Al Majal Environmental & Technical Services LLC – Strategy

Vision
A sustainable built and natural environment for current and future generations of the people of the Sultanate of Oman and the planet.
Organizational Vision:
A professional socially responsible organization composed of highly-skilled individuals, working in partnership with other development stakeholders in ensuring a sustainable future for Oman and beyond.
Working with Al Majal will have a dramatic impact on your company’s socio-economic and environmental performance, in various ways. As a partner, you can expect the following:

• Increased Revenue
• Reduced Operation Costs
• Dramatically Diminished Risk
• Increased Brand Value + Recognition

 

Mission
To provide the most effective strategies and solutions to current sustainability challenges striking the proper balance between the interests of society, environment and economy.
To uphold the principles of CSR, good governance and all other facets of sustainable development in all Al Majal products and services.

To become a leader in environmental consultancy in the country and the region.
Goals

• To offer efficient and cost-effective environmental solutions to clients on any given context
• To eliminate or reduce in unacceptable environmental or financial risk and liabilities, and on the management and reduction of these risks.
• To contribute to solving the environmental challenges of the country through Al Majal products and services
• To work in close coordination with clients and partners in designing and implementing solutions in accordance to their own business strategies
• To adhere to highest ethical standards in all Al Majal products and services
• To provide the best possible workplace environment and financial rewards to Al Majal professionals

 

Values
Sustainability. Believes in the pursuit of sustainable development. Beyond compliance, companies could display volunteerism and unmatched leadership in the fight against the most pressing challenges the world is currently facing, like global warming, desertification loss of biodiversity and rapid depletion of resources.

Cradle-to-cradle Principle. Al Majal believes a new way of thinking is needed, one that challenges different sectors to think in terms of a closed-loop cycle or processes involving a cradle-to-cradle principle.

Corporate Social Responsibility. Al Majal has confidence on the corporate sector to work in partnership with government, NGOs, other concerned groups and the community in addressing the most pressing challenges the country is facing. With its resources and influence, the corporate sector has a critical role to play in ensuring a sustainable future. The corporate sector could lead in this campaign. It is its corporate social responsibility.

Best Solutions.  Al Majal shall ensure that it delivers the best solution to each assignment as a result of scientific processes, strategic thinking, good judgment and cost-efficiency measures.

This piece is taken from the website of Al Majal Environmental & Technical Services LLC.

See on-line at: http://www.almajalenv.com/Strategy.html

USAID Releases “Al Khalifa (The Steward): Environmental Sourcebook with Islamic Perspective

Muslim religious leaders in Western Mindanao warmly received Al Khalifa (The Steward), a sourcebook on environmental protection and conservation written from the perspective of Islam.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Philippine Environmental Governance 2 Project (EcoGov2), worked with Muslim community leaders, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, educators, and Qur’anic experts from Western Mindanao to develop Al Khalifa. USAID released introductory copies of the sourcebook in Zamboanga City on April 22, 2007 to coincide with the global celebration of Earth Day. The sourcebook, the first publication of its kind in the country, underscores the commitment of the EcoGov2 project to promote good environmental governance practices in Western Mindanao.

Right now, 20 local government units (LGUs) in the Western Mindanao provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay receive substantial technical assistance from the EcoGov 2 project. USAID’s EcoGov2 project developed Al Khalifa to help LGUs in predominantly Muslim regions of the Philippines improve their capacity for sound ecological governance.

Based on the teachings of the Holy Qur’an, Al Khalifa seeks “to educate leaders and followers in Muslim communities that the environment and ecological governance are part of man’s responsibilities as God’s vicegerents on earth” and “to enable Muslims to be involved in environmental governance through a clearer understanding and better appreciation of his responsibilities and accountabilities as prescribed by Islam.”

Al Khalifa is inspired by the Islamic principle of man as God’s steward and trustee on earth. As stated in the sourcebook, “Islam exemplifies rightful conduct…and regulates man’s life according to the halal-haram dichotomy, of what is allowed and forbidden, lawful and unlawful… And Islam views the care and management of the environment as part of every Muslim’s religious obligation.”

