Reimagining environment(s) in the EWANA region: intersections and perspectives of environmentalism and culture
Our online Maqha Conversation cafe opened on November 28, 2024, with the first discussion of its second season. The conversation focussed on the connection between culture and the environment and brought together three expert speakers from the EWANA region: Raghad Fathaddin, Founder & CEO of Sangha Estidama Hub and a planetary well-being consultant, Selma Bichbich, social and climate youth activist, founder of the NGO ¨Together for Blue and Green¨, and co-founder of the ¨MENA Youth Network¨, and Aida Kapetanović, activist and Doctor in Political Science and Sociology at the Scuola Normale Superiore, with research that examines the struggles against hydropower in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.
The session invited those participating in the discussion to look at the environment from different angles, as we asked which environments are considered worthy of protection and how our cultural perceptions, biases, and traditions determine our approach to environmentalism.
The international conversation on climate and environmental protection
The discussion started with a reflection on inclusion of different voices, groups, and countries in the global struggle against climate change, including in international fora such as the United Nations (UN) and the different COPs. Selma Bichbich, who has extensive experience in this field, emphasized that these fora provide an important opportunity for youth engagement with an international audience.
She mentioned that at times particular countries (such as Algeria and Libya), as well as groups (such as farmers and rural communities) are excluded from the international conversation. Nevertheless, Selma also mentioned that international forums provide the opportunity for youth to not only to speak about serious climate change issues, but also to to address the peace and security agenda, as youth is often excluded from international spaces where these issues are negotiated.
In addition, Selma emphasized the importance of civil society from marginalized countries on the international stage to develop their capacity and learn how to communicate in the international arena in order to access more effective participation in global climate change negotiations. Capacity building is also important to teach youth initiatives on how to raise awareness for environmental issues and create a larger youth interest in tackling climate change in countries with weakened civil society structures such as Algeria. This latter is already being done by Selma´s own organisation: Together For Blue & Green.
Who is an environmentalist?
The experience of marginalized groups resonated with the second speaker, Aida Kapetanović, who researched the cultural and symbolic dimensions of collective action and the construction of collective identities based on emotional attachment to rivers in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. In particular, she researched how local communities gathered around the protection of a river from hydropower plants that threatened the ecology they depended on.
Presenting her research, Aida raised the question: who is considered an environmental activist, and, as such, who is being listened to when policy is made for environmental protection? In the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, rural communities were marginalized in discussions on environmentalism while the urban voices, where decision making is done, were seen as legitimate ´activists´, despite them being less directly depending and impacted by their immediate environment — a dichotomy which was recognized by the other speakers in their respective contexts.
In addition, the hydropower projects that local communities were protesting against were initiated and funded by the European Union (EU) as part of its green and sustainable response to the global climate crisis. This also illustrates the dynamics of the “centre” dictating policy towards the marginalized “rural”, e.g. the periphery of the EU.
As such, the presentation sparked a discussion on who owns ´nature´ and the right to make decisions about environmental protection. Discussants also mentioned that in the international arena, there is a discourse around the environment and environmentalism that local communities and those in direct relations with the environment might not access, and therefore cannot further their ideas on protecting the environment. However, that does not mean that they cannot further their agenda in other ways, as the case presented on Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia showed.
The self and the environment
All speakers emphasized their personal connection with the environment in their presentations and that, when looking at environmental protection on an international or national level, this connection is at times overlooked. The third speaker of the session, Raghad Fathaddin, shared her experience in setting up Sangha Estidama Hub, an organisation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which works on re-imagining the relationship between the self and the environment.
Similar to the two previous speakers, Raghad also challenged the use of the term environmentalist by strongly linking the personal perspective to addressing issues of climate change. Here, particularly, the topic of a lack of access to the environment in an urbanized society is important in determining an individual’s perception of nature.
This, in turn, determines our thinking about protecting nature. Therefore, Sangha Estidama Hub prompts a method of nature-based learning that cultivates curiosity and a reconnecting with the environment with a strong focus on the senses as a means to further personal well being as well as a means towards environmental protection.
Conclusion
The first Maqha Conversation of Season 2 highlighted the rich interplay between culture and environmentalism in the EWANA region. Through the lens of inclusivity, the session examined how marginalized voices — whether rural communities in the Balkans, youth from Algeria, or urban residents disconnected from nature — are often excluded from dominant environmental narratives. Yet, these voices have unique and essential insights into addressing climate change and fostering sustainability.
By challenging the conventional definitions of “environmentalist,” the discussion underscored the need to embrace varied approaches, from collective identity in local activism to personal, sensory reconnections with nature. This conversation demonstrated that cultural perceptions and lived experiences are pivotal in shaping effective and inclusive environmental action, urging a reimagining of who speaks for the environment and how.
Speakers
Raghad Fathaddin
Raghad Founder & CEO of Sangha Estidama Hub and a planetary well-being consultant, based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and operating globally. With a deep commitment to shaping a system aligned with the human spirit, she believes that the state of the world is a reflection of its citizens. Holding a BA in Politics & International Relations from the University of Southampton and an MA in Public Policy from King’s College London, she seamlessly integrates academic knowledge with extensive professional experience. Raghad has collaborated with notable organisations globally, including UNESCO, World Bank, WHO, World Economic Forum, PepsiCo, and Oxfam. Her passion lies in exploring the interconnectedness of social, cultural, economic, and environmental factors, allowing her to provide holistic, hedonistic and planetarily conscious strategies and solutions for the challenges of the 21st century. Through her diverse skills and experiences, Raghad aims to make a meaningful impact, contributing to positive transformations on individual, societal, environmental and economic levels.
Aida Kapetanović
Aida Kapetanović has a Ph.D. in Political Science and Sociology at the Scuola Normale Superiore (Florence, Italy), with research that examines the struggles against hydropower in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. Her focus is on the cultural and symbolic dimensions of collective action and the construction of collective identities based on emotional attachment to rivers. She holds a Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Research and Studies on Eastern Europe (MIREES) from the University of Bologna. Her research interests combine social movements, environmental activism, cultural and symbolic dimensions of mobilisation, nationalism and identity formation in Southeast European contexts, and qualitative research methods. She is a member of COSMOS, the Centre for Social Movement Studies of Florence. She is an activist in Florence, where she has been involved in various grassroots organisations.
Selma Bichbich
Selma is an Algerian social and climate youth activist, founder of the NGO ¨Together for Blue and Green¨, and co-founder of the ¨MENA Youth Network¨. She advocates for environmental protection and human rights, serving as the focal point for the environment and human rights group at the Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY). Selma is also a board member at ¨ProVeg¨, promoting plant-based diets, and a project coordinator at the ¨MENA Coalition for Peace and Security¨. She represented Algeria at the SAICAM IP4.2 conference in Nairobi, addressing the impact of chemicals in Algeria and Lebanon. As an event organizer, she led the inaugural ¨MENA Youth Environmental Assembly¨, bringing together young activists from conflict zones. Currently, she is spearheading a campaign at the American University of Beirut to ban plastic bottles and promote sustainable alternatives on campus. Selma is also an intern with the ¨FLC Climate Justice Internship¨, a mentor at ¨Learning Planet¨, and a ¨Girls Rising Fellow¨ focusing on storytelling. She has spoken at the Women’s Forum in Singapore and Politics4Her, highlighting the role of women in climate activism and agriculture in the MENA region. Additionally, she is a representative and Policy Board member at the ¨World Food Forum¨.
Host
Laura Bannan-Fischer, EWANA Center for Cultural Understanding