Youth Leadership, Sustainability and Ethics

1. Youth Leadership, Sustainability and Ethics Youth Leaders and Project Plans 2010-2011

2. Ayla van Kessel, The Netherlands Challenge: Making new immigrants environmentally aware and ecological active and with that hopefully influence the view of the Dutch towards immigrants. Earth Charter principle: 3b - Promote social and economic justice, enabling all to achieve a secure and meaningful livelihood that is ecologically responsible Target Network: The organisation Humanitas helps immigrants to feel at home. As a part of this, I voluntarily practice Dutch with immigrants. I want to discuss with Humanitas the possibility to start an Eco Team. Project Plan: In this Eco Team, the first couple of weeks a group of natives and immigrants will cook ecological food together and during dinner discuss environmental topics. After these informative sessions, the group will make a project plan on sustainability. For example, start a public vegetable garden. Or take care of the ecological management of the public gardens in the city.

3. Gaabouri Maamoune, Morocco Challenge: The lack of awareness in terms of citizenship values among children. Earth Charter principle: • 14.a: Provide all, especially children and youth, with educational opportunities that empower them to contribute actively to sustainable development. • 9.b: Empower every human being with the education and resources to secure a sustainable livelihood, and provide social security and safety nets for those who are unable to support themselves. Target Network (organizations): Pupils of primary and secondary schools. Project Plan: 1/ first write a 20 pages book entitled “citizenship book”. Each page of the book deals with one principle (for example saving water…). 2/ Then, visit the concerned schools twice every month, and study with pupils a principle in each session.

4. Temily Tianmay Jaya Gopan, Hong kong Challenge: Lack of empowerment among young people beyond making money Earth Charter principle: 14 Target Network(organizations):Student clubs in the University of Hong Kong Project Plan: • Approach liked-minded individuals who want to serve humanity • Discuss the Earth Charter and its implications • Train them to become facilitators of the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program, which promotes the same values that Earth Charter does • They go out and become facilitators of this program and form their own junior youth groups (12-15 years old) and plan and execute service projects with them • Every month, facilitators will gather and reflect on how they can improve the quality of their groups and the quality of service projects implemented by the junior youth • Youth are engaged in ACTION by empowering younger youth to do the same

5. Savali Matio Lonalona, Tuvalu Challenge: - Lack of education opportunities - Environment issues such as climate change (sea level rise) - Gender inequality i.e. lack of youth and women participation in decision making. Earth Charter principle: 6, 11, 14 Target Network(organizations): • Tuvalu Association of Non Government Organisation (TANGO) • Tuvalu National Youth Council (TNYC) • Tuvalu Red Cross • Tuvalu EkalesiaKelisiano (EKT) • Tuvalu Small business Association • Tuvalu National Council of Women • Government departments and ministries, e.g Ministry of Education and Youth, Natural Resources, Women department and cultural department • Project Plan: • Challenge 1: • Conduct and organize lives kill and livelihood training. • Promote cultural and traditional methods • Lobby for the establishment for more informal vocational such as carpentry, sewing etc. • Challenge 2: • At national level, conduct awaress on the effect of sea level rise . • Assist in community work such as cleaning up. • Networking and create partnership with other international partners. • Challenge 3: • Negotiate with the women department for the running workshop on Gender Sensitively. • Lobby with the youth ministry and TNYC for the leadership training. • Networking with male leaders.

6. Oke Temitope Olaniyi, Nigeria Challenge: The lack of empowering education) Earth Charter principle: 14 Target Network(organizations):The Initiative for Equal Rights (TIER) Lagos Nigeria. Project Plan: Presently, I work with an Organization that targets sexual minorities. We have been implementing programs (HIV prevention program and vocational skills training) that targets Men who have sex with men (MSM). We source for more funds to expand the scope of our work and cover other groups within the LGBT community.

