A group of young, passionate, conscious individuals, Move Green Oman has been trying their best to ensure the country, and the planet at large is conserved and preserved for future generations. While the adventurous lot organises trips and hikes to the nooks and crannies of this beautiful country, they do their bit at their destinations by cleaning their surroundings and picking up litter left behind by other travellers – a move that they hope will inspire people and remind them of their responsibility as citizens and towards the environment. Move Green has also been instrumental in raising awareness in Oman about the need for the conservation of the environment and the benefits of living a sustainable, healthy lifestyle. Fahad Alabri, Founder of Move Green, tells us more about their initiative in the following interview…
How did Move Green Oman come to be? What was the inspiration behind it?
Move Green Oman was formed when like-minded people gathered and shared the same passion and love for the earth and the environment in Oman. We sing the song, ‘Matloob Lil Adala’, composed by myself, to promote environmental awareness, inspire people to care about the environment and reinforce that this is a personal duty that all must undertake during our trips.
Tell us about Move Green Oman
Move Green is a group of like-minded individuals who are passionate about the environment. We are volunteers who promote an active lifestyle while promoting the need to shift to environmentally-friendly ways and creating awareness through different functions such as art, community cleanups and workshops.
How do you feel your work creates and instils hope in future generations?
Through our work, we wish to conserve our planet for many generations to come. So, we believe that showing children how we honour and love the earth will create hope in them for a better future and a conscious and sustainable mindset and awareness will be cultivated in them.
What are some of the conservation measures Move Green undertakes or participates in?
We have worked with the Ministry of Environment at an awareness event in the Mangroves in Qurum. And have participated in the International Volunteering Forum by conducting environmental workshops. We have also been part of local events and awareness drives, and have worked hand-in-hand with colleges and organisations to create awareness about environmental issues.
What does it mean to live a truly sustainable lifestyle? How can one exercise this on a personal level?
Creating a sustainable lifestyle depends on each person’s needs and goals. As long as we are all aware of the environment around us and are making steps towards a sustainable lifestyle, we are on the right path. Baby steps towards creating a sustainable lifestyle are things like cutting out the use of plastic bags from our day-to-day lives, being more energy efficient such as remembering to switch off your lights and not being wasteful with the resources we are lucky to have.
What resolution should more people make in the New Year?
If they haven’t already, making a resolution to cut out plastic bags from their daily lives is a good start. They can also resolve to make other changes such as carrying reusable water bottles, their own bags while shopping, etc.
What are Move Green’s future plans?
Our future plans include regional collaborations and advancing in the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations.