Nizlin ala al bustan” and the event was concluded with the song “Mawteni” where the audience stood and sang together.