MUSLIMS discuss an Islamic SEVEN YEAR PLAN

Over 20 key participants from Islamic NGOs, academics, government figures and Muslim environmental activists and specialists from 14 countries met in Kuwait from 28-30 October 2008 to discuss drawing up a Seven Year Plan for Muslim Action on the Environment.

It was agreed that the action plan would be focused on Islamic states as well as Muslim communities all over the world.

The participants discussed how Islamic principles and teachings encourage Muslims to save, enjoy and love the environment. Participants were also keen to learn from the practical experiences of how Islam dealt with the environment in the past and now to draw up plans of ecological action that would also benefit future generations.

Participants agreed that greater protection of existing resources such as water, forests, air and other environmental elements is the responsibility of all humanity and not only one or two faiths. They agreed that their aim was “to mobilize the resources of the Islamic Umma to contribute to the ongoing global efforts dealing with Climate Change based on a Seven Year Environmental Conservation Action Plan that reflects Islamic Principles and Values.”

The aim was to help create “a world that is environmentally safe for our children and the next generations where all nations of all religions live in harmony with nature and enjoy justice and a fair share of God’s bounties”.

Recommendations included setting up an umbrella organisation called the Muslim Associations for Climate Change Action (MACCA) as well as a fund organisation to manage the Muslim Seven Year Plan.

Participants at the Kuwait meeting were from Algeria, Egypt, India, Kenya, , Kuwait, Malaysia, Indonesia, Morocco, Switzerland, Senegal, Turkey, UK, USA, and United Arab Emirates.

The meeting was largely funded by the Kuwait government. It was organised by the Earth Mates Dialogue Centre (EMDC) and supported by ARC as part of its UNDP/ARC Seven Year Plan programme.

EMDC was charged with co-ordinating setting up the new umbrella organisation.

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