by Yara AlWizir

There’s definitely a strong sense of national pride in Kuwait. Although Kuwait is one of the world’s largest oil producers, the environmental development that the country has faced over the past few years has been astounding. From the government’s ‘Tarsheed’ Campaign, which aimed to curb electricity and water wastage in households, to more grassroots initiatives started by corporations and young people across the country. Change is slow, but it’s coming along gradually.

Young people across the region are truly shaping the future – Kuwait’s youth take power into their own hands and showcase their entrepreneurial talent by starting their own projects and programs. Not only are these programs crucial to the environmental development of the country as a whole, they also give young people the chance to do something productive with their time. Built on a give-to-give principle, these programs were created by individuals by building a sustainable foundation that would allow them to go on for years and years to come.

En.V

En.v is pioneering social enterprise in Kuwait by raising awareness for social responsibility. Although its work touches countries across the Arab world, their concentration on Kuwait is heart-warming. Working from the ground up, En.V promotes social responsibility in both the general public, and in corporations. Their annual event, Reuse, brings together dozens of artists from across Kuwait to deliver an environmentally sustainable message to the public in the form of art. From working with photographers to mixed media artists, the art installations and pieces are absolutely stunning and meaningful. There are plenty of ways to get involved – signing up to their newsletter and following them on Facebook and Twitter are just some of the ways to stay up-to-date on environmental news in the region.

For more information visit: www.envearth.com.

I Am Challenge

What’s one of the biggest waste producers in the country? Our love for clothes. There’s no doubt that our materialistic lifestyles have gotten the better end of our pockets, and of our earth. The ‘I Am Challenge’ aims to change this – by encouraging young people to give up their materialistic lifestyles by trading in their clothes for a standardized t-shirt that reads their name. The point? Appreciating what really matters in life, and challenging young people to stand up against social norms. The program runs for 3 months, or up to a year and can be started at any point. But it’s not all about t-shirts with this challenge; exhibitions throughout the year turn trash to treasure, creating laptop-sleeves from old pillow cases. If you like getting your hands dirty, you can join them on one of their beach clean-ups too.

Get in touch through their page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/IAmChallengeKuwait.

Golden Triangle Initiative

There are plenty of cities around the world that are being developed with a sustainable framework in mind. Kuwait, by many standards, is already developed, but not the outskirts. The Golden Triangle Initiative aims to develop one of Kuwait’s harshest neighborhoods from the ground up in a sustainable way. Focusing on Jleeb Al Shyoukh, a documentary was filmed by Nasser Al Barghash to highlight the possibilities, opportunities, and bureaucratic hurdles faced in the development of the five blocks that make the golden triangle. Put together, the documentary suggests a project that would cost 5.5 billion dinars, but create 5000 new jobs for small business owners. Best of all? It’ll create a new place to go in Kuwait.

You can find out more through his Voice of Success video on YouTube.