Seeds of change

"The political aspect becomes apparent when talking to Rami Zurayk. People are, to this professor of Ecosystem Management at AUB, inseparable from plants. Zurayk was overseeing events at AREC and said that if the volunteers were to take one thing away from their day at the farm, it is that, “AUB is a place that feels very strongly that it has a social responsibility. It is not only a teaching institution; it also contributes to human wellbeing… Today we have planted seeds,” he said, “literally and figuratively.” He explained that the trees cultivated on the project are used in joint projects with municipalities in which communities agreed to look after trees in exchange for some green space in their village. This was important because, although environmental awareness is increasing in Lebanon, “environmental concerns alone do not create a country… Environmental justice is part of social justice. We cannot create large green spaces that are not available to everyone.”"

Alice Fordham on tree planting in AREC.