Our Earth – how do we work together to heal the devastation of war and create hope for our children?

A scientist and author, and one of Palestine’s foremost environment al experts, Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh is the founder and director of the Palestine Museum of Natural History (PMNH), and the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability and teaches at the University of Bethlehem and Birzeit University. Prof Qumsiyeh is visiting Australia for the first time, to connect with First Nations, faith groups, ecologists and others working towards a global movement for peace, land rights and environmental justice.

A warm invitation to this combined Forum on a challenging topic: Our Earth – how do we work together to heal the devastation of war and create hope for our children?

After hearing from Professor Qumsiyeh, the topic for our discussions will link to the Interfaith Matters! Forum theme for 2024 : Interfaith Celebrations and Commemorations . This month we focus on Mother Earth. In peaceful times, the creation celebrates the earth where we live, move and have our being. In times of war, the earth is so very vulnerable to the devastation we cause. W e hope to focus our constructive collective energy on the importance of the earth for our lives, seeing clearly how the devastation of war heightens the devastation of all life . How can we constructively work towards peace and protecting the biodiversity of the earth?

Please register by Friday 19 April to assist chef with catering. Dietary needs can be sorted on the Humanitix booking page.

Please note: This event will be a space free of racism, including zero tolerance for anti-Palestinian, Islamophobic and anti-semitic communication and behaviour.

Please book on Humanitix:

Our Earth – how do we work together to heal the devastation of war and create hope for our children? | Humanitix

Monday 22nd April 2024

Please arrive 5.45pm for a 6pm start – event will end by 8.30pm
A delicious vegetarian meal will be provided (please pay $15 – $20 via Humanitix)

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A warm invitation to this combined Forum on a challenging topic: Our Earth – how do we work together to heal the devastation of war and create hope for our children? For those unable to attend in person, Religions for Peace has set up a Zoom meeting to run during Prof Qumsiyeh’s talk and Q&A (approx 45m-1hr).

Prof Qumsiyeh: Mon 22 April 5:15pm Perth; 6:45pm Adelaide/Darwin; 7:15pm Melb, Syd, Canberra
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81770890485
Meeting ID: 817 7089 0485 Passcode: 462953

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About Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh

Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh has published over 180 scientific papers, over 30 book chapters, hundreds of articles, and several books including Sharing the Land of Canaan and Popular Resistance in Palestine: a history of hope and empowerment , focusing on the environmental impact of colonisation, environmental and climate justice, to cultural heritage, human rights, biodiversity conservation (see video here), and cancer and health.

Professor Qumsiyeh has served as honorary advisor/ board member of the ICCA Consortium and a member of the IUCN specialist plant group in 2022;on Palestine’s National Climate Change Advisory Board; on a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for Palestine; as Vice President of the Middle East Crisis Committee; as Co-founder of the Academics for Justice , and al-Awda , the Palestine Right to Return Coalition.

In 2020, Qumsiyeh was a laureate of the Paul K. Feyerabend Award, honouring exceptionally successful work for solidarity within or between communities and remarkable accomplishments that represent a true source of inspiration. Qumsiyeh was also a Takreem Foundation laureate for his work on Environmental Development and Sustainability. He also serves on the board of several Palestinian youth and service organisations such as Al-Rowwad Children’s Theater and Siraj Center, and is president of the Rotary Club of Bethlehem.

 

Additional Opportunity

If you are not able to come to our April event on Monday 22nd April, when Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh will speak with us on the topic of: Our Earth – how do we work together to heal the devastation of war and create hope for our children? we wanted to let you know that he will also be speaking on Sunday 21st April at 9.30am at Pilgrim Uniting Church, 12 Flinders Street, Adelaide, CBD (street parking).

From the Pilgrim Uniting Church:

Guest Speaker on 21st April – 9.30am service

Qumsiyeh Professor Mazin will be speaking at the 9.30 AM service on Sunday 21st April

Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh previously served at US universities including Tennessee, Duke and Yale. He is founder and volunteer director of the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability (PIBS) at Bethlehem University (http://palestinenature.org ). Qumsiyeh published over 180 scientific papers, over 30 book chapters, hundreds of articles, and several books including “Sharing the Land of Canaan” and “Popular Resistance in Palestine” on topics ranging from environmental impact of colonisation to environmental and climate justice to cultural heritage to human rights to biodiversity conservation to cancer. He oversaw a number of projects ranging from formulating the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan to empowerment projects with farmers, women, and children that benefited tens of thousand.