What is Project ME?
Project ME came about as a result of 2 activities carried out by the Young Association of Muslim Professionals (Young AMP) in Singapore.
- Research carried out for a chapter on Singapore Muslim Youth perspectives on the Environment by Ms Sofiah Jamil in Young AMP’s book “Igniting Thought, Unleashing Youth”
- In conjunction with International Day of Climate Action, Young AMP organised “Going 350: Muslims and the Environment”, in a bid to increase environmental awareness within the community.
These activities demonstrated that while there may be Muslim individuals out there that care for the environment, it is not often the case that they would see the Muslim community as being environmentally friendly. This would also seem incongruent with Islam which emphasizes that being green is in fact a way of life. Moreover, Muslims are not immune to the effects of global environmental issues, and can in fact provide innovative solutions to addressing these problems.
Hence Project ME seeks to build on this momentum in encouraging Muslims to do their part for protecting the environment for the betterment of humanity.
The name Project ME is symbolic for two main reasons:
- ME is an abbreviation for Muslims and the Environment
- ME demonstrates the significance of individuals in taking action to protect the environment.
The objectives of Project ME are as follows:
- To enhance the level of environmental awareness and action amongst Muslims
- To encourage individuals to think about their religion and issues that surround them in a more holistic manner
- To build bridges with various sectors and other communities in finding solutions to environmental problems while meeting other concerns (eg. socio-economic issues) .
While the primary focus of this project is on Muslims in Singapore, it is open to all who are interested and not exclusively Muslims. The more the merrier! 🙂
How does Project ME work?
While still in its infancy, Project ME will largely function online, where subscribers are encouraged to share articles, experiences and ideas on various aspects of the environment, and how individuals or communities can take action to protect the environment.
It is envisioned that informal offline activities (eg. nature walks, green pot lucks, movies/seminars, or simple coffee sessions) will transpire, at any time depending on the level of enthusiasm and commitment of members of the group. Subscribers will also be notified of other environment related activities organised by other organisations.
To be part of Project ME, join us on Facebook via this link.
Sofiah Jamil 