Meet the YRE going to World Environmental Education Congress 2019
The World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC) is an international conference focusing on education for environment and sustainability. This 10th Congress is the first of its kind to be held in Asia under the theme of Local Knowledge, Communication and Global Connectivity. A highly relevant theme for YRE!
WEEC will take place in Bangkok, Thailand from 3-7 November 2019 and below you can read about the inspiring YRE students who will be reporting from the congress.
Bhargav Patel (India)
I’m a 3rd year undergrad student pursuing a Bachelor of technology in the field of Information and Communication Technology from Ahmedabad University, India. My areas of interest involve Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and AI for sustainability. I am the co-founder and elected secretary of the Environment Club at Ahmedabad University. The objective of the club is to organize activities that spread awareness towards the environment and sustainable development in a fun way. Due to my interest in technology and continuous efforts, I was selected as a Facilitator for Google’s Explore ML program and Microsoft Student Partner. Currently, I am involved in the environmental community to get a better understanding of real-life problems and the technical community to find where and how technology can help to find solutions.
Eunice Tan (Singapore)
I’m Eunice! I’m a filmmaker and I care deeply about the environment. It started in 2017 when I made a video series about local efforts to protect wildlife in Singapore. I’ve always been interested in the environment growing up, but seeing our amazing biodiversity up-close convinced me that I had to do more. Climate change is in the global spotlight and I truly believe that there is no better time primed for change than now. That's why I hope that telling stories through film and photography can make a positive impact.
Qiyun Woo (Singapore)
My name is Qiyun, I'm an Environmental Studies major with an interest in circular economy, creative social impact and systems-level change. I enjoy breaking down complex problems into opportunities, and am highly motivated to drive systemic change and social impact. I make infographics on Instagram (@theweirdandwild) to show people that sustainability and living consciously is vibrant and easy, and show that complex concepts can be digestible. I’m a creative spirit and I’m on a mission to create exciting experiences and forge new ways of looking at sustainability.
I'm very involved in the environmental community in Singapore and am a youth sustainability advocate. I was also the president of the Environmental Studies student club in my university. