600 people took part in CROSSDEV’s environmental campaign in Palestine
Tourism stakeholders along the Palestinian Heritage Trail took lead and action to launch a campaign on Environmental Awareness and Heritage, Historical and Natural sites under the slogan of “Baladna Ahla” and within the activities of the CROSSDEV project.
The Baladna Ahla Campaign
It is an environmental awareness and heritage site protection campaign that was launched along the Palestinian Heritage Trail in Palestine, organised and implemented by local communities under the CROSSDEV project, funded by the European Union through the ENI CBC MED Programme, and with the support of the local partner Palestinian Heritage Trail Association. This campaign was implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Ministry of Education, the Environmental Quality Authority, and many local tourism businesses.
To increase the attractiveness and promote less-known sites and communities, the Palestinian Heritage Trail believes in the importance of developing and maintaining a safe, clean, and accessible trail in Palestine.
The campaign aims to increase awareness introducing the concept of social responsibility towards heritage, civilisation, and environmental preservation and protection. On the other hand, it worked to strengthen the bonds among the locals working in tourism through different activities that included cleaning up the local attractions.
The campaign activities were conducted along the newly developed segments of the Trail, between Beit Mirsim and Battir, which include 16 villages and communities. Around 600 students, youth, women, volunteers, stakeholders, and representatives of village councils took part in the campaign.
Baladna Ahla Campaign gave the communities' actors the chance to think together about how to save our environment and the archeological and natural sites, and how to keep them clean for the visitors to enjoy them. After identifying and evaluating the main problems, we developed the campaign plan and implemented it. Together, we took an active role in this important campaign.
The campaign also trained representatives from women’s centres and home-stays about the “Role of Women in Environmental Development and Sustainable Tourism”. The training aimed to raise women’s awareness on how to manage solid waste and household pollutants, and their negative effects on health and the environment, as well as water protection methods.
Part of the campaign’s implementation activities is cleaning many natural and historical sites, archeological towers, parks, palaces, and courtyards and installing “keep clean” wooden signs and iron trash bins in different sites.
The Palestinian Heritage Trail is now planning more field trips and clean-up activities in different areas and is working on conducting more trainings and awareness workshops for students, service providers, local communities, and business owners to involve even more people along the trail.
Within the activities of CROSSDEV, partner Palestinian Heritage Trail continues to highlight and promote the campaign by publishing letters, promotional videos and stories, social media posts, “Leave No Trace” leaflets, and other tools aimed at raising awareness.
This is a message we deliver: we should not accept anything to ruin and damage our beloved important sites. Everyone of us is responsible and is considered as a guard in his/her country.
Watch: Clean-Up Activity At Al-Muraq Palace
Watch: The importance of preserving natural and historical sites in Palestine
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Credits @PHTrail for CROSSDEV
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