*** DEBUG START ***
*** DEBUG END ***

Lebanon thinks green with the help of the Church Mission Society

05 January 2018

CMS

Nurtured: Al Shouf Cedar Biosphere Reserve

Nurtured: Al Shouf Cedar Biosphere Reserve

AN INITIATIVE to encourage children in Lebanon to think about the ecological future of their country has been taken by the Church Mission Society (CMS), with the British Embassy.

Two CMS mission partners, the Revd David and Amy Roche, joined with the Lebanon’s largest nature reserve to run an essay-writing competition that asked children in 110 schools from different faith communities to imagine the future of an ecologically sustainable Lebanon.

Lebanon is coping with a huge influx of refugees from the Syrian conflict, and its Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, said that the small country was close to “breaking-point”. One third of its six million population are refugees.

CMSSuccess: the Revd David Roche with award winners

The Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve, which is home to trees 2000 years old, hosted the winners of the essay competition for a day of actitivies, including planting new trees.

Mr Roche said: “Following the presentation of awards, the children had the opportunity to walk the Queen Elizabeth II Trail and take part in an interactive workshop led by staff from the Cedar Reserve Staff, before planting trees themselves, to represent new life and a better future.

“The Lebanese national curriculum does not currently include a component to do with caring for the environment, but the team at the Biosphere Reserve were so excited by this new initiative they are planning to turn this eco-project into an annual event.”

Browse Church and Charity jobs on the Church Times jobsite

Forthcoming Events

Church Times/RSCM:

Festival of Faith and Music

26 - 28 April 2024

See the full programme on the festival website. 

Early bird tickets available

 

Church Times/Sarum College:

Traditions of Christian Spirituality

January - May 2024

This is a five-part series on major strands of the Christian spiritual tradition.

Book individual session tickets or sign up for the full programme

 

Green Church Awards

Closing date: 30 June 2024

Read more details about the awards

 

Welcome to the Church Times

​To explore the Church Times website fully, please sign in or subscribe.

Non-subscribers can read four articles for free each month. (You will need to register.)