Naqoura is writing a new story to be proud of. Since 2005, this village became more than just a synonym to the border with occupied Palestine. More than just a formerly Israeli occupied village until 2000. More than just a village hosting around 2000 soldiers from the UNIFIL. More than just an area that represents a highly strategic focus for the Lebanese army protecting our borders.
Bahr Loubnan, the NGO founded in 2002 with former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and today presided by Mrs Nazek Rafik Hariri saw in Naqoura a great opportunity for an environmental pilot project that transcends religious and political affiliations. This "Eco-Town" initiative launched by Bahr Loubnan that aims at preserving the Lebanese coast and looking for creative environmental friendly solutions to the pollution of the littoral was welcomed and seized by the Naqoura municipality and community. There was born the conviction that a sustainable environmental policy can be implemented regardless of the volatility that characterizes the border area. Preserving Naquoura from all kinds of urban and/or toxic pollution, and the implementation of an environmental policy for water, waste and energy became the main concerns of all parties involved, and putting all those principles into practice naturally shaped the project of making Naqoura an ecological village, affiliated to "Ecotown Project" implementing a network of eco-town villages on the Mediterranean basin.
Part of this broad ecological framework for Naqoura, and because we believe, along with the community and the municipality that the preservation of the public spaces and institutions are a mandatory path towards a real citizenship. And because we think that education should be top priority for any society. And because we have a firm conviction that ecological education should start at school. We have partnered with Naqoura municipality to renovate the public middle school of the village and to equip it to become the first school free of CO2 emissions in Lebanon, the Middle East and the Mediterranean basin.
By renovating the Naqoura public school up to environmental standards we aim at increasing the community's sense of ownership of a site they will protect and be proud of. From this school that serves as a laboratory of renewable energy we will diffuse the culture of a sustainable protection of the environment. Finally, we hope that this successful pilot project will shape the new concept of a Lebanese public school that reflect the real image of our new generations and their idea of citizenship in the 21st century.
