COP18: The Arab Movement

On Saturday 1st December 2012, I had the pleasure of being invited to attend the COP18 Climate Rally in Doha, organised by a collection of local youth activists. The rally was pulled together on short notice but with overwhelming enthusiasm and managed to attract National and Regional coverage. It was the first environmental rally of its kind in the region and a huge positive step in social activism on global issues for the area.
It started at 7am. This may seem early to those of us in the West, but the day starts early here in Qatar and you don't want to be out in the harsh sun later on in the day. There were over 60 volunteers from all over the world helping out on the day, both locals and internationals, and the enthusiasm and good will was palpable. Of course, the event kicked off late but this was to be expected in an Arab nation, as stated apologetically by Mohammed, the head volunteer, himself. Despite this, everyone was in a very good mood.
There were about a thousand people in attendance, and though small by Western standards, this was unique here and a great turn out. There were local Qataris, expats, delegates and also lots of press to capture this groundbreaking event. We marched together, chanted together, sang together and danced together along the main Corniche road by the bay area. It was a beautiful site and I loved the experience. It was a great opportunity to share thoughts, ideas and motivation and build a new youth movement for climate change.
Signs around us read "Arabs unite", "Arabs take the lead", "We must tackle climate change". This was a chance for the Middle East to show that they cared too, that they were just as involved, just as active a voice in this debate as the rest of the world, and they wanted to bring change. Every country from the Middle East region was represented and standing in solidarity with activists from the rest of the world from Brazil, China and the UK to representatives from across Africa.
I was told that many people had been afraid to turn up, nervous because of the Arab Spring; that there was a certain stigma associated with marches and a fear that they would turn violent. However, this did not dampen the mood, and through this peaceful, colourful and joyful protest, these young organisers were able to show everyone what is possible and hopefully plant seeds for the future. Even the official Qatari organisers of COP18 turned up to congratulate them on what had been achieved!
The Arab Youth Climate Movement (AYCM) is growing. They are just about to open a branch in Qatar. They have been working hard on youth initiatives and have even collaborated with the UKYCC (UK Youth Climate Coalition). There are several youth social activist organisations cropping up here as well as environmental groups. There is so much happening in this region right now and so much investment in new technologies too. We should all watch this space as I believe there is a lot more to come.