Connect with Nature’s ‘Reimagine Series’ puts Youth at the centre of post-COVID-19 planning

• Connect with Nature is giving thought leaders, experts, businesses and decisionmakers the opportunity to hear from the UAE’s youth
• Ministers of state and government representatives, including HE Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, HE Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak and HE Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri are set to take part in the ‘Reimagine Series’
• Insights gathered from youth during the sessions will be published as a white paper and presented to government and business leaders, with the aim of providing critical insight for the post COVID-19 national strategy

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – May 14, 2020: Youth from across the UAE can now share their insights, predictions and recommendations as part of a series of live dialogues organized by ‘Connect with Nature’ titled the ‘Reimagine Series’; a platform of virtual youth majlis’ focusing on reimagining life following the pandemic. In a short period of time, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a drastic impact on communities across the globe and has served as an important reminder of the central and essential role of nature on human wellbeing. As in other parts of the world, many youth in the UAE are asking themselves how to use this opportunity to build something better for their future. The Connect with Nature programme, cofounded by Emirates Nature-WWF and Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi with the International Fund for Houbara Conservation as a strategic partner, hopes to address these challenges through the ‘Reimagine Series’, which will provide youth with the opportunity to share their insights with key decisionmakers and experts from across various sectors, with the objective of working together to shape an optimistic green recovery for the UAE and our planet.

The ‘Reimagine Series’ entails 10 virtual youth majlis’ with key thought leaders, including ministers of state and government representatives including Minister of State for Future Food Security - HE Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, and Managing Director of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi – HE Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak. Set to take place from 19 May to 16 September, the series is designed to provide young people with a platform for genuine conversations with key decisionmakers from the public and private industries around sectors that have been identified by the UAE government as part of the national strategy for the post-COVID-19 era – including health, the economy, food security, education, the community and the government.

“At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is radically and irrevocably changing the world, the Connect with Nature programme aims to empower UAE youth to work with partners in government and business to understand how, together, we can navigate an overwhelming situation while also supporting the development of new business models, new ways of organising and new narratives and visions that will help us emerge into a more sustainable UAE”, explains HE Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi.

The insights gathered during the Reimagine Series will be published as a white paper that will be shared with the UAE government and businesses, reflecting on what the youth hope to achieve in the next 50 years – aligned with the theme of the year 2020: Towards the next 50. Showcasing how ‘UAE Youth Reimagine Life Post COVID-19’, the research aims to make a real difference and drive change towards a resilient and sustainable economy for the UAE by ensuring that the perspectives of future generations are made available to today and tomorrow’s leaders and decisionmakers.

Commenting on the initiative, Laila Mostafa Abdullatif, Director General at Emirates Nature-WWF says, “Connect with Nature’s ‘Reimagine Series’ is intended to give us insight into youth’s personal aspect of living the complexity of a shifting paradigm and help us learn what it takes, and what it doesn’t, to achieve a more regenerative future post-COVID19. We are grateful to our government and business stakeholders for listening to what our youth have to say, and hope that the insights generated contribute towards the systemic change needed to develop a new normal that orients towards a flourishing people and planet. I urge and advise UAE youth to take part in the Reimagine Series, as our nature is in need of fresh perspectives and ideas from those who will be the key decisionmakers of tomorrow.”

Free for all participants, youth can register and join the ‘Reimagine Series’ youth majlis’ through the Connect with Nature website for a chance to contribute their thoughts and insights towards the critical question of how society can emerge from the crisis and start to build the path towards a more resilient and sustainable future.

• The Need for Nature - Now more than ever, we are realising the impact of biodiversity loss and climate change on our health and wellbeing. How can COVID-19 be the ultimate reset button?
  Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2020


• The Future of Food – How can the UAE emerge from Covid-19 with more sustainable diets and increase food production using technology?
  Date: Monday, June 1, 2020


• The Role of Politics in Protecting Nature - What is the UAE’s role in encouraging governments to put nature at the top of the global agenda?


• The Role of Eco-tourism in a Green Recovery – How can we ensure that we don’t damage delicate ecosystems and how can the eco-tourism industry leverage this opportunity to recover.


• Learning from the Past, Saving for the Future – How can we protect our culture, heritage, and natural resources for future generations?

To date, 5 out of 10 youth majlis’ as part of the ‘Reimagine Series’ have been revealed. Youth Majlis’ will be scheduled every 2-3 weeks, keep up-to-date with details on speaker engagements and recaps of each session via the Connect with Nature website.