MOREP ACTION and Wiki

Early initiation and activities

The Movement Of Reform and Environment Program (MOREP) is a Lebanese political movement organization that was progressively launched through the last decades concerning plans of reform and environment program. This environment organization movement based in Lebanon is in the way of expanding environmental issues progressively wherever it is threatening the mankind since environment could not be separated from country to another.

It was initiated originally by MOREP president HH Doctor Sheikh Majid Abi Saab who demonstrated his commitment to the Lebanese population to protect the environment and to elaborate political reform plan. In 2005, MOREP became a leading political reformist movement concerning environment, juridical, economical, and cultural movement. MOREP participated in the Cedar Revolution with pacific thought and peace.

Environmental concerns

MOREP considers the environment as mankind property supported by a jurisdiction of the Council of State of Lebanon in 2002 after two years of juridical debates. It was requested by MOREPISTS activists in 1999 to save the environment. The jurisdiction of the council of state registered under the number of 298/2002 (Council of state court) was a first kind of action result in allowing activists to get involved in protecting the environment through a court, ever noted in the world of environment, a debate against a government inside the Council of State concerning quarries cutting huge mountains and destroying a whole environment. It was considered by activists that this was a prototype of resistance by a legal action against destroying the earth by such quarries.

Medical Waste methods of identification and segregation was elaborated, pushing the medical sector for their participations for realable handling, recycling, incineration depending on medical waste subdivisions.


Method of identification and segregation of medical Wastes

Table-1 Methods of Identification and Segregation of Medical Waste
Identification of Medical WASTE Methods of segregation
Infectious waste Rotoclave
Cytotoxic and Genotoxic Incineration
Chemical Recycle
Radiological Buried after appropriate decay
Expired Medication To pharmaceutical Company for disposal
Contaminated and Unused Sharps Rotoclave then recycling
Blood Bank expired units to Sluice
Cardboard Boxes Recycle station
Pathological waste According to bylaws recommend Rotoclave then incineration
Heavy metals Special Handling send to specialized official center

Campaigns concerning methods of making biofuel in villages, Lebanese Cedars plantations and sorting out office and kitchen waste were made during appropriate dates. Studies of Vegetable Fossils in Lebanon by the French researcher Professor Georges Barale and Pr Edouard Makhoul were supported by MOREP President Sheikh Majid Abi-Saab.

Air pollution and Mediterraean sea pollution are some of the hard concerns of MOREP during the last two years pushing the public sector and municipalities to find plan adopted from MOREP environment reform to reduce pollution specially from industries.

Another environmental concern is the Persian Gulf sea pollution from oil discharge due to the past gulf war. This Gulf is part of deep sea ecosystem which interact together with the ocean. MOREP principles and charts push the public opinion to support that deep sea ecosystem is the property of mankind environment independent of any state jurisdiction.

Actions regarding war residues

In 1997, sheikh Abi Saab, MOREP president, arranged an international action to remove the war residues including antipersonnel mines in the north of Lebanon. Lady Diana, Princess of Wales was working on such humanitarian activity by supporting the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. In the program was her invitation to Lebanon to promote the removal of these persistent antipersonnel landmines. She died prior to that on August 31, 1997. MOREP then launched a local campaign in 2002 to remove these antipersonnel landmines by the authorities during that period, acting with both supporting attorneys Abdallah Zakhia and Bassam Sleiman.

An open letter to U.N. Secretary General Ban Kee-Moon was published concerning the protection of the Persian Gulf sea ecosystem

Against Quarries actions:
1997: Quarries around the Cedars forests of Lebanon started and reaction to save the environment stated.

2000-2006: Activity against quarries in Lebanese mountains and cedars forests, Council of state revision : Our revision against queries is won in 2002

The Quarries:
Mazraat Beni’ Saab is a region of tourist and ecological importance, situated in the North of Lebanon in a huge valley, we found
1- Forests of Lebanese Cedars old of many thousands years and other kind of Lebanese trees (Pine trees etc…)

2- Source of Water coming from Grottos

3- Monasteries of archeological interest, old of more than sixteen hundred years, made inside the mountains