Endorsements by Islamic religious leaders of Al Khalifa :

In Zamboanga City, Deputy Mufti for Western Mindanao and Palawan Sheikh Abdulwakil Tanjilil of the Darul Ifta, endorsed Al Khalifa. He said that, “As a Muslim, one should be aware of the responsibilities in the use of earth’s natural resources and the care of the environment, and should enjoin his Muslim brothers to obey Allah commands them to do, in relation to them.” He also enjoined “all concerned Muslims to propound the teachings from the Al Khalifa in their daily activities, at home and in government, schools and mosques, work and leisure, and to consider all these as part of Islamic worship”.

In Lamitan, Basilan, Ustadz Ulama Usman Mangkabung heartily accepted the sourcebook stressing that “the people are all responsible for the environment”.

In Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay Province, Hadji Jaalal Saniel appreciated the book as a “good source to support what the Qur’an and Hadith command”.

In Buug, Zamboanga Sibugay, Ustadz Abdul Mauna recommended that the book be used as in instructional reference in the different madaris (Islamic schools) all over the country.

Earlier, in the Islamic City of Marawi, Al Khalifa was used as a reference in a khutbah (a religious sermon) delivered on April 13, 2007 at Masjed Bubong Lilod by Amrola Diambangan, aleem (“learned man”) of the Young Moro Professional Network, Madaya.

This piece is taken from the website of the Philippine Environmental Governance Project.

See on-line at: http://ecogovproject.denr.gov.ph/docs/Story_USAID_releases_Al%20Khalifa_The_Steward.htm

Christians-Muslims Meet to Address Global Warming

On September 8, 2010, a former Philippine senator and environmental activist revealed plans to organize an interfaith dialogue among religious leaders to address global warming.

Former senator Heherson Alvarez, vice chairman of the government’s Climate Change Commission, said he will enlist the help of different religious organizations in the country in the fight against effects of climate change, ucanews.com reports.

He announced his plan during a press conference held after a roundtable discussion among Muslim leaders and environmental activists in Quezon City.

The Muslim Association for Climate Change Action (MACCA) was also launched during the conference. MACCA, according to organizers, was an offshoot of the Muslim Seven-Year Action Plan on Climate Change crafted in Istanbul, Turkey in June 2009.

Amina Rasul, lead convenor of the Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy (PCID), said more than 20 Muslim intellectuals, scientists and environmentalists joined the discussion organized by her group in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Peace and Equity Foundation.

The participants expressed concern over the impact of environmental destruction, particularly in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which is most vulnerable to the rise in sea level.

“The Muslim community is speaking out,” said Rasul. She added that 70 percent of the 1.4 billion Muslims across the globe live in places that are vulnerable to climate change like Pakistan, which is now experiencing the worst floods in years. India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines are other threatened countries where Muslims live.

“When I was still DENR secretary I gave 10 Catholic bishops mountains to protect. They planted trees and improved the environment, and they were successful,” Alvarez told ucanews.com.

He mentioned mountains in Agusan province in Mindanao and in Antipolo city east of Manila. “Only Bishop Julio Labayen encountered a problem with people who burned some trees for charcoal. But he was able to solve it.”

Retired Carmelite Bishop Labayen at that time headed Infanta prelature comprising the northern part of Quezon Province, Polillo archipelago, Jomalig Island, Patnanungan town and Aurora Province in northern Philippines.

“Now these Muslims can nurture and protect the watershed of Marawi which is a source of clean water and hydroelectric power,” Alvarez said.

“Because the public sector failed we need the religious sector and the NGOs to protect the environment.”

This piece is taken from the website of CathNews Asia.

See on-line at: http://www.cathnewsasia.com/2010/09/08/religions-to-address-global-warming/

Muslim Clerics Urged to Include Environment in Sermons

09/07/2010

The country’s ulamas have been urged to take on a new task: preach about the environment.