7. Dylane Ho, Malaysia Challenge: The lack of empowering education – children unable to think critically and creatively to improve society’s conditions Earth Charter principle: 14. Integrate into formal education and life-long learning the knowledge, values, and skills needed for a sustainable way of life. Target Network (organizations): My university; corporate organisations interested in taking on projects as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) campaign Project Plan: I would like to start an Earth Charter Youth Group (ECYG) in Malaysia, first consisting of the students and alumni of my university. Once an ECYG is established, we can hold regular gatherings in which members can discuss and plan sustainable projects within the immediate setting (university) and also for the community at large (citywide). Examples of projects are like workshops/seminars on the Earth Charter, sustainability, and youth leadership to create more awareness and expand group membership. I would like to approach corporate organisations to enlist their support, mostly in the form of funding. With the funds, we can set up centres of learning in major neighbourhoods in cities/towns. At these centres of learning, members of the ECYG and other likeminded individuals can organise special courses for the children, youth and adults in the neighbourhoods, providing supplementary education for the masses. The courses will mainly focus on empowerment – to encourage people to give back to society. Once the participants within the neighbourhood have completed the courses, they can immediately play their part by serving at their local centre of learning to organise more courses for the rest of the community, thus creating a cycle of empowering teaching and learning.

8. Pham Thuy Duong, Vietnam Challenge: the need of a holistic approach to Education for Sustainability Earth Charter principle: principle 14 Target Network(organizations): young students in universities Project Plan: Research on Education for Sustainability • Building framework for a YES (Youth Encounter on Sustainability) course that can be implemented in universities. It should embrace sustainability in all aspects of life, environmental, economic, cultural, social and spiritual. • Developing curriculum as modules so that it can be flexible in practical application, depending on specific conditions. • Trying to integrate creative and holistic approach in teaching methods : • active learning, seminars, team work, experience-based learning, visual learning, project-based learning, excursions , learning through Art…

9. Demi Smoloktou, Greece/Finland Challenge: The ignorance of sustainability and the Earth Charter Earth Charter principle: 14 Target Network(organizations): Universities, Youth Groups, Organizations, Companies Project Plan: • Building the agenda of our ECYG and with our team we are willing to translate all the available material of the Earth Charter in Greek, tv spots, radio spots, documents, and to complete building our website. • We want to include all the relevant tiers in order to promote sustainability and the Earth Charter. • We target especially in education, schools and universities. The ideal goal is that there will be a course about sustainability in every school in our province. Additionally we are hoping To collaborate with more youth groups and invite them to endorse the Earth Charter and thus to promote it to their providences. • Once we have enough members and affiliations we would be able to hold a Hellenic and a European (global if possible) youth conference which is the ultimate target.

10. Koomson Nyarko Francis, Ghana Challenge: Lack of start up capital to purchase basic plants'(machinery) Earth Charter principle: 7 Target Network(organizations): approached: the director of YOUNG PEOPLE WE CARE(NGO) will be approached: Suame magazine Industrial organization (SMIDO)and the environmental protection agency for partnership Project Plan: I would like to establish community base recycling plant which will be run by The youth with raw materials from the community to boast local trade and at the same time reduce both poverty and unemployment.

11. Adewole Taiwo Adegboyega, Nigeria Challenge: The lack of empowering Environmental Education in the Niger Delta Earth Charter principle: 14 • Target Network(organizations): The organizations that I will approach and those have approached. • The Global green Grants FUND • BRITISH COUNCIL • USAID(United States Agency for International Development) • The US President Young African Leaders Forum via one of the Participants from Nigeria • The Fed Government via the Presidency and Fed Ministry of Environment • The Government of Rivers state Via the Ministry of Environment • The ERA/Friends of the EARTH • The Potential beneficiary schools of the project • Library port management team • Ministry of Women Affairs • US Embassy • RADIO/TV on the existing platform of the Ministry of Environment • More to come

