Caring For Earth Made Fun

By Patricia Kotovich, TG Magazine youth journalist

In recent years, the youth of the Middle East have been actively involved in cleaning up their countries. Children and youth of three nations in particular: Egypt, Jordan, and Israel are doing their part in acknowledging their responsibility toward the coastline.

These youth were inspired by their country's Ecopiece program. Ecopiece is a non government organisation of Egyptians, Jordanian, Palestinians, and Israelis who have a common goal to promote sustainable development in the Middle East. As a result, over one hundred countries have joined together, organised by Australia's Clean Up campaign and the United Nations Environmental program to pursue "International Clean Up Day."

More than 150 Egyptian youth were inspired by a conference in Sharem El-Sheikla which honoured the head of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, The Governor of the South Sinai Province and the Mayor of Sharem. The young people enthusiastically participated in beach clean ups, the production of brochures and other public awareness materials and activities.