The local branch of the Muslim Associations for Climate Change Action has asked the country’s Muslim clerics to include sermons on the environment during the Friday worship seeing as the country’s five million Muslims in Mindanao are, aside from armed conflicts, threatened by global warming.

MACCA-Philippines convenor Amina Rasul said: “Most Muslim citizens living in Mindanao, they’re livelihood are connected with natural resources like land, water. You will have five million who will not be able to support their livelihood in the years to come.”

Rasul said studies show that the people of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao are vulnerable to the effects of global warming like drought and floods.

Since these places are also witness to armed conflicts, the residents in these areas would find it doubly hard to adapt to the changes in the environment.

“The Department of Environment and Natural Resources addressing all of those challenges, so is the Climate Change Commission. We are coming in because we found out that there is not much that’s being done to work on these issues in the Muslim communities,” Rasul said.

The first meeting of MACCA in Kuwait in 2009 produced a call that urged “among other things, getting the ulamas to talk about the environment and the need to protect the environment during the Friday prayers,” Rasul said.

“Another issue, they said, that we should have [the] environment inserted into the curriculum of the ‘maddrassah,’” she said, referring to the Islamic schools.

Rasul said ulamas and Muslim scholars are vital in advocacy building and urging communities into action. Every village in Muslim Mindanao, she said, has an ulama who is respected by the community.

Already, there were Muslim scholars and clerics who preach about protecting the environment. The mufti of Tawi-Tawi, for instance, is active in environmental matters, Rasul noted.

“So, it would be good if you can bring the ‘khutba’ (sermon) from Tawi-Tawi and spread it in the hundreds of Mosques all over the country. Then you would have a Friday sermon encouraging the faithful to protect the environment. Pick up your litter. Don’t burn rubber. Don’t cut trees. Plant a tree. All of these things they can start working on at the advocacy level,” Rasul said.

This piece is taken from the website of the Inquirer.net

See on-line at: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20100907-291038/Muslim-clerics-urged-to-include-environment-in-sermons

Philippine Muslims Form Network to Confront Climate Change

October 3, 2010

A group of Muslim Filipino scientists, religious leaders, academics, and activists recently formed a network intended to confront the issue of climate change to Muslim communities during a round table gathering convened by the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)at the Imperial Palace Suites in Quezon City.

The roundtable discussion on Muslim Action for Climate Change(MACC) was supported by the Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF) and the Magbassa Kita Foundation, Inc.

The Muslim leaders agreed to support the initiatives of the global Muslim Seven Year Plan.

Action Plan on Climate Change 2010-2017 (M7YAP) approved during the historic conference on climate change held in Istanbul from July 5-7, 2009, wherein 200 Muslim leaders committed to spur action to protect the natural environment and combat climate change.

The Muslim leaders gathered at the roundtable on MACC agreed to establish their Philippine network to respond to the challenges of climate change and to support the initiatives of the M7YAP as well as work with the global MACCA.

Climate Change and the Muslim World Climate change is increasingly seen as the most critical challenge facing the world today. The Islamic world is particularly vulnerable to climate change because of the effects of rising sea levels, with their effects on Muslims living in coastal communities.

Patterns of drought and rainfall are also expected to change, with enormous consequences for human populations. For the Philippines, studies have shown that many of the areas that are highly vulnerable to projected temperature increases; impacts of El Nino events, salt-water intrusion and sea level rise are in Muslim Mindanao.

With the more than 5million Muslims that are in harm’sway, the participants to the lastweek’s Muslim Action for Climate Change RTD expressed the need to engage and mobilize scientists, scholars and environmental organizations to conduct research and information and education activities on climate change and environmental sustainability.

For instance, studies by Greenpeace and data from the National Statistics Coordination Board (NCSB) show that the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is ranked first among all regions in terms of vulnerability to a one-meter rise in sea level.

Sulu inparticular is the most vulnerable province in the country in terms of vulnerability to a one-meter rise in sea level.