12. Project Plan: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The issues bothering on environment and it’s impact on the society cannot be overemphasised. Currently, the Millennium development Goals clearly spells out Environmental sustainability as one of the key MDGs. In spite of numerous efforts across varying activities, awareness on issues on environment, climate proofing and more still remains low. Many are yet to come to terms with their strategic roles in protecting their immediate environment. Importantly too, access to information on environment and the Niger delta is currently low making it difficult to get current materials, information and details in these regards and related activities are difficult to carry out. It is in line with promoting Information, Education and communication in the area of Environment and Climate change that the TAIWO ADEWOLE AND CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT INITIATIVES-CEDSI IS PIONEERING A PROJECT to promote access to centres or environment in the Niger delta. This is with the view to setting up 138 ECO GREEN Libraries across existing schools with Environmental clubs in rivers and then replicated in the Niger Delta Region. While the main demonstration site will be at the existing LIBRARYPORT. Importantly too, to support women, the Ministry of Women Affairs will also be partnering to set up one of the GREEN libraries at the Ministry of Women Affairs, Rivers State

13. Irushinie Ruwanthi Wedage, Sri Lanka Challenge: Dearth of a conscious and willful taskforce to actively engage in grass root level activities that contribute to sustainable development Earth Charter principle : 14 Target Network (organizations):Youth and Children (Schools, Universities, NGOs, CBOs) Government, Media Project Plan: • A national level NGO that endorses the Earth Charter Principles will be registered under existing state laws. • A series of programmes that raise awareness on how the youth and children can contribute actively to sustainable development will be prepared and publicized through workshops and mass media (Newspaper/Audio Visual) with the help of financial and professional collaborators. • Our organization will work as a hub which will encourage, guide and monitor nodal youth and children groups inspired by such communications to function effectively by providing necessary information and training and getting progress reports and feedback. • The Ultimate goal is to form a national network of youth and children who are aware of and endorse the Earth Charter principles

14. Ogaga E. Maxwell, Nigeria Challenge: lack of holistic education for children and youths Earth Charter principle: 14 Target Network(organizations):AFRITAL/YOUNGSTARS FOUNDATION and my friends. Project Plan: Right now I am working on starting a holistic educational center where young people can Be taught morals, spiritual Godly values and also learn about leadership and giving back to the society. It is called The Emerald Educational Center (T.E.E.C), I have had this project in mind before we started this course and we have been working on it, right now we are about acquiring a piece of land in a community close to me where I live to commence work on the project. In the center young people will be taught the values of peace, leadership, environmental values uses arts, dance , culture and music. We are fund raising now to get the land.

15. Muhammad Salman, Pakistan Challenge: Environmental Pollution, Earth Charter principle: Target Network: Project Plan:Use the Garbage, Save Your Environment Our project idea is to create awareness about Environmental Sustainability and how we can utilize our waste material (papers, canes and bottle) to earn something good from it. We are targeting five different iEARN Partner school from Karachi for this project. Our idea is to provide each of them 2 big dustbins. One will be for colleting papers and one will be for bottles and canes. Both teachers and schools will use these dustbins till one month and throw all the garbage according to the respective dustbins. Schools will also be given Garbage bags with dustbins, so if one bag is filled in advance, so they may use another bag(s) as well and this whole activity will last for a month. After completion of the one month, organizing team will collect all the garbage bags (not the dustbin) and than will sell out all that garbage in the respective market. Whatever the amount is generated by the particular School garbage bag, team than will buy plant(s) to be planted in those schools. Expected Outcome: The aims behind this whole month activity are: Create awareness about environmental sustainability. Make them habitual of cleanliness. How they can be creative. How they can earn to beautify their surrounding.

