Today SNOW was our message of hope during a very positive meeting with the Minister of Education and Higher Education, Dr. Abbas Halabi.

Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon – SPNL represented by its Director General, Assad Serhal, and the SNOW education team, was honored to hold a strategical meeting with the Minister of Educational and Higher Education, Dr. Abbas Halabi to discuss Educational, and Environmental concepts in the presence of Mr. Malek Ghandour, President of the Lebanese Environment Forum – LEF, Mr. Fadi Ghanem, President of the National committee of IUCN in Lebanon, and representatives from Hima Ras El Maten, namely Mr. Refaat Noueihed, Mr. Jawad Noueihed, Mr. Rafic Makarem and the President of The Maten Environment and Sustainable Development (MESD), Ms. Ghada Ghazal.

Nature conservation, sustainable development and community empowerment were the key drives for the various discussions that were put on the table, and SNOW was the star subject!

The Minister, Dr. Abbas Halabi was impressed by the achievements of this environmental education program in the last year under different projects funded by the European Union, CEPF, and Egyptian Vulture New LIFE. This success was achievable due to the letter of support for SNOW implementation in the public schools signed by the Minister, who renewed his support today after seeing the big potential of SNOW in raising environmentally responsible generations, mainstreaming ecological and environmental concepts, and building bridges of peace between people and nature. And hopefully, with the right planning and support, SNOW will be upgraded from a project-based program to a self-sustained educational program widely implemented on the National Level.

Nature and People will always be united in the frame of SPNL’s projects and programs, and following the success of SNOW, now SPNL is working in prioritizing the youth capacity building program, Homat Al Hima to empower the Hima leaders and ensure a more efficient conservation through community-based approaches.