AUB-NCC Newsletter Fall 2011-2012, Issue No. 31

fall 11 - 12

Editorial

No.31

The Newsletter of Ibsar, the Nature Conservation Center for Sustainable Futures

Miriam Mattouk Nature ConVerSation Project Coordinator About 730 days ago I decided to take a break and come to Lebanon on a vacation. It was a matter of days before I found myself itching for something useful to do. That’s when I landed a part-time job at Ibsar. It was supposed to take two months, I could extend my vacation a little bit… or so I thought.

Little did I know that two months would turn into a year, and a year into two. I was hooked. Addicted to Ibsar! You think I’m a first? You think wrong! Come and spend longer than an hour at our headquarters and see for yourself. At Ibsar it’s never too late to discover new skills or accumulate knowledge. One second you’re a research assistant, the other an event planner and the other a farmer. You can be in torn muddy jeans one day and dressed up fancy for a gala program launching event the other. We believe in diversity, BIOdiversity. I developed all kinds of Lebanese dialects you can think of, and trust me, there are a lot! I started dialing 90 before the actual number while using my private phone or replying ‘alo Ibsar?’ when mom called. It was ridiculous, but I was a happy Ibsarian! I learned how to write funding proposals in one day, how not to wear pink panther t-shirts under overalls when meeting with members of the Ministry of Education, or shorts with a tank top when going planting at the borders of Lebanon.

I learned how to create programs, implement studies and design catalogues. I even learned how to clean the office every Friday. But that was before I learned how to recruit volunteers who prefer office work over field work. So, for the past 730 days I have been busy giving the center my all and allowing the center to explore and develop my full potential, but now that my contract is over and that I have time to contemplate, one scene is stuck in my memory: The day Dr. Talhouk said no and then said yes when I asked if I could stay 730 days ago.

Mohamad el Medawar Ibsar Webmaster Since November 2009, I had assumed the duties of a webmaster at Ibsar Center with the purpose of expanding on the center’s online exposure to reach international frontiers. Throughout the years, not only did I develop my skills in web design and general information technology, but I had also developed a sense of work ethics in a family-like environment. The real challenge was creating a modern online image of Ibsar and, at the same time, form a user-friendly platform that would allow online users to easily

navigate through Ibsar’s countless achievements, both academically and on the field.

The website had also created a stage through which Ibsar expanded on its Outreach component, updating the volunteers, researchers, and general interested public on the recent advancements and challenges in the nature and biodiversity conservancy field, thus creating incentive among the followers to take the initiative and either help the center attain its goals or start endeavors on their own. In brief, the website formed a rich, consistent, and coherent database of research and outreach activities.

Moreover, we took online exposure a step further by utilizing social media outlets such as facebook, twitter, Youtube, Blogger, and flickr. facebook, twitter, and Blogger were used to announce upcoming events and attract attention from the youth and more precisely college students to participate in Ibsar’s tree planting activities, IBDAA exhibitions, Ta3a Ne7ke Debates, and much more. All of this progress was evident when observing the number of attendees of Stock the Wood Concert in 2011, for example, and the level of enthusiasm among them. As for flickr and Youtube, they were used to upload and publish photos and videos of Ibsar’s events and the volunteers to establish a form of follow up with all the participants who would be eager to see their image published while participating in selfless activities hosted

by Ibsar. However, it’s more than important to note that Ibsar wouldn’t have become the unique entity it is today if it weren’t for the relentless efforts of the program coordinators and directors who gave unconditionally and sacrificed their whole time and energy to make Ibsar what it is today. In fact, it was them who taught me the real and practical meaning of devotion and commitment. In short, my college experience would’ve been poor if I hadn’t joined the ranks of Ibsarians!

Alison Kumro Intern I have been a consultant with Ibsar since August 2011 and have contributed to both outreach and research. I am grateful to have been involved in several exciting projects during my time at the center. In November, I coordinated Ibsar’s first annual fundraising concert to raise money for tree planting in Lebanon. Throughout planning for the concert, I was impressed by the enthusiasm of everyone involved and the creativity of my colleagues, who brought lots of good ideas and energy to the event. The enthusiasm of the musicians, the audience, and the Ibsar staff contributed to the event’s success and positive mood. In addition, I organized Ibsar’s 10K team at the 2011 Beirut Marathon. This event gave me the chance to interact with several members of the AUB community and see firsthand the support Ibsar has among AUB’s faculty, staff, and students. Ibsar’s programs have exposed me to local, social, and environmental issues and given me knowledge about Lebanon’s rich biodiversity that I wouldn’t have received otherwise. I will be sad to leave Ibsar and the wonderful, hard-working people here, but I look forward to keeping in touch and seeing how the center grows over the next year.

Tanya Dib Intern My start at Ibsar was not a conventional one. I did not schedule a meeting with any staff member or even call before coming into the office. I just showed up. With the help 2

of my friend and now former Ibsar colleague Mohammad Al Medawar, I walked up to Project Coordinator, Dr. Rana Abel Samad, and expressed, with much fervor, my desire to work with Ibsar. Throughout our informal conversation about what Ibsar is, what I hoped to do, and what the next project was, I immediately felt that I was already on board as part of the Ibsar family. With that being said, I happily started the next day.

My experience at Ibsar is not one that can be boiled down to simply one event or one task. At first, I discovered my inner scientist while helping with the organization and set-up of the 2011 Days of Science event at the Beirut Hippodrome, in which I prepared posters, activities, and games as well as helped carry out science experiments. After that, my saleswoman skills began to emerge as I assisted in the sales of Ibsar Boutique products over the holiday period and during the 2011 Beirut Winter Festival at the Gefinor Hotel. Next, I got to be a mini project coordinator by starting work on a proposal for Ibsar’s new nature-related educational program, under the supervision of Dr. Najat A. Saliba. In fact, it was by working on this proposal, a new venture for me, that I came to learn the most from Ibsar. I learnt the importance of conducting a proper project proposal, in all its sections, from establishing objectives to identifying potential funding agencies and addressing contacts.

In the five months that I have worked as an intern with Ibsar, each day was as interactive and pleasant as the next. Ibsar is a center that truly values the significance of teamwork and cooperation and I am very happy to have been able to share this wonderful spirit with each member in the office.

On a last note, I believe it is understood and somehow inscribed in each Ibsarian’s heart that we truly are a family. I would be more than honored to be able to return to Ibsar one day and bring back all the nice memories spent there and hopefully create new ones in the future. Thank you Ibsar for a great experience. Thank you Ibsar for great new friends.

Till we meet again.

Green is a Red Line

Farah Aridi

Ibsar Participates in Green is a Red Line

For the need to preserve our green space, Ibsar participated in Green is a Red Line, an event organized by the Green Party of Lebanon on September 8, 2011 at the Beirut Hippodrome in the Tayyoneh area. The event acted as homage to nature conservation and included the participation of various NGOs catering to nature.

Ibsar Boutique cart parks at the Hippodrome 3

Nature Captured photographs displayed next to Ibsar Boutique cart at the Hippodrome

With each NGO displaying its mission, vision, and agenda, the event secured an air of commitment towards nature and its greenery. Ibsar’s cart presented products from the Ibsar Boutique, mainly sanitizers and perfumes, the Nature Captured photographs, and tree certificates.

Attendees were introduced to Ibsar’s mission statement, vision, as well as achievements. Within an amiable atmosphere of song, food, and casual conversation, the event lasted till the evening hours. Storytelling, kids’ games, and music accompanied the various stands planted around the Hippodrome space.

Agriculture Exhibition

Farah Aridi

Ibsar Participates in Agriculture Exhibition The WAAAUB FAFS Alumni Charter and the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences organized on Oct. 15th and 16th an Agriculture and Food Industry Exhibition in the outdoor area facing the Agriculture Department.

Ibsar stand (left) and visitors (right) at the Agriculture Exhibition 4

Ibsar participated in this event out of the significance of channeling networks for connections, communications, and exchange of expertise on a local level. About 30 different participants hoisted their booths around the designated area. After the opening ceremony, everyone took to their booths as visitors started flooding in.

Ibsar’s booth displayed products from Ibsar Boutique, mainly notebooks, perfumes, and sanitizers, in addition to pictures from Nature Captured.

Nature Captured is an event which has already taken place earlier in summer under the program Nature ConVersation as an outcome of a photography workshop taken by children from different backgrounds, aged 7-17 years old.

Visitors were interested in the activities and the programs conducted by Ibsar, especially its tree planting endeavors, its volunteering opportunities, its natural products as well as its nature-related activities and initiatives towards conservation and sustainability.

Days of Science

Farah Aridi

Ibsar Participates in Days of Science Each year, Ibsar participates in the Days of Science, or Ayam Al Ouloum, an event organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture. On Oct. 20th-Oct. 22nd, 39 institutions, including universities, companies, and scientific associations, exhibited their science projects in designated booths at the Beirut Hippodrome in Tayyouneh.

Ibsar Project Coordinator, Dr. Rana Abdel Samad explaining ‘Natural Composting’

Ibsar intern, Tanya Dib demonstrating an experiment called: ‘Eat Your Plate’

With the help of an army of volunteers from AUB, Project Coordinator Rana Abdel Samad, filled booth number 17 at the Hippodrome with 9 different activities and experiments.

At the entrance to the booth, Ibsar’s Have You Planted A Seed Lately? Campaign and agriculture activity was met with enthusiasm as visitors were given the opportunity to plant Native Pine and Native Oak seeds in plastic cups accompanied with instructions of how to nurse it into a tree, plastered on a colored stick. Games for different ages were also present such as the Nature Trivia and the Nature Pictionary, where visitors 5

got to compete and be quizzed on information and pictures related to nature. Winners would either get an apron with Nature Lab and Ibsar logo on it or a pair of goggles.

Coloring activities were also made available for kids, where they got the opportunity to enjoy a coloring notebook featuring the flower Frangipani. Information about the flower in both languages, Arabic and English, were included under the drawings within the notebook for kids to benefit from.

Ibsar’s Dima Ousta helping the visitors plant their own seeds as part of Ibsar’s ‘Have you Planted a Seed Lately?’ Campaign in Days of Science

Ibsar’s nature-related chemistry experiments included: Chromatography (a chemical experiment on separation techniques), Eat your plate (baked dough as plates, once thrown will not harm nature), Hot Box (natural way to produce heat using exothermic chemical reactions), and Insect Repellant Sage Cream (non-chemical and nonharmful to humans).

The last experiment was vermicomposting and highlighted the importance of biodiversity in natural recycling.

Baldati Bi’ati

Farah Aridi

Ibsar announces the winners of Baldati Bi’ati

Mingling during Baldati Bi’ati ceremony

Eighteen villages were preselected by Ibsar to participate in the competition Baldati Bi’ati (BVA). Winners were announced in an award ceremony held on Oct. 26th, 2011.

The event was held at the As-safir Hotel, in Raouche, under the auspices of the Directorate General in the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, and was funded 6

by the Coca-Cola Foundation. Representatives of partnering institutions, projects, participants, Ibsar members, and members of the press attended the event.

The pre-selection process was based on two years of planting activities in collaboration with 50 municipalities. An AUB faculty committee was formed to act as a jury and develop a criteria for judging, taking into account the villages’ size, culture, as well as economic, environmental, natural, and social resources and heritage.

The ceremony included a display of the villages’ green maps and featured a documentary highlighting best practices in every village. The BVA competition awarded certificates of best practices to all practicing villages and gave four BVA in the form of Street Signs: the village of Aarsal, the Sustainable Management of the Jurd Award; the village of Niha, the Sustainable Management of Forest Award; the village of Kawkaba, the Sustainable Management of Waterfront Award; and the village of Meshmesh, the Environmentally Active Community Award.

