Nada Majdalani

As the war rages in the Middle East, I sometimes wonder, are we witnessing the wrong war?

Amid the loudness of bombs, famine and fear, there's a silent threat multiplying, climate change.

According to scientists, not my own words, climate change is a magnifier of instability and suffering.

In a region like ours, already tinted and torn by pain, there's still a chance for hope.

There is an untapped power to heal.

Let's look at the example of the European Union post-World War II.

Germany and France, two bitter enemies, they chose cooperation over fighting.

They signed the Coal and Steel Agreement, which converted battlefields into the European Union in the early 1950s.

But what if I tell you that in the Middle East, we have resources that are more powerful and more environmentally sustainable than coal and steel?

We have the sun, we have the sea, and we have transformative ideas that could unlock the potential of our region into a region of prosperity for all.

My name is Neda Majdalani, and I'm the Palestinian director of EcoPeace Middle East, and I'm here to take you on a journey of hope.

To tell you a little bit about myself, I was born and raised in the diaspora.

I was exposed to various experiences and cultures, but I could never call a place home.

Until 1994, when the Oslo Peace Agreement was signed between the Palestinian Liberation Organization and Israel, it granted thousands of Palestinian families, among my own, the right to return to Palestine.

It was such a profound, emotional moment, and the air was filled with hope.

As a kid, I joined environmental peace-building organizations and activities, and I encountered the first Israeli who is not a soldier.

A teenager like myself, who's fond of wildflowers and watching birds,

And since then, it was EcoPeace Middle East, my dream job.

And after various trials for many years, failures, rejections, I was able finally to join.

So lesson learned, never stop chasing your dream.