APN organizes a fundraising dinner to support replanting of trees in Jerusalem and Ga

.

---

(Amman 20th December, 2009)  APN organized a fundraising dinner in Amman that aims to support the Palestinian farmers in the area of Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip through the cultivation of trees in their farms that have been either swept away by the Israeli occupying forces or threatened of forfeiture.

The ceremony, attended by more than a thousand participants, included poetry reading by the great poet Samih Al-Qasim who presented a collection of poems. Also the Palestinian artist Sana Moussa has presented a musical performance. and the APN has launched during the ceremony the book “61 Portrait to the Rhythm of Hatikva”.

 

The ceremony started with a welcome from the concert presenter the volunteer Susan Ayoub. Then presented the volunteer Qasim Jouny from Lebanon a presentation on the first and second One Million Tree campaign. He also presented the role played by the APN in Lebanon, and the agricultural and environmental losses caused by the Zionist enemy's repeated assaults on natural resources in Lebanon.

 

Poet Samih Al-Qasim said in his speech before he started with poetry reading “When they called me to participate in this ceremony, I said: if the participation was for a ceremony marking the founding of the Arab League I would have apologized for my teeth ache, but when I learned that the occasion is <One Million Tree> I felt I would be proud to be of the participants”. He added «that the idea of APN in its campaign <they uproot a tree.. we plant ten», comes in the «heart of the of patriotism», especially in light of what he considered «shortcomings in the concept of homeland and national, for some».

Engineer Razan Zuaiter head of APN said “the most important things APN is working on are planting trees in Jordan and Palestine, trying to influence decision-makers regarding the double standards about stopping environmental terrorism and moving the efforts of civil, local, Arab and world society to support our issues». As indicated by Zuaiter risk of foreign-funding of civil society organizations in Arab countries, and explained it by saying: “we lose our priorities with such funding and few of us might become mercenaries”. And she stressed the need to support small farmers in the Arab world and Jordan in support of food security and food sovereignty.

 

The ceremony was supported by a number of companies and individuals, in which two institutions provided support for the cultivation of two villages. The institutions are, Investment Holding Company, which is headed by Mr. Ghanem AlHodaifi and represented by Hassan Ja’ja, and the Jerusalem International Foundation, headed by Sheikh Al-Qaradawi and the Secretary-General, Dr. Akram Adlouni. As for the category of planting 2000 trees (Diamond Sponsor), APN has received support from the Abdali company, headed by Bahaa AlHariri, the staff of the Jordanian Company for Pharmaceuticals, headed by Dr. Adnan Badwan. As for the category of planting 1000 trees (gold sponsor), tree planting was suppoerted by Ms. Zaha Mango, Mrs. Suha Shoman, PADICO company, Abu Issa Holding Company and Ayla company. Also a number of people of conscience supported the cultivation of thousands of trees.

APN has been able to collect more than 150 thousand dinars during the Fundraising dinner, with proceeds going to the gala dinner to plant trees in three villages in Jerusalem which are «Beit Eksa, Beit Anan and Beddou» and two villages in the Gaza Strip which are «Sheikh Ajleen and Deir al-Balah». The selection of these villages are based on either the most vulnerable to confiscation by the Israeli government, such as villages of Jerusalem, where there is confiscation of land arbitrarily, or that have been completely destroyed during the recent Israeli war on Gaza in early 2009.