Chapter one: THE QUARRIES

The problem started on September 1999, a quarry working inside the forest of Mazraat Bani Saab, making a disaster, the water got-up from the bottom of the ground, the cedars are destroyed, the whole region and people there are angry. This quarry was permitted by the Interior Ministry, it is located at the edge of a protected forest of Qnat. The law was overruled. Our attention started by calling to stop the quarry, many letters to the concerned ministers (of environment, of interior etc..).The European union had a project to rehabilitate three older quarries in the same region, while When EU officials went up to check on the project, they were shocked at another quarry opening up right next to the site starting their project they found a quarry working there..The concerned ministers responded to stop the quarry after pressures from our part. The media was always in our side.
A 1994 decree requires an environmental impact assessment before such a quarry is allowed to start.
3 weeks later, the quarry is suddenly reopened. Why? The interior ministry allowed the reopening of the quarry.
Meanwhile many demands of permits for quarries (more than 15 demands of different quarries) are deposited in the interior ministry and the ministry of environment. This will, of course, destroy the ecological site.
Those demands are reinforced by owners’ petition. Angry residents, however, were tricked into signing the owners’ petition, a petition whose contents were not clear. They targeted the elderly and illiterate to sign It. They thought it was a petition to bring water to their home.
After many efforts, the president of the republic ordered to stop the quarry.
The demands of permits for further quarries did not stop.

References:
AN-Nahar, Saturday, September 4, 1999 page 7: in Arabic: “The calm is not sure and the storm could come back”
Al-Anwar, Sunday, September 5, 1999 page 8: in Arabic: “Mazraat Abi-Saab to Nazarian: the quarries destroying the Cedars of Hadath-El-Jebbeh”
L’Orient-Le Jour, Monday, September 6, 1999 Page 4: in French: “Environnement: Nazarian se penche sur la situation Mazraat Bani-Saab”
TheDailyStar, Tuesday, September 7, 1999 page 3: “Murr overrules officials to let quarry reopen”
Al-Safir, Wednesday, September 8, 1999 in Arabic: “A quarry working in a protected forest An-Nahar, Friday, September 10, 1999 page 1: in Arabic: “The teeth of quarries ate the cedars”
An-Nahar, Friday, September 10, 1999 page 7: in Arabic: “The calm was not long and the storm comes back”
TheDailyStar, Friday, September 10, 1999 page 3: Batroun quarry idle again, but for how long?
TheDailyStar, Friday, September 10, 1999 page 6: One step at a time
TheDailyStar, Friday, October 15, 1999: The sad story of the powerless minister
Al-Dyar, Tuesday, September 30, 1999 page 10: in Arabic: “Environment massacre at the quarry of Mazraat Abi-Saab”

Chapter 2: The site is Eco-Tourist, But for How Long

To continue fighting It is not easy, we know that the demands of permission for further quarries could be supported by political pressures.

The fight continued, We worked to make this region declared eco-tourist (Tourism inside ecology), a first site of this kind in Lebanon, this will stop the road to further permissions of quarries.
We arrived to this aim, with the minister of tourism who declared the decision Number 634/1999 On November 26 1999.
After less than 3 months, the minister wants to change his decision, it was a political pressure behind those owners of the future quarries.

We acted rapidly through meetings with the Prime Minister Selim El-Hoss and than with the President of the republic.
But It was too late. Tha minister of tourism (who is also a minister of environment) took another decision this one eliminating the eco-tourist site. It was on February 12, 2000. This second decision was numbered 26.
Through the media we made political pressure again.
Finally we have no choice. We put a revision at the Council of State against the state, the ministry of tourism.

References:
An-Nahar, Thursday, December 30, 1999, Page 9: in Arabic: “Mazraat Bani Saab transformed into Tourist site”

An-Nahar, Saturday, February 12, 2000, Page 15: in Arabic: “Mazraat Bani Saab to (PI) El-Hoss for protection of the tourist ministerial decision”

An-Nahar, Monday, February 14, 2000, Page 15: in Arabic: “Opened letter to the President of the Republic to protect Mazraat Bani Saab”

Al-Safir, Wednesday, February 16, 2000, page 9: in Arabic: “Betwen 26/11/1999 and 12/2/2000 the tourist site flied..”
L’Orient-Le Jour, Saturday, February 26, 2000 Page 5: in French: “Menace sur les FORETS de Mazraat Bani Saab” (Danger attack at the Forest of Mazraat Bani-Saab)
L’Orient-Le Jour, Saturday, February 26, 2000 Page 5: in French: “De nombreux sites naturels et archEologiques” (Many natural and archeological sites)
L’Orient-Le Jour, Saturday, February 26, 2000 Page 5: in Frejch: “Aucune carriEre ne serait “LEGALE” selon les habitants” (Any quarries is illegal)
Al-Dyar, Tuesday, April 6, 2000 page 9: in Arabic: “The protected tourist site had been given up at Mazraat Abi-Saab and possible transformation into quarries”