From left to right: Dean Nahla Hwalla, Mr. Khalil Hajal, Mr. Antoine Tayyar, Dr. Najat Aoun Saliba, and Dr. Salma Talhouk

Ibsar Director, Dr. Najat Saliba opened the ceremony with a few introductory words, highlighting the promotion of biodiversity and nature conservation as well as engaging local communities to take such initiatives, regardless of the difficulties faced. Mr. Khalil Hajal, Director General of Municipalities, praised the collaborative effort of Ibsar and the participating villages. This collaboration, according to him, is an asset to the development of the community and the preservation of the environment and its natural resources. Representing the Provost, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Dr. Nahla Howalla, in her turn, stressed the importance of Ibsar’s projects to Lebanon’s future, encouraging local communities as well as the public and private sectors to participate in projects such as the BVA. BVA Principal Investigator and Chair of the Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management Department at AUB, Dr. Salma Talhouk, explained that the project aims at targeting the conservation efforts of each village, the promotion of awareness towards biodiversity and the protection of native species, and recognizes the natural resources and heritage of each village. She stated that the project revealed interesting information and statistics about the participating villages: Most [villages] have 20% more green cover, harbor 24 Lebanese native tree species, and have allocated a combined 100,000 m2 of public lands to tree planting. The project has also shown that most villages have preserved traditional activities such as bee keeping, wild edible plants collection and local nature walks and shown interest in encouraging ecotourism. The CocaCola Foundation has been a vital partner in helping to get this project on the road and we are extremely grateful for their continuous support.

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Mr. Antoine Tayyar, representing the Coca-Cola Foundation, views the collaboration between private and public sectors as integral to the development of the country and the preservation of its natural and environmental resources.

Participants and municipality representatives, media personnel, and Ibsar members listen to the launch of Baldati Bi’ati

Baldati Bi’ati, launched in 2010, intends to become an annual event in order to grant visibility and recognition to villages which engage in the planning and implementation of projects and initiatives that promote the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Forest Film Festival

Farah Aridi

Ibsar’s Forest Film Festival targets the Media As part of Ibsar’s Forest Film Festival which is supported by the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the USAID, a fourth and final session targeting the Media and Communications took place on Oct. 29th, 2011.

Ibsar organized this event within the 16th annual international conference of the Arab-US Association of Communication Educators titled: “Digital and Media Literacy: New Directions.”

The three previous sessions were carried out in June and targeted school children, AUB staff and faculty, as well as Lebanese writers.

The media session was conducted in October in order to coincide with the planting season.

Dr. Jad Melki, coordinator of the conference and Assistant Professor of Journalism and Media Studies at AUB, opened the session with a few words about Ibsar and gave the floor to Dr. Salma Talhouk who introduced Ibsar’s Forest Film Festival and its objectives. Ibsar organized the FFF in order to celebrate the International Year of Forests, 2011, as proclaimed by the UN, by raising awareness to the effects of climate change, global warming, and other man-induced threats to forests, nature, and man’s wellbeing. Ibsar hopes that through collaborating with the Media body in Lebanon and the region, the center would be able to successfully raise awareness about the importance of sustainability and nature conservation and reach out to a wider range of people to mobilize them into action and sustainable culture and practices.

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The screened films (a total of a few minute clips selected from four different films) were chosen from a list of winning films in the International Forest Film Festival organized by the United Nations Forum on Forest Secretariat (UNFFS) and the Jackson Hole Wildlife Festival. More than 150 media personnel from different media agencies in Lebanon and the Arab world attended the event. The screening was met with enthusiasm as many attendees approached Ibsar with an interest for collaboration.

Stock the Wood

Alison Kumro

Ibsar holds its 1st Stock the Wood Fundraising Concert

Featured art stands accompany concert attendees inside

Ibsar’s green print on the entrance to the concert

On Thursday, November 24th, Ibsar held its first annual concert to raise money for tree planting in Lebanon. The event’s title, ‘Stock the Wood’ was a play on the 1969 music festival, Woodstock, which served as the theme for the night. Over 300 students, faculty, and non-AUB visitors showed up to listen to local musicians play sounds of the 60s and 70s. Despite the cold, the audience sang along energetically late into the night.

