It's time to reconnect to nature, say experts at QF

We need to renew our connection to nature, and truly commit to sustainable design, listeners were told during the most recent edition of the Dardasha Speaker Series, held as part of Qatar Sustainability Week.

Titled “Decolonization Through Design” – and part of Qatar Museums’s M7 initiative – speaker Jason Twill, Director of the World Cup Master Program at Qatar Foundation (QF), said: “Today, sustainability is not just about slowing things down, or mitigating at a neutral point. But how do we transcend sustainable into that restorative and regenerative paradigm where we're creating ecological dividend.”

Explaining, he said: “Restorative is basically if you're making a shirt or designing a product, you're doing it in a way that has no adverse impact on the planet. And because you have made that product, you are improving human health, or you are improving soil health, or improving air quality, or water quality, so we're actually making it better, not just neutralizing the emitted.

“Regeneration also means that we reconnect with nature, and come together to be a part of it, and that doesn't just mean hiking, or an activity on the weekend, but becoming a lifestyle so that it is nothing separate from us.”

Today, many countries believe that that you are not providing a good service if you are not manufacturing sustainable products, said Twill – referring to the global dialogue taking place currently, which centers on the importance of achieving net zero carbon emissions.

He highlighted the role that designers play in promoting awareness of sustainability. Emphasizing that the arts have a tremendous ability to make a difference in people's perceptions, he said that by connecting with nature, artists are inspired by their designs, and learn how to create products that provide appropriate solutions to sustainability.

Another speaker, Reem Al-Sahlawi, Founder of SEAM and Research Assistant at the Center for Islamic Ethics and Legislation, Hamad Bin Khalifa University – a QF member – said she was looking for a way to return to her own values, and to search for answers from within her community.

“As designers, the work we create can unknowingly perpetuate certain ideologies that have destructive consequences to our world,” said Al-Sahlawi. “And one of the most obvious examples of this is the encouragement of endless consumption, which is supported by production, that views the natural world as an exclusively exploitable resource resulting in environmental and social impact.

“Now, with the spotlight on environmental issues, the link between design and sustainability is becoming clearer, as we are more aware of the role the design industry can play. In this context, there is a need to decolonize our minds by designing renewable systems in different ways to bring about change.”

Explaining how this has impacted her own work, she said it has made her think of different ways of designing, such as recycling and selling second-hand clothes.

"Decolonization and regenerative design take us beyond notions of sustainability, to the idea of rebuilding and building capacities for the benefit of the land and people,” she concluded.

Twill went on to add: “QF promotes the concept of decolonizing unsustainable concepts and behaviors through its progressive educational agenda, which contributes to shaping the minds and character of future generations – whether by starting education at a very young age, or encouraging critical, constructive, and creative thinking.

“This is what I saw through meeting a number of students from QF schools during the activities of Qatar Sustainability Week. They are eager for change and have a sustainable mindset, which gives me hope that we are able to overcome the challenges facing us.”

During Qatar Sustainability Week, QF’s Doha Debates also took part in Talk Green, a series of discussions held in Msheireb Downtown Doha, by presenting a session titled The Importance of Disability-Inclusive Climate Advocacy.

It saw Nawal Akram, a Qatar-based disability rights activist, say: “We are the most underrepresented in the climate conversation, yet we are deeply impacted by it. Our health, our homes, and our ability to contribute are hindered by the climate crisis.”

Speaking on past climate disasters around the globe, she said: “A big issue for those with disabilities was that evacuation centers were not accessible. This is because when disaster management plans were being made, people with disabilities were not included in the plan.”

Akram urged governments around the world to include people with disabilities in every conversation about the climate crisis from. “If people with disabilities aren’t given a voice at the table right from the beginning, then we cannot meet the SDGs.”

Qatar Sustainability Week is an initiative of Qatar Green Building Council – a member of QF. For more information, please visit