‘Going Greenish’: New Environmental Festival to Take Place in Downtown Cairo

Environmentally-conscious Egyptians will have a unique opportunity to learn more about sustainability through the Greenish Environmental Festival on 3 September, 2021 at the American University in Cairo’s Greek Campus in Downtown Cairo. The festival is set to be an annual event and is the first of its kind in the Middle East.

Organized by Egyptian social enterprise Greenish in cooperation with the parent company of Fab Lab Egypt San3a Tech, the event strives to raise awareness of sustainable development and the effects of climate change.

Greenish co-founder and general director Shady Khalil explains that the festival strives to create partnerships and synergies in the field of environmental sustainability.

“We want to bring the community [of environmental sustainability] together; that’s what strengthens any movement,” he says.

The festival’s activities will include an array of workshops related to eco-friendly practices, such as compost manufacturing and creative recycling, along with talks and panel discussions on pressing environmental issues such as achieving sustainable cities, ecotourism, and waste management.

The panel discussions will be moderated by representatives of Greenish’s partners, including ecotourism company EcoEgypt, the Danish Egyptian Dialogue Institute (DEDI), and the John Gerhart Center for Philanthropy and Civic Engagement at the American University in Cairo, among several others.

On the recreational side, the festival will include musical and artistic performances as well as environmentally sustainable product exhibitions by companies, associations, and individuals.

“We aim to replicate the model of the festival on a smaller scale in different governorates [and parts of Egypt] such as Dahab, Nuweiba, and Al Minya to explore nature and biodiversity in Egypt as a community,” Khalil explains.

One of the main activities implemented by Greenish is the Greenish Club, where training courses are organized across Egypt’s different governorates and participants work on mapping out the environmental problems in their community. They then find ways to address these issues, such as innovative campaigns, business ideas, or methods of spreading awareness.

During the festival, the top projects developed by Greenish Club graduates will receive an award presented by the embassies of Switzerland and New Zealand in Cairo and Banque du Caire.

Khalil adds that the festival’s timing is significant since Egypt recently proposed to host the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 27) in 2022, and he hopes Greenish will have an opportunity to actively participate in the event.

The Greenish Environmental Festival will take place on 3 September, 2021 at the American University in Cairo’s GrEEK Campus. Tickets cost EGP 50 and can be purchased via TicketsMall.

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