Environmental Activists Take to Doha Corniche Marking the 1st Environmental March

Doha, December 01 (QNA) - Hundreds of climate change activists from local, Arab, and international civil society groups on Saturday took to the Doha corniche, marking the first environmental march to be held in Qatar. The march, organized by civil society group Doha Oasis, shouted "our future, our planet" and "nothing is impossible, another future is possible," urging Arab countries to take the lead in climate talks as they chanted in Arabic: "Arabs, Arabs, action now!" Held under the theme of "One Environment, One People, One Earth," the 1.3km march began at the Sheraton hotel, with representatives from Japan, China, Sudan, Canada among other countries later joining the Qatari groups. "I am very proud to be here with you today. It marks a very important moment in our history. We want to be free from fear. Free from all the impacts that climate change can impose upon us," Chairman of the Organizing Sub-Committee for COP18/CMP8, HE Fahad bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah, said as he attended the march along with his family. "I am very proud to be here with you today. It marks a very important moment in our history. We want to be free from fear. Free from all the impacts that climate change can impose upon us," he added. For his part, Khalid Al-Mohannadi, a Qatari activist from Doha Oasis, described the march as an "awakening" for Qatar, expressing his delight with the turnout. "I thank you all from the bottom of my heart," he told activists in the march. The basic message of the march is to highlight the role of Qatari society and Arabs in general in the advocacy of environmental issues and the involvement of environmental activists from different nationalities in this event, Al Mohannadi said. "I think people will be very interested in joining us to ensure Qatar is a better living place for everyone and help us take action. After COP we will be planning a lot more projects here in Qatar." Ali Fakhri, Arab Youth Climate Movement (AYCM) representative in Lebanon and media campaigner with environmental non-governmental organization IndyACT, said participants in the march wanted to send a message to Arabs, the world and those who negotiate in the COP18 that it is time to work. He noted that holding the conference in Qatar provides Arab countries with a unique opportunity to take the lead in the climate area and pledge to cut emissions. "Gulf states and all Arab countries can play a leading role in this area, and that is what Arab youth aspire to," Fakhri said. Merna Ghaly, 18, from Egypt and AYCM member, said she is pleased to see people doing something for the first time. "This is the first march in Qatar and it has a very strong message and is something I care very much about." Bahraini activist Abdullah Seif, who also participated in the march, urged an instant move to address climate change, which he said, will affect everyone. Among those taking part in the demonstration was Kira Lamont, 22, from the Canada Youth Delegation. Lamont pointd to the march as "historical," adding she is honored to stand in solidarity with AYCM. "I think it is going to be a very powerful march and I hope that going forward the negotiators see this and the power in it and we see some change." "It has been really exciting to be here and you can feel the energy we are getting from each other," Liang-Yi Chang, of Taiwan Youth Climate Coalition, said as she marched holding a banner. (QNA)