16. Tan Su Mei, Malaysia Challenge: Equal development opportunities for all in all fields Earth Charter principle: "Ensure that economic activities and institutions at all levels promote human development in an equitable and sustainable manner." Target Network(organizations): The people around me especially junior youth (11-14yeaars old) and youth Project Plan: • My current commitment is to empower as many youth as i can to be animators who work with the junior youth as it is believed that when we are doing the act of accompanying others, we are also learning and improving our own capacities. • Continue in the promotion of the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program where training more youth to be animators are the focus • Working together with the junior youth groups in implementing service projects in their neighbourhoods that reflects the principles in the Earth Charter

17. Martin Amo-Ayesu, Ghana Challenge: The Rural child and Education-Diabetes awareness foundation Earth Charter principle: 14 Target Network(organizations): Ghana Education services/Ministry of Women & Children Project Plan: • Bridge the education and orientation gap between the word Diabetes and the youth in urban and rural communities in Ghana. • Create good platform for the youth to check their sugar level. • Engage in outreach programs to combat the spread of DIABETES • Organize funfairs to promote unity and eradicate social view on people with diabetes. • Creating awareness on the food we eat Planned Activities: • Schools Education Project • Rural Health Project, • Education on selection of foods we eat • Outreach programs in the communities and companies. • Outreach programs in communities clinic

18. Lansana Hassan Sowa, Sierra Leone Challenge: The Difficulty of Women and Girls in Accessing Justice in Kono District, Eastern Sierra Leone ) Earth Charter principle: P 11 Target Network(organizations): Nimiyama Human Rights Movement (NIMIRIGHTS). Project Plan The project will work towards promoting women’s right through community engagement and mobilizing. The project will further provide support to victims of Sexual and Gender Based Violence particularly girls to assist the in seeking justice. STRATEGY: strategies will involve to: • Educate 500 community stakeholders on women’s rights and SGBV in Nimiyama and Nimikoro chiefdoms in Kono District, Eastern Sierra Leone. • Improve on the capacity of twenty (20) Human Rights Monitors in both chiefdoms to effectively respond to Sexual and Gender Based Violence. • Engage fourty (40) local authorities from the two chiefdoms in efforts to effectively deal with SGBV issues. • Provide direct support to fourty (20) victims of Sexual and Gender Based Violence in the two chiefdoms to seek justice. PROJECT ACTIVITIES: The activities for the project will involve: • Community Outreach Meetings: (This will target eight communities) • Human Rights Training for Monitors: (This will involve the training of twenty (20) Human Rights Monitors. • Human Rights training and Legal Orientation for Local Authorities: (This will target fourty local authorities including chiefs) • Provide direct support to victims of SGBV: (this will provide transportation, medical and accommodation for victims while seeking justice • Reporting: (This will involve updating Earth Charter and donor on project’s progress on a quarterly basis).

19. Godwin Yidana, Ghana Challenge: Environmental Pollution, Degradation and Climate Change Earth Charter principle: “Ecological Integrity” Target Network: Junior High Schools in Bolga; Ghana Forestry Commission; Ghana Education Service; Environmental Protection Agency; Chiefs; and Bolga Municipal Assembly Project Plan:The G-lish Green Clubs Objectives: 1. Provide a platform for young people in rural Ghana’s Upper East Region to network, build relationships, share knowledge and work to achieve environmental regeneration and the realization of the MDGs through practical environmental activities. 2. Address common environmental issues such as deforestation, degradation and pollution. Activities: • Tree planting and basic gardening to reduce deforestation, degradation and pollution; • Water and Sanitation • Short documentary and book making on Environment and Climate Change Issues; • Environmental education campaigns; • Inter-school competitions: Best Trees Project; Best Environ- book; Best Environ- documentary; and quizzes. • Basic plastic recycling and re-use techniques

20. Atta ur rehman Qureashi , Pakistan Challenge: Waste Management and Recycling Earth Charter principle:7 Target Network:Local Community, Local Government, Youth, CBOS, CCBS, NGOS Sanitary Worker Project Plan: • Selection of Area • Community Mobilization • Volunteer selection youth Activists • Linkages With , Local Government, Youth, CBOS,CCBS,NGOS • Sanitary worker Training • Youth Trainings • Printing Support Martial • Selected Target 600 Houses • Distribution Dustbins • Distribution of Wheelbarrows • School Activities • Capacity Building of youth groups and Community Activists