Archive for the ‘Climate Change & Youth’ Category
SriLankan Youth combating climate change
by Malaka Rodrigo | SundayTimes | 09.08.09
Young people must be the centre of activities to combat climate change because their generation will have to face a worse fate in future. That is why British Council initiated their International Climate Champions Programme engaging young people around the world as communicators who can influence their peers and the general public on the urgency of climate change. And the 2009 International Climate Champions (ICC) for Sri Lanka, vows to fight against the climate change in their own capacity.
British Council helps this enthusiastic group of young people to develop and implement projects within their local communities. The Sri Lankan champions for 2009 – selected from a group of talented youth have already got the chance to participate in a few international workshops. “The chances we got to network with other like-minded youth were simply awesome,” commented Ashrifa Ali – a Sri Lankan climate champion who will be assembling a Green Army under the theme “Let’s unite to combat climate change.” Ashrifa is a Biotechnology Student at the Spectrum Institute of Science and Technology. Her Green Army is now concentrating on taking the message of Climate change to the students, the corporate and the public at large.
Karen Sadanandan – the youngest climate champion who had recently completed her A/Levels initiated an Eco-friendly Society in her school Stafford International. A plastic bottle recycling project in the school was already organized by Karen and colleagues successfully. She is now working toward establishing a green area in the school and a poster campaign together with her fellow Climate Champ Ashrifa. “The Climate Champion programme gave us a framework to work toward a common goal,” said Karen who is enthusiastic to do whatever they can to delay climate change.
Rochelle Van Dort is a management student at the National Institute of Business Management. She was the overall winner of the International climate Champions Competition 2009. Her project in this regard is the “Grow a Green Barrier Campaign” involving school children and youth to plant a mangrove belt in Negombo area. Her project raises awareness among the students and local community on the importance of mangrove and their role in battling climate change through seminars and field visits to mangrove swamps.
Taamara de Silva’s project idea is to have a tree re-planting programme focusing on establishing a strong foundation to promote the concept of climate change among the youth of Sri Lanka. He aims at establishing a monitoring system to ensure the sustainability, which is a drawback in most of current tree-planting programs. Taamara hopes to integrate the project into the school curriculum in view of creating a nationwide impact of potential significance.
Navoda Mihiraj is a first year student of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna. His ICC project – a small scale reforestation programme in schools in Galle won the runner-up prize for the ‘best champion project plan’ competition on the International Climate Champions.
“British Council is impressed with Sri Lankan Climate Champions” said Gill Westaway – the Country Director of British Council Sri Lanka. She said the enthusiasm shown by Sri Lankan youth is encouraging as it is important to act against climate change now without a delay. British Council’s International Climate Champions programme is now expanded to sixty countries across the globe. During 2009, British Council recruited over 1,300 as International Climate Champions. British Council will provide support and training to help these young Sri Lankans to sharpen their skills and to take their climate change projects into education institutions, their communities and regions.
If you are a youth passionate on environment and issues who would like to be an International Climate Champion for 2010, please contact the programme coordinator Thushara Gunasekera for more information on 4521583 or thushara.gunasekera@britishcouncil.org.
http://sundaytimes.lk/090809/Magazine/sundaytimesmirror_01.html
Srilankan Youth’s Attitude on Climate Change
by Malaka Rodrigo | SundayTimes | 09.08.09
British Council with Neilson Research company has done a survey to asses the “Attitudes and Behaviours on Climate Change” among Sri Lankan youth. The survey was conducted amongst urban youth in the age group 18-35 years and here are some of the important findings of it.
Only 45% aware about phenomenon of Climate Change (CC)
Among those who are aware of CC, only 20% are in sate of ‘urgency’ claiming something needs to be done immediately.
* 2 in 5 feel strongly concerned about climate change
* 3 in 4 in Sri Lanka are in the “Achievability” state of mind
* 1 in 3 in Sri Lanka feel that climate change will strongly effect them
* Higher proportion i.e. 3 in 5 claimed doing something towards the cause
* News (whether through TV or print) are the top most source of knowing about environmental issues like climate change
*Celebrities and Environmentalists will motivate people the most towards the cause
* Respondents more willing to take steps at an individual level
The Neilson survey revealed that, though the youth today is aware and concerned about climatic changes, the pressure is not felt very strongly yet, as most perceive the impact of climate change to manifest in the long term, 10 -15 years horizon, rather than ‘now.’ The need of the hour is to bring more and more people into the ‘urgency’ state of mind in order to make everybody to act ‘now’!
http://sundaytimes.lk/090809/Magazine/sundaytimesmirror_02.html
Young Step Up Pressure on World Leaders to Clinch a Crucial Climate Deal in Copenhagen
Daejeon/Nairobi, 23 August 2009
Rallies in 100 cities will be organized by young people across the world as part of a major push to persuade governments to Seal a meaningful Deal at the crucial UN climate convention meeting in Copenhagen in just under 110 days time. Youth delegates pledged to keep global warming high on the international agenda as the Tunza International Youth Conference on Climate Change ended today in Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Climate Change and Youth
By Rathindra Kuruwita | The Nation | 12.04.2009
Ashrifa Ali, Taamara de Silva, Rochelle Van Dort, Gill Westaway, Nimal Perera, Keran Sadanadan, and Navodha Mihiraj
Ashrifa Ali, Taamara de Silva, Rochelle Van Dort, Gill Westaway, Nimal Perera, Keran Sadanadan, and Navodha MihirajClimate Change is one of the biggest issues the world is faced with, and it will be today’s youth that will be most affected by these changes. In the future, they will inherit the problems left by their parents, and will have to deal with and rectify the environmental catastrophes.
The British Council in Sri Lanka has been working closely with Sri Lankan youth in the last few years, on increasing their awareness of Climate Change and the International Climate Champions 2009 is a youth oriented programme that aims to inspire young people, especially students, to spread the word on Climate Change, its effects and what could be done to mitigate them.
Five International Climate Champions
The British Council called for applications on December 2008 and received over 180 applications in the first round. A panel of judges reduced the number to 30 and, after interviewing the candidates, the panel chose five students as International Climate Champions.
“We received many applications, but unfortunately, some of them were just copy and pasted submissions from the internet, and that’s not what we wanted. While some others were impractical,” said a member of the panel of judges, Nimal Perera. “So, we selected 30 applicants, and at the interviews, they were asked tough questions, to determine whether their proposals were original, practical and sustainable. The final five candidates we picked were really good, especially, our overall winner, Rochelle Van Dort, who was awarded a visit to a Climate Change workshop in Scotland, where Climate Change Champions from many countries took part,” said Assistant Manager- Programme Delivery, British Council Thushara Gunasekera.
The winning project
“I live close to the sea in Negombo, in the Gampaha District, and see the destruction of the mangroves, which are essential to stop coastal erosion,” said Rochelle Vandort, a 21-year-old student at NIBM. “So, when I heard that the British Council had launched The International Climate Champions 2009, I knew what my project will be. And I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was the winner out of over 180 applicants,” she said.
Rochelle’s project involves students from schools in the Gampaha area. She proposes to hand them a plot of land near the sea or lagoon, so that, they could plant saplings of mangroves, provided by NARA, and look after them. She expects the students of these chosen schools would respond favourably.
“Students in the area are very much aware of the environmental damage caused by the destruction of mangroves, and when I speak to them, they are very interested in the project. I think that, within a year or two, this project will fly on its own wings without me,” she said. “And that is what I want,’ she added.
Workshop in Scotland
Rochelle told The Nation that, representing Sri Lanka at a workshop in Scotland, where Climate Champions of 13 countries took part, showed her that, if the young people of the world come together, much could be achieved. “We shared a lot of information, and I think, youth can make a big difference. The whole world is facing issues of Climate Change, and in many countries, young people are becoming proactive about this. Although we are a bit slow to react, maybe because of our lack of exposure to the effects of Climate Change, like other countries, the high number of submissions reveal that we are also catching up,” she added.
Workshop in India
The five young Climate Change Champs were afforded an opportunity to attend a workshop in India, where they will interact with Climate Change champs of Asia, in the coming weeks. Thushara Gunasekera claimed that, her colleagues in India are very impressed with the young Sri Lankans’ proposals.
“When they saw the proposals, they were very interested and impressed. That is why they wanted all of them to come there,” she said. “The best thing about all these proposals is that, they involve school children,” she added.
The other four champs
Navodha Mihiraj is 21 years, and an undergraduate of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna. His subjects include Plant Physiology, Agricultural Botany, Crop Science, Food Science & Technology. He believes that, Agriculture and Climate Change are closely linked. As a past pupil of Richmond College, Galle, he participated in activities of the Science Society and Media Unit of the College.
Ashrifa Ali is in her first year of her BSc in Biotechnology, Molecular Biology and Bio Chemistry at the Spectrum Institute of Science & Technology, which is an outreach campus of the University of Mysore. Having been an ardent science student at school. She is passionate about the environment. She firmly believes that, it is man who depends on the environment, and not vice versa.
Keren Sadanandan is an 18-year-old student doing her A-Levels at Stafford International School. She has always been determined to combat Climate Change, and has already initiated a PET-bottle recycling project within her school; her original slogan for the project is ‘Save the polar bears, save the world’. She loves wild-life, nature photography, creative writing, high-fantasy literature, rock music and aspires to become a Biologist.
Taamara de Silva, an undergraduate reading for his Business Management Degree at NIBM, is a strong advocate of Climate Change. A professional chess player, who led the national team at the Asian and World Chess championships. He was also involved in Model United Nations Conference, both local and international, and won the Best Delegate award and chaired committee sessions
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