[:en]SEKEM receives “Luxembourg Peace Prize” for Outstanding Environmental Peace[:ar]سيكم تحصل على جائزة لوكسمبورج للسلام من أجل السلام البيئي المتميز[:]

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On June 22, SEKEM had been awarded the 2018 Outstanding Environmental Peace Prize during the Luxembourg Peace Prize ceremony. The “Schengen Peace Foundation and the “World Peace Forum” recognized SEKEM for its commitment to sustainable development with an integral dedication. The prize for Outstanding Environmental Peace seeks an individual or organization which builds peace directly or promotes culture of peace via environmental initiatives or practices. It is related to sustainable development, environmental governance, natural resource management, and environmental conflict management and encompasses a broad range of themes, including Food Systems, Water Management, Forestry, Coastal Resources, Climate Change, and Urban Ecology.

 

Promoting peace on an integral level

SEKEM is committed to all these topics for more than 40 years. The jury chose SEKEM for “aiming to develop the individual, society, and environment through a holistic approach which integrates ecology, economy, societal and cultural life” to be this years’ laureate. They especially mentioned SEKEM’s current achievements and activities such as the election of Helmy Abouleish, Heliopolis University Chairman of the Board of Trustees and CEO of SEKEM to be the fourth international National Adaption Plan Champion of the United Nation or SEKEM’s commitment to sustainable solutions for land, soil and food in Africa that had been specified during a huge event in cooperation with national and international high-profile partners in April.

“My father founded SEKEM in 1977 as an initiative for promoting holistic peace through the development of each individual. All our activities, whether on the ecological, economic or cultural level hence aim to enable people’s consciousness development in order to build sustainable peace. And that’s what we are still working on each day: an understanding of peace that arises out of the peace with ourselves, with our fellow human beings and with nature”, says Helmy Abouleish who received the award on behalf of SEKEM.

Schengen Peace Foundation and World Peace Forum

For the seventh consecutive year, the “Schengen Peace Foundation” and the “World Peace Forum” awarded the prestigious Luxembourg Peace Prize to outstanding peacemakers and activists in Luxembourg. This year’s ceremony had been taking place at the historic European Parliament building in Luxembourg on June 22, 2018, as a conclusion to the 2018 World Peace Forum edition held in Toronto, Canada and in preparation for the 2018 Youth World Peace Forum to be held in July on the Philippines.

Christine Arlt

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في الثاني والعشرين من يونيو الماضي، حصلت سيكم على الجائزة البارزة من أجل السلام البيئي لعام 2018، وذلك أثناء حفل توزيع جوائز لوكسمبورج للسلام. ويعد ذلك اعترافًا دوليًا من مؤسسة شنجن للسلام وجائزة لكسمبورج للسلام بسيكم كمبادرة تأسست برؤية التنمية المستدامة والعطاء للمجتمع. وتُمنح جائزة “السلام البيئي المتميز” إلى من يعمل على بناء السلام بشكل مباشر أو يروّج لثقافة السلام عبر مبادرات أو ممارسات بيئية، سواء كان فرد أو منظمة. والجائزة مرتبطة بالتنمية المستدامة، والحوكمة البيئية، وإدارة الموارد الطبيعية، وإدارة النزاعات البيئية، وتتضمن عدة قضايا، من ضمنها الأنظمة الغذائية، وإدارة المياه، والغابات، والموارد الساحلية، وتغير المناخ، والبيئة الحضرية.

تعزيز السلام على مستوى متكامل

وتلتزم سيكم تجاه حل كل تلك القضايا منذ أكثر من 40 عامًا. وقد اختارت هيئة المحلفين مبادرة سيكم لتكون الحائزة على جائزة هذا العام “بهدف تطوير الفرد والمجتمع والبيئة من خلال نهج شامل يدمج البيئة، والاقتصاد ،والحياة المجتمعية والثقافية”. وبشكل خاص تذكر هيئة المحلفين إنجازات وأنشطة سيكم الحالية مثل انتخاب حلمي أبو العيش رئيس مجلس أمناء جامعة هليوبوليس ورئيس سيكم التنفيذي ليكون رابع بطل لخطة التكيف الوطنية للأمم المتحدة أو التزام سيكم تجاه الحلول المستدامة للأراضي والتربة والغذاء في أفريقيا، حيث أُقرّت تلك الحلول بالفعل خلال حدث ضخم عقدته سيكم بالتعاون مع شركاء بارزين محليين ودوليين في شهر أبريل الماضي.

يقول حلمي أبو العيش الذي تلقى الجائزة ممثلًا عن سيكم: ’’أسس والدي مبادرة سيكم عام 1977 من أجل تعزيز السلام الشامل من خلال تطوير وتنمية قدرات كل فرد. لذا جميع أنشطتنا، سواء على المستوى البيئي أو الاقتصادي أو الثقافي، تهدف إلى تمكين تنمية وعي الناس من أجل بناء سلام مستدام. وهذا هو ما نعمل كل يوم من أجل تحقيقه: فهم للسلام الذي ينشأ عن الوعي المتنامي بين الناس من أجل بيئتهم وطبيعتهم‘‘.

مؤسسة شنجن للسلام ومنتدى السلام العالمي

للعام السابع على التوالي، تمنح مؤسسة شنجن للسلام ومنتدى السلام العالمي جائزة لوكسمبورج للسلام المرموقة لصانعي السلام والناشطين البارزين في مدينة لوكسمبورج. كذلك أطلقت مؤسسة شينجن للسلام حدثها، منتدى السلام العالمي، وهو منصة عالمية لنشطاء السلام ومبادرات السلام التي تسعى لتبادل الأفكار من أجل تحقيق المزيد من النتائج والتأثيرات. وعُقد حفل توزيع جوائز لوكسمبورج للسلام هذا العام في مبنى البرلمان الأوروبي التاريخي في مدينة لوكسمبورج كختام لمنتدى السلام العالمي لعام 2018 والذي عقد في تورنتو بكندا، وكذلك تحضيرًا لمنتدى السلام العالمي للشباب لعام 2018 الذي سيعقد في شهر يوليو القادم في الفلبين.

كريستين أرلت

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MED-WET Partners Participate in Fundão Agricultural Innovation Fair, October 2024, Portugal

[:en] The MED-WET partners, including the team from Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development, had the opportunity to showcase their excellent results at the Fundão Agricultural Innovation Fair, held during (9-13) October 2024 in Portugal. This event provided a wonderful platform to widely share the project’s advancements, exchange insights, and engage with various international stakeholders in the water, energy and agricultural sectors. During the fair, the HUSD team actively participated in a parallel conference, where they delivered in-depth presentations and speech covering the MED-WET’s goals, achievements, and importance in advancing sustainable water management for climate-resilient agriculture among the rural and desert communities. At the heart of their presence was the MED-WET stand, which attracted significant attention of the majority of participants. It served as a focal point for information dissemination, providing an interactive space where farmers, agricultural experts, policymakers, and researchers could learn more about the project’s innovative approaches to water conservation and irrigation technology in arid regions. The stand featured detailed explanations of the project’s outcomes, including key findings and 3-D prototypes of the three technologies “Constructed Wetlands in Sekem El-Wahat, Solar energy-driven desalination for greenhouse agriculture in Malta and the SLECI Irrigation technology in Portugal and Morocco”. This obviously proven the MED-WET’s success in realizing efficient water management practices that contributed to sustainable farming and addressed water scarcity challenges in the Mediterranean region. Overall, the Fundão Agricultural Innovation Fair was a highly productive experience for all participants. It allowed the MED-WET team to expand their network, raise awareness about the critical issue of water scarcity, and underscore the project’s role in promoting sustainable agricultural practices across the Mediterranean region. The fair highlighted the increasing importance of collaborative efforts in addressing water conservation and irrigation challenges in agriculture, reinforcing the relevance of the MED-WET initiative. [:]

[:en]Showcasing the Med-Wet Project: Partners Participated in the Euro-Mediterranean Innovation Marketplace in Cairo[:]

[:en] One of the Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development’s successful research projects called “MED-WET” is selected among the top successful and highest performing 20 EU–Prima projects worldwide this year 2024. An international conference and fair was conducted on 3 Oct., 2024 in Cairo organized by Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in association with the European Commission (EC) office in Cairo. In which, a team from HUSD and MED-WET’s partner countries from Malta and Germany presented the key results of the MED-WET project, including the successfully developed three technologies (Constructed Wetlands in Sekem El-Wahat, Solar energy-driven desalination for greenhouse agriculture in Malta and the SLECI Irrigation technology in Portugal and Morocco). That mega event allowed HUSD to showcase the innovative solution of the low-cost, low-energy and nature-based “Instream Constructed Wetland” model addressing water challenges and climate change in the Mediterranean. Such innovations aim to conserve water, improve irrigation efficiency and tackle water scarcity (climate-resilient agriculture). The marketplace offered meaningful exchanges with international partners. HUSD’s team discussed potential collaborations with stakeholders who are interested in new research projects, which will help further amplify the impact of the Med-Wet project. The conversations done with promising future partners underscored the importance of cross-border cooperation and innovation in addressing complex environmental challenges, on the top of them “water scarcity and climate change”. [:]

[:en]Announcement: Heliopolis University Low Carbon Energy Report Released![:]

[:en]Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development is proud to announce the release of our latest report on Low Carbon Energy Usage across campus! This report highlights our commitment to a greener future by measuring the amount of low-carbon energy utilized in our operations. Through this analysis, we’re taking bold steps toward sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint. Key Highlights: A detailed breakdown of renewable energy sources powering our campus Insights on energy efficiency improvements across our facilities Actionable goals for expanding clean energy use in the coming years Together, we’re paving the way for a more sustainable and energy-efficient future. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this report possible! Stay tuned for more updates as we continue working towards a 100% low-carbon campus! #HeliopolisUniversity #SustainableFuture #LowCarbonEnergy #CleanEnergy See the report here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/122aDtID_M3wxZSzZnKuzx-VcHolUbxh5/view?usp=sharing[:]