The concert hosted performances by six groups, including Beirut Vocal Point, the popular a cappella group known for its flash mobs on AUB campus. Recycled, which performed several popular Beatles covers, had the audience up in their seats dancing, especially during their last song, “All You Need is Love.” Also featured were AUB students, Omar Talhouk and Mahmoud Ramadan, local band Freefall, and Peter Jam, an international artist and activist who recently returned from touring in Europe and the US. Special guest and headlining act, Poly, concluded the show with popular Special Guest Poly covers such as “Somebody to Love” and “I Love Rock and during rehearsal prior to the concert Roll” and her own single, “Tough.”

Cheers & laughs among attendees, including Provost Ahmad Dallal & his family

Ibsar hopes to use the annual ‘Stock the Wood’ concert to initiate a tradition within the AUB community of contributing to Ibsar’s planting efforts during the planting season. Therefore, an important goal of the concert was raising environmental awareness among the student body and local community. Through an ‘Awareness Booth’ at the event, attendees learned more about the importance of tree planting in Lebanon and how and where Ibsar has contributed. The event also highlighted Ibsar’s other programs through the sale of Ibsar Boutique and Nature Captured products.

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The local band Freefall performing at the concert with Ibsar’s own Miriam Mattouk (to the far left)

In total, the concert raised over $5600 thanks to ticket sales and additional donations. All proceeds from the concert went to Ibsar’s Power of Planting Program, which was launched in 2007 to protect and promote Lebanon’s diverse natural heritage while involving local communities. Ibsar plants trees in Lebanon every year between October and December; since 2008 the center has planted over 30,000 trees in various municipalities in Lebanon. The trees to be planted thanks to the concert will make a valuable addition to Ibsar’s already impressive contribution to tree planting in Lebanon.

2011 BLOM Beirut Marathon

Alison Kumro

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Ibsar at the 2011 BLOM Beirut Marathon

Group picture of Ibsar members and friends who ran the 10K for a greener Lebanon

This year, for the first time, Ibsar gathered a team to participate in the 2011 BLOM Beirut Marathon 10K on November 27th. Over 50 people joined Ibsar to promote the center and the environmental causes for which it works. Participants included AUB students, staff, and faculty from various departments within the university, as well as their friends and family. Thanks to the generous contributions of the team, Ibsar raised over $100 for its programs.

On the day of the marathon, most of the team gathered before the race to take pictures and do a group stretch. Despite the crowds, Ibsar team members managed to spot each other along the route and cheer each other on. The Ibsar group consisted of both runners and walkers, including Richard Brow, AUB’s VP for Advancement, and Mrs. Kathy Dorman, wife of AUB President Peter Dorman. The Ibsar group also had two

42K runners, including Mr. Elias Khater from the Olayan School of Business, who was running his third marathon and achieved a personal best.

T-shirts featuring Ibsar’s active programs and initiatives distinguished the Ibsar team at the Marathon

Ibsar’s group represented one of many causes promoted at the Beirut Marathon.

Ibsar Director, Dr. Najat Saliba commented, “When I first decided to run the 10K, I was motivated by Ibsar’s cause. However, at the marathon, I felt part of a much bigger cause, which included all the causes and charities present at the marathon.”

The 10K proved to be a fun and productive event for Ibsar and its participants. Dr. Noel Ghanem, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology, and one of the first Ibsar team members to cross the finish line said, “The Beirut marathon and 10K run were a great success. I enjoyed it and was very happy to be part of our Ibsar team.”

Next year, Ibsar hopes to gather an even larger group and work with other AUB organizations to increase the university’s presence at the marathon.

CBD - Strategic Plan

Alison Kumro

Convention on Biological Diversity - Strategic Plan 2011-2020 The Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) was created by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1993 in response to the increasing global commitment to sustainable development. The CBD’s Strategic Plan 2011-2020 seeks to ensure that by 2020, ecosystems are resilient and continue to provide essential services. These services thereby secure the planet’s variety of life, and contribute to health, livelihoods, and well-being. Implementation will be carried out primarily through activities at the national and sub-national levels with regional and global support.

The Strategic Plan 2011-2020 is comprised of five strategic goals: 1) mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society, 2) reducing pressures on biodiversity and encourage sustainable use of resources, 3) improving the status of biodiversity by protecting ecosystems and their species and genetic diversity, 4) enhancing the benefits created by biodiversity and ecosystems, and 5) enhancing implementation through planning, knowledge management, and capacity building.

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Twenty Aichi Biodiversity targets address specific objectives related to these goals.

Through these targets, the CBD strives to ensure that by 2020, populations would have become aware of the values of biodiversity, and have taken steps to incorporate sustainability into their daily lives and government policies, creating positive incentives for the conservation of nature and implementing effective biodiversity action plans.

Furthermore, the CBD hopes to enhance conservation, management, and sustainable use of ecosystems, including reducing the rate of loss of all natural habitats by at least half and improving the conservation status of all known threatened species.

Finally, these targets seek to enhance the benefits of biodiversity by safeguarding the ecosystems which provide the most services to societies and the environment.

Ibsar End of Year Gathering

Farah Aridi

On December 15, 2011, Ibsar team along with friends, faculty, and members got together in an End of Year gathering at College Hall Basement Conference Room.

Ibsar team, friends, fuculty and staff along with President Dorman and Dean McGreevy

During the meeting, various presentations about Ibsar’s different running programs were carried out by their respective Principal Investigators. Each PI spoke of the progress as well as the successes and the future directions of his/her program. The presentations were complemented by poster presentations of various projects and events developed by Ibsar Project Coordinators. Posters featured the following: Marex, Power of Planting, Nature ConVersations, Nature Captured, Nature Lab, Food & Biodiversity, Medicinal Properties in Living Organisms, Ta3a Ne7ke Debate Series, Marathon, Stock the Wood Concert, and IBDAA. Apart from faculties, members, and friends, AUB President Peter Dorman and his wife Kathy Dorman, Provost Ahmad Dallal, as well as Dean Patrick McGreevy, attended the gathering and went around the room inspecting each poster.

Poster presentation by Ibsar Project Coordinators

The aim of this gathering in addition to sharing Ibsar’s progress and success stories, is to show a successful model of interdisciplinary work and encourage cooperation between interested faculties and parties and Ibsar.

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Beirut Winter Festival

Farah Aridi

Ta3a Ne7ke

Farah Aridi

Ibsar Participates in Beirut Winter Festival A group of university professors, artists, and youth sought to promote and enhance cultural life in the city within a festive Christmas spirit. Beirut Winter Festival, which took place between Dec. 17th and 23rd, at the Gefinor Plaza in Clemenceau, welcomed the Christmas season with activities ranging from storytelling, face painting, and miming, to international music nights, such as the Armenian and the Scottish Nights - both featuring local foods and delicacies as well as music and dance.

About ten wooden booths were neatly scattered in Gefinor Plaza square, each assuming its own identity. Ibsar shared a booth with two designers (clothes and jewelry) in which products of Ibsar Boutique were exhibited in packages designed specifically for the market. Products included: Sanitizers, Perfumes, air fresheners, as well as Ibsar customized bags and pencil cases. The event maintained the holiday spirit and a festive mode with song, dance, food, and hot wine!

Ta3a Ne7ke Second Debate Series For the second year in a row, Ibsar held its Ta3a Ne7ke Debate Series during the Fall Semester of the Academic year 2011-2012. This year, the debates were able to attract media coverage, as well as an audience from within and outside the AUB community. The series included four debates, each tackling issues of the environment through a different, yet, interdisciplinary approach. Ta3a Ne7ke aims to address issues pertaining to nature conservation, biodiversity, and sustainability.

This year’s topics were chosen to present such issues through the eyes of distinct scholars and professionals in a variety of disciplines. They varied from Arts & Humanities’ say in nature conservation and sustainable futures, to whether being surrounded by green space instigates a care for nature, to whether herbal supplements and therapies are prevention or a cure, reaching the investigation of ways through which buildings can contribute to nature in the city.

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Ta3a Ne7ke #1 from left to right: Dr. David Waterman, Dr. Sonja Mejcher, Dr. David Wrisley (moderator), Ms. Crystal Hoffman, and Dr. Joshua Gonsalves

The first debate was titled: “What do the Arts and Humanities have to say about nature conservation and sustainable futures?” and was moderated by Dr. David Wrisley, Associate Professor at the Department of Civilization Sequence and Chair of the English Department at AUB. The speakers included: Dr. Joshua Gonsalves, Dr. David Waterman, and Ms. Crystal Hoffman, from the English Department, and Dr. Sonja Mejcher from the Department of Civilization Sequence at AUB. Each speaker, based on his/her experience addressed the role of the Arts and Humanities in nature conservation as well as the relationship between the two.

Ta3a Ne7ke #2 from left to right: Dr. Michel Moufarege, Dr. Rita Khayat, Dr. Bilal Hamad, Mrs. Jessica Dheere, and Dr. Arne Dietrich (moderator)

Titled “Do we have to be surrounded by green space to care for it?,” the second Ta3a Ne7ke Debate focused on the effect of green spaces on our lives and was moderated

by Dr. Arne Dietrich from the Psychology Department. For this debate, the speakers were: Dr. Bilal Hamad, Beirut Mayor and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at AUB, Dr. Rita Khayat, Vice President of IT at AUB, Mrs. Jessica Dheere, President of Social Media Exchange (SMEX), and Dr. Michel Moufarege, President of LibanTrek. Depending on each speaker’s experience, the topic was taken in different directions with those advocating for green space and acknowledging the direct relationship between green spaces and our productivity and wellbeing and those who believed that though it is very important to be surrounded by green space, the presence of such space does not necessitate a care for it.

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Ta3a Ne7ke #3 from left to right: Dr. Pierre Zalloua, Dr. Omar Obeid, Dr. Rabih Talhouk (moderator), Dr. Fady Maalouf, and Ms. Suha Rbeiz

The third Ta3a Ne7ke Debate investigated the reality behind herbal supplements.

Titled, “Herbal Supplements and Therapies: A Prevention or a Cure?” the debate was moderated by Dr. Rabih Talhouk from the Biology Department at AUB. The speakers included Dr. Pierre Zalloua, Professor of Genetics and Iterim Dean of School of Pharmacy at LAU, Dr. Omar Obeid, from the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Dr. Fady Maalouf from the Department of Psychiatry at AUB, and Ms. Suha Rbeiz, aromatherapist and owner of Body Care Club. The speakers explored the effect of herbs and supplements on human health, their possible sham effect, the myth of their benefits, as well as their evidenced ones.

Ta3a Ne7ke #4 from left to right: Mr. Abdul Halim Jabr, Mr. Aram Yeretzian, Dr. Jala Makhzoumi (moderator), Dr. Salma Talhouk, and Dr. Jad Chaaban

The final Ta3a Ne7ke debate for this year addressed the role of buildings in the city and was entitled; “How can buildings contribute to nature in the city?” This session was moderated by Dr. Jala Makhzoumi, Professor at the Department of Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management at AUB. The speakers of this session included: Architect Aram Yeretzian and Architect and Urban Planner Abdul Halim Jabr from the Architecture Department at AUB, Economist Dr. Jad Chaaban from the Agriculture Department, and Dr. Salma Talhouk from the Department of Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management at AUB. While both architects defended the new concept of greening, the other two speakers were not in total disagreement, but each had his own reservations on the matter.

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Send your news, articles, and editorial comments to Ibsar@aub.edu.lb.

Visit the Ibsar website at www.Ibsar.org.

Edited by Dr. Najat Aoun Saliba and Farah Aridi Designed by Layal Jradi Š 2012

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