A Response from Muslim Filipinos, PCID President Amina Rasul explained that the formation of MACCA-Philippines is actually the response of Muslims in the Philippines to the Muslim Seven Year Action Plan for Climate Change (M7YAP) that wascrafted in Istanbul, Turkey in June 2009 for all Muslim countries.

“Our people are most vulnerable, since oursituation is compounded by the armed conflict and poverty pervasive in our communities,” Ms. Rasul said, “we need to act, we need to respond, as individuals and ascommunities.”

The plan, drawn up by Earth Mates Dialogue Centre, an NGO based in London, and supported by Alliance of Religions and Conservation or ARC, as part of the UN/ARC Seven Year Plan Initiative, proposed investigating every level of Muslim activity from daily life to annual pilgrimages, from holy cities to the futuretraining of Imams.

Its network also issued a declaration expressing their willingness to put forward a united Muslim front to take action against thecatastrophic consequences ofclimate change.

The Istanbul conference proposed the establishment of the “Muslim Associations for Climate Change Action” or “MACCA” as an umbrella organization to manage the attainment of proposals under the M7YAP.
Part of this action plan was the convening of the First International Conference onMuslim Action on Climate Change in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia last April 9-10, 2010 where 200 environment experts, academics and clerics from 30 countries with Muslim population.

From the Philippines, Ms. Rasul and Dr. Filemon G. Romero, Professor of Oceanography of Environmental Science of the Mindanao State University in Tawi-Tawi were invited as resource persons.

The lead organization in South East Asia is the KEHATI Foundation for Biodiversity of Indonesia, which hosted the first international conference for MACCA in Bogor.

The Bogor conference stressed that Muslims should become agents of change to protect the environment with the help of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

Participants called on the OIC to promote climate change policies and setup a special council to take the lead on climate change issues, a conference said.

The initiative received support from various government officials who attended the forum.

DENR SecretaryR amon Paje, represented by Undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio, Jr. lauded the efforts of Muslims to unite and join the global effort to combat the negative impact of climate change.

“The DENR will fullysupport this initiative by ourMuslim brethren,” Sec. Paje said.

Senate Committee on Climate Change Chair Sen. Loren Legarda stressed the need to provide a global response to the global menace that is climate change and congratulated the convenors of MACCA-Philippines for their effort.

Sen. Legarda, who is known for her advocacy of the environment and the rights of Muslims in the Philippines,i nvited the group to brief her committee on the MACCA initiative.

Climate Change Commission Vice-Chair Sec. Heherson Alvarez, meanwhile, said that the commission is fully committed to strengthening grassroots initiatives such as MACCA-Philippines as a way of helping government harness the nation’s resources in its fight to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Former Representative Nereus Acosta, principal author of theClean Air Act, the Clean WaterAct, the Solid Waste Management Act, and the Biodiversity Protection Act, expressed the hope that MACCA-Philippines can help in changing the mindset of politicians, officials and the people in general in addressing the problem of climate change.

He noted that while laws andaction plans have been crafted with respect to climate change, it is important to educate and inform the people not just of the terrible consequences of climate change but how one can contribute to arrest its harmful effects.

The declaration on Muslim Action for Climate Change, which wassigned by allthe participants, cited the fact that the Islamic faith considers “all men andwomen as Allah’s vicegerents on earth.”

The signatories to the declaration expressed their willingness to contribute “their expertise and necessary resources” to fully support the ideals and initiatives of the Muslim Association for Climate Change Action (MACCA) and the Muslim Seven Year Action Plan on Climate Change 2010-2017.

The participants also agreed to establish the Muslim Association for Climate Change Action in the Philippines (MACCA-Philippines). They agreed to work together to research and develop programs to address the problem of climate change, in cooperation with the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources, the Presidential Commission onClimate Change and other national as well as international institutions. Press Release

This piece is taken from the website of Zamboanga Today Online.

See on-line at: http://zamboangatoday.ph/index.php/news/13-top-stories/1036-philippine-muslims-form-network-to-confront-climate-change.html