Chapter 3: Revision at The Council Of State

At the court, the Council Of State.
We made attention to the law and decrees: any forest of cedar trees is to be protecte`, this is an ecological patrimony of lebanon etc.. a revision was about of more than 50 pages deposited in the court.
We asked to stop the action of the last decision N 26 and getting back to the decision number 624 till the last decision of the Council.
Finally we got back our decision N 624, the eco-tourist is saved till the end of the court.
During the procedure, the owners of the lands put a demand on the council of state to be on the part of the ministry of tourism against us.
During the year 2001, the court is revising all the papers deposited. We are waiting for the final decision.
We are enjoying to have our site saved, but till when?

References:
Al-Mustaqbal, Monday, April 10, 2000, Page 8: in Arabic: “ Revision at the Council of state on the demand of Mazraat Bani Saab. It had been giving up its tourist value between a night and a twilight”
Al-Mustaqbal, Tuesday, June 13, 2000, Page 12: in Arabic: “Mazraat Abi-Saab got back its tourist value”

AN-Nahar, Tuesday June 15, 2000, page 13: in Arabic: “The Council of State Stopped the action of the ministerial decision of tourism and turned Mazraat Abi Saab into its ecological site&aip;rdquo;

Al-Safir, Wednesday, June 21, 2000, page 9: in Arabic: “The Council of State give Mazraat Bani Saab its right”

Chapter 4:
The cause is won in the Council of state and a Jurisprudence was obtained
Number 298/2002

References:
Al-Mustaqbal, Saturday, February 16, 2002, Page 20: in Arabic: “ Al-Mustaqbal was Next to the People to defend their environment. The Council of State got Mazraat Bani Saab back to its Tkuristic Value.”
Al-Dyar, Tuesday, February 18, 2002 page 10: in Arabic: “Mazraat Bani Saab Became Environmental Area..”

Al-Dyar, Tuesday, February 21, 2002 page 10: in Arabic: “Barhalyoun”

Conclusion:

This action is a first kind ever seen in the world of environmant, a fight getping through the court, a revision against the state inside the Council of State.
People in all over the world get this example as a lesson, it is a legal action against states who may destroy illegally the environment. The role of the media is important to support these actions.

We ask people who are concerned in the environment to act legally where we can fight all destructive governmental decisions and corruptions.

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LIBERTY OF MEDIA

14/10/2006 MOREP’s Environment Chapter: MOREP’s environment team asking Lebanese supporters to reduce air pollution : DO YOU HOPE MAKING FUEL FROM KITCHEN OIL WASTE? THE ENVIRONMENT CHAPTER OF MOREP IS PROPOSING TO SAVE AIR POLLUTION BY MAKING BIOLOGIC FUEL FOR SELF USE (for Heating etc..) from Vegetable Oil from kitchen oil waste. Biodiesel is recognized by both the US Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy as an alternative fuel, and qualifies for mandated programs under the Clean Air Act Amendments and the Environmental Protection Act of 1992 (EPAct). To make your own biodiesel go to that link.

Are you ready to participate in Environment Program of MOREP for the sorting out (“tri”) of plastic, glass, metallic, papers, hygienic papers and kitchen waste since the source for recycling: inform us by sending email , we will contact you as soon as we receive your response. n Program : conferences, collaboration with local authorities etc…TEL 03-782730

3/12/05 Visite de la for?t de C?dres de Mazraat Bani Saab et de Niha (Nord du Liban) et d?couverte de diff?rents types de Champignons. Attention il existe dans cette r?gion des mines (anti-personnelles), MOREP lance une campagne pour d?miner la r?gion par les autorit?s. (par MOREP: the Movement of Reform and Environment Program)

2002-2005: Etude sur les fossiles v?g?taux du liban Revue de Presse

2000-2006: Activity against queries in Lebanese mountains and cedars forests, Council of state revision : Our revision against queries is won in 2002 (click)

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