Local Initiatives

Ahel Al Balad

Volunteering to Build Positive Experience and Successful Communities

Jordan, a country that boasts authenticity and immense variety. Its society is built on the foundation of values, beliefs, open-mindedness, rooted culture, and acceptance. These  factors distinguish Jordanians, who explore and emphasise the power of positive, successful communities on a daily basis. They proudly refer to themselves as “The people of the place,” a phrase that encapsulates the authenticity that Jordanians hold dear to their land and the social values that they adhere to. In Arabic, this phrase is known as “Ahel Al Balad,” which translates to “this are who we are, and this is how we are.”

Jordan’s communities are as authentic and diverse as its nature and environment. Despite its small size compared to other countries, Jordan’s bio-diverse environment and dynamic geography are unique. However, environmental challenges are universal, and their impact will affect everyone. This is where “Ahel Al Balad” began to draw the map of its journey towards a cause that is both social and environmental. It has continuously grown as a non-political, community-based movement aiming to instil a spirit of positive change in society. Independent of any political factions, Ahel Al Balad’s main asset is positive psychology. The belief that it is through positive attitudes and emotions that one develops the needed awareness to initiate change in society. Values, benign behaviours, and the sense of ownership and belonging are the positive ignitions that empower societies. Nevertheless, societies must live in a healthy, clean, and sustainable environment with preserved resources. This is another inseparable factor from societies, and once combined in one crucible with those positive ignitions, a successful society will be achieved.

Through communicating with people and conducting social studies, surveys, market research, and behavioural analysis that take into account psychological factors, as well as environmental studies, Ahel Al Balad has come to understand that simple actions like throwing a piece of plastic on the street or under a tree, or underestimating the importance of a tree or clean soil, are challenges. The way people feel towards these behaviours is the issue. Negativity is almost everywhere in the world, and people do not consider it as a reason that can cause a greater negative impact on society and the environment. Until a certain level is reached, the world will face a real dilemma in solid waste that citizens of the globe cannot ignore while living the direct impact of climate change, water pollution and scarcity, desertification, and other environmental issues that affect societies and well-being directly. At this point of realization, Ahel Al Balad developed its strategy, identifying that the simple, impactful thing to do is to reverse behaviours and translate challenges into opportunities for adopting positive culture and contributing to social values that passionate citizens adhere to. They dedicate their social and environmental activism to create a better reality through volunteering and achieve the mission Ahel Al Balad has adopted, which is “To instil a culture of positive behaviours in Jordan and beyond through creating and managing volunteering opportunities.”

A year after conducting its first research, Ahel Al Balad began as an initiative focused on anti-littering and clean-up campaigns. Its first volunteering campaign was a broad national anti-littering campaign in 2014, which took place at Amman City Hall in coordination with Greater Amman Municipality. This start was impactful as it raised a widespread issue that affects and speaks to the majority of Jordanian society: littering. Ahel Al Balad spoke to society in its mother tongue, using a graffiti-inspired logo in a context where street art is popular, and advertising using innovative tools fitted to the local context. In no time, Ahel Al Balad was everywhere: posts on social media feeds, orange-dressed heroes on the streets, and people keen to join its campaigns. With customized content, trendy advertising, and creative networking, Ahel Al Balad was ready to change the attitude of city dwellers to perceive themselves as good citizens.

During  its first initiative, the first clean-up, the movement clearly left the mark it wanted to leave. Aside from those already involved, it attracted bystanders who decided to join in and give a hand on the spot. Even those who are regularly perceived as troublemakers were allowed to join in and were fully embraced and motivated by the movement. It is in stories like that and in areas that house the most frustration where we sense the most impact. People are allowed and encouraged to vent out in healthy ways and to change their frustration and negative energy to positive action and impact.

Since then, Ahel Al Balad has organized 67 campaigns all around Jordan, ranging from clean-up and Anti-littering campaigns strictly using biodegradable bags with Ahel Al Balad logo on them and collecting various types of solid waste, to afforestation initiatives planting original habitat trees, youth empowerment workshops, and environmental awareness sessions. In each campaign, everyone felt the same enthusiasm as in the beginnings.

As an example of success, Ahel Al Balad organized its 67th campaign, an anti-littering and clean-up campaign that aimed to collect and sort plastic waste in Ajloun forests to recycle it. The campaign also aimed to educate and spread awareness on the dangerous impact of solid waste on the environment to the 100 participants who joined the campaign, including international students, local volunteers, and private sector employees. A huge amount of waste was collected, and plastic waste was sorted and sent for recycling

Ahel Al Balad recognized that the positive constructive role towards the environment is not confined to individuals or active groups but must also extend to include the private sector, which must be encouraged to contribute to environmental preservation and engage in positive change. After evaluating the positive impact, Ahel Al Balad found that the volunteers who joined its 67th campaign from different backgrounds, ages, and experiences appreciated their contribution in instilling a positive culture, voluntarily fulfilling their roles, and understanding the importance of living in a sustainable environment that affects their lives positively.

In other words, in that last campaign and in the 66 campaigns before, positivity was spread, behaviours changed, examples were set, and the environment found those who can help it with even a modest contribution in catching a breath, one breath at least, that will encourage a vigorous run towards positive impact. Over ten years, those orange-clad heroes who have volunteered for collecting huge quantities of waste covering forests, soil, and streets, engaging with local communities, expats, and tourists to share positive vibes with them, are all leaders who have contributed to achieving Ahel Al Balad’s mission through teamwork without any type of domination, ensuring diversity and inclusion, and instilling leadership and empowerment in its members. The mission was also achieved through organizing campaigns, building strategies, and working on media to spread awareness.

Volunteers of Ahel Al Balad care more about how many people adopted positive behaviours, felt a bond with their community or with nature, how many examples they shared, how many trees were preserved, and how many people can join to build positive practices and thus successful communities living in a healthy sustainable environment. They may not have counted how many bags of waste they filled, but they did collect waste that obscured the view of nature and left that original wonderful nature vista to remind people to care about their environment.

Community service is not only beneficial to individuals but also to society as a whole. Ahel Al Balad’s success in instilling a culture of positive behaviours in Jordan and beyond through creating and managing volunteering opportunities is a testament to the power of community service. If you happen to be in Jordan and spot an orange-dressed group, make sure to join in and contribute to the positive impact. And if you’re abroad, consider initiating a similar movement. Your positive vibe will attract a positive tribe, and together, we can create a better world for ourselves and future generations.