Speakers

Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh previously served at US universities including Tennessee, Duke and Yale. He is founder and volunteer director of the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability at Bethlehem University (http://palestinenature.org).

He has published over 180 scientific papers, over 30 book chapters, hundreds of articles, and several books on topics ranging from environmental impact of colonisation on environmental and climate justice to cultural heritage to human rights to biodiversity conservation to environmental health. He has overseen a number of projects ranging from formulating the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan to environmental and climate justice and empowerment projects with farmers, women, and children that benefited tens of thousands.

Mazin is president of the Rotary Club of Bethlehem and will speak about their positive work in areas of environment and health while situated in an unstable regional situation.

Our school building program started with the construction of a primary school in Ban Heu Yen in the province of Luang Prabang in 2012. Twelve years later the club has funded the construction of five primary schools and numerous toilets and water wells.

A small group of club members has just returned from a trip to Cambodia, Vietnam and Lao People's Democratic Republic to witness first-hand the club’s projects in Siem Reap and Luang Prabang. The presentation will cover the visit by Rob, Roy, Rebecca and Neville to the village of Kok Beng in Siem Reap to see the washroom toilets funded by a Global Grant with the support of RCM and World of Difference. They will take a brief tour of the holiday hotspots of Vietnam and then cover the school library opening ceremony at the Xeing Nguyen Secondary School in Lao.