The Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGON) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization with a mandate to protect the environment of
Palestine by acting as a coordinating body for Palestinian environmental organizations located in the
West Bank
The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
and
Gaza Strip
The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...
. PNGON was initiated after the 2000
al-Aqsa Intifada
The Second Intifada ( ar, الانتفاضة الثانية, ; he, האינתיפאדה השנייה, ), also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada ( ar, انتفاضة الأقصى, label=none, '), was a major Palestinian uprising against Israel ...
due to heightened demands for Palestinian environmental organizations to defend the Palestinian environment.
PNGON is composed of 21 member organizations with goals covering a wide range of environmental issues such as defending land against misuse,
sustainable agriculture
Sustainable agriculture is farming in sustainable ways meeting society's present food and textile needs, without compromising the ability for current or future generations to meet their needs. It can be based on an understanding of ecosystem ser ...
,
water conservation
Water conservation includes all the policies, strategies and activities to sustainably manage the natural resource of fresh water, to protect the hydrosphere, and to meet the current and future human demand (thus avoiding water scarcity). Popula ...
, rural issues,
sustainable development, protection of
cultural heritage,
health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
and
sanitation
Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water and treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage. Preventing human contact with feces is part of sanitation, as is hand washing with soap. Sanitation syste ...
,
biodiversity
Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...
protection,
human rights
Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
and community participation.
PNGON's General Assembly consists of all of its members. The Coordinating Committee consists of seven members who are elected every two years by the General Assembly.
PNGON is an umbrella organization for Palestinian environmental organizations operating in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip. PNGON focuses on protection of the Palestinian environment within the context of Israeli military occupation. Therefore, environmental efforts are coordinated with social justice campaigns and also integrate social, economic and cultural rights to effect environmental protection and defense.
PNGON seeks to raise international awareness, build capacity for environmental
advocacy and mobilizes communities to engage in sustainable development. PNGON also encourages cooperation with other developing societies.
The Member Organizations of the PNGON network are:
*Al-Ard Society for Environmental Awareness and Protection
*Applied Research Institute--Jerusalem (ARIJ)
*Center for Agricultural Services (TCAS)
*Center for Development in Primary Health Care (CDPHC)- Al Quds University
*Institute of Water Studies, Birzeit University
*Development and Environment Association—Baladna Cultural Center
*Land Research Center (LRC)
*
LAW-The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment
*The Local Committee for the Protection of the Environment, Nablus
*MA'AN Development Center
*Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC)
*Palestinian Association for Cultural Exchange (PACE)
*
Palestinian Hydrology Group (PHG)
*Roads and Environmental Safety Center (RESC)
*The Society for Environmental Protection, Jenin
*Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC)
*Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees (UPMRC)
*Water and Environment Department-Ramallah Municipality
*Water and Soil Environmental Research Unit (WSERU), Bethlehem University
*Water and Environmental Studies Center (WESC),
An-Najah National University
An-Najah National University ( ar, جامعة النجاح الوطنية) is a Palestinian non-governmental public university governed by a board of trustees. It is located in Nablus, in the northern West Bank. The university has 22,000 stude ...
*Wildlife Palestine Society (WLPS)
References
External links
Palestinian Environmental NGOs Network{{Authority control
Organizations based in the State of Palestine
Environmental organizations based in the State of Palestine