PART 1/5

What is World Environment Day (WED)?

World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated on the 5th of June every year, as the United Nation's principal vehicle for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of our environment.

First held in 1974, it has been a flagship campaign for raising awareness on emerging environmental issues from marine pollution, human overpopulation, and global warming, to sustainable consumption and wildlife crime.

WED has grown to become a global platform for public outreach, with participation from over 143 countries annually.

 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Environment_Day
Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:05-june-2018.jpg

My 'WED 2018' celebration

In line with my belief that everyday should be lived as Environment Day, to celebrate WED this year, I started a small awareness campaign in the month of May, to promote Tunza Ecogen in my school and hostel community; and continued to spread the message throughout the months of May and June.

It was difficult to find time for an elaborate event as our final examinations for different subjects are scattered throughout May and June, in addition to many public holidays. I decided to divide my plan into smaller parts and spread my efforts to fit within the examination schedules of different classes.

However, in the long run, I think this worked very well. At times, an awareness/marketing campaign can certainly benefit from regular, well planned and sustained efforts stretched over a long time span, rather than a single event.

 

Groundwork (April End/Early May)

In early May, I introduced 'Tunza Eco Generation' to my class teacher and the Headmistress at my school (Mary Ward School, Krems, Austria), through a descriptive email that gave them a fair idea about the Tunza Ecogen Forum, mentioned various events, opportunities and ways of participation; as also explained my own efforts and how my schoolmates can benefit from the platform.

I am appending below the contents of this email as a ready reference for other members to use it as a draft/ improve on it to promote TunzaEcogen in their schools/communities.

"I am writing to introduce an international environmental initiative that I am a part of; and to explore the possibility of introducing the same to my fellow students at the school.  

 

I am a member and Regional Ambassador (for the Middle East Region and Austria) of the Tunza Eco-generation International Environmental Forum for children and youth.

 

Tunza Ecogeneration

This online platform is a joint venture between UNEP and Samsung Engineering, to create and spread awareness about eco conservation, among the young generation.

 

Please refer to the link below to access the website and to get a better idea about the forum.

https://tunza.eco-generation.org/default.jsp

 

Ways of Participation

The interactive website offers participation in many ways.

-         Non Members- Anyone can access the website and read environment related news and reports posted by young members from all over the world.

-         Members- A free membership (for 13 to 24 year old students) allows members to post reports, comment on other reports; and participate in various events, contests and programs.

-         Ambassadors- Members get an opportunity to represent their country/region as Ambassadors, promote Tunza Eco-generation in their community and raise awareness about environmental issues through reports from their region.

 

Junior Engineering Academy- A great opportunity

Through this platform, I had the opportunity to represent UAE at the '2017 Junior Eco Engineering Academy' at Seoul, South Korea. The fully sponsored, 5 Day environmental education workshop was a very enriching experience. The program is described in more detail at the end of the email.

 

This year, the Junior Engineering Academy is scheduled from 6^th to 10^th August 2018 in Seoul. I would like my school mates (interested in the workshop) to enroll as members and apply for selection. The details of the event and the selection process/contest are available in the attached link. I can also help and guide anyone interested in applying.

https://tunza.eco-generation.org/competitonPaintingView.jsp?viewID=44580

 

Other activities

I have also participated in various online contests conducted by them on a regular basis. In addition to this, as an Ambassador, I regularly contribute researched reports about environmental issues in UAE. Now I am also writing reports about Austria.  Links to a few of my reports are given at the end of this email.

 

Valuable learning experience/Events

I have learnt a lot through research for these reports, as also from others' reports.  As an Ambassador for UAE, I have organized events to introduce this forum to student groups and to spread awareness in general. Appended at the end of the email is a link to a report on one such event.

 

Advantages

Not only is this Forum a great learning platform, but it also open doors to many opportunities. After coming to Austria I am greatly impressed by the general level of awareness about protection and conservation of environment. Even the youngest of school children are environmentally conscious, as it is a part of their upbringing as well as their education. I believe that students from Austria can share their best practices on the Forum. This can also be an effective learning platform for senior English language and/or Ecology students, as well as an avenue to improve communication and leadership skills.

 

Proposed introduction of the Forum at school

I may not need to make any presentations about any specific topics as everyone is already well aware in this regard. However I would like to seek your permission to introduce my fellow students to TunzaEcogeneration by giving small 5 minute introduction and distributing brochures. I can do this at any suitable time as per your advice. In the primary school, I can distribute brochures, with small giveaways, like memo pads, pencils, paper scales etc.

 

I should also mention here that I will need to share reports on the Forum, on my actions with respect to these introductions with few photographs.

 

I will bring the brochures and eco friendly giveaways to school to show them to you and to discuss the matter further.

 

Additional information and links

 

Few Reports by Me

 

Report about Timber Industry in Austria

https://tunza.eco-generation.org/ambassadorReportView.jsp?viewID=44510&searchType=name&searchName=aaditya&pageNumber=1

 

A Poem about Poaching

https://tunza.eco-generation.org/ambassadorReportView.jsp?viewID=43979&searchType=name&searchName=aaditya&pageNumber=2

 

Report about Pollinators

https://tunza.eco-generation.org/ambassadorReportView.jsp?viewID=43814&searchType=name&searchName=aaditya&pageNumber=4

 

Report about Wetlands in UAE

https://tunza.eco-generation.org/ambassadorReportView.jsp?viewID=44431&searchType=name&searchName=aaditya&pageNumber=1

 

Other reports

https://tunza.eco-generation.org/ambassadorReportList.jsp?searchType=name&searchName=aaditya&pageNumber=1

 

More About Junior Eco Engineering Academy attended by me

Based on an open essay competition, I was selected to represent UAE at the '2017 Junior Eco Engineering Academy (JEEA)' at Seoul, South Korea from 13th to 17th February 2017. The environmental education initiative was conducted by Samsung Engineering, as a fully sponsored, all expenses paid program for 40 students aged between 13 to 18 years, and 8 Facilitators above 18 years (University Students, teachers, mentors etc), both groups selected from all over the world. The workshop included specialist lectures, laboratory demonstrations and experiments, hands-on project, presentation competition and a variety of other activities in order to advance awareness on energy efficiency, energy conservation, and mitigating energy-related impacts on the environment. 

 

Events

The attached link is a Report about a presentation that I conducted for a group of young children in Dubai.

https://tunza.eco-generation.org/ambassadorReportView.jsp?viewID=43079&searchType=content&searchName=india%20club&pageNumber=1

 

Learning Resources

TunzaEcogen Website offers many downloadable resources and school kits for ready use and presentations on different topics. These can be accessed online. One example is accessible on the link below.

https://tunza.eco-generation.org/egenkit/Eco-generation_School_LIVING_GREEN_PPT.pdf

 

Continued to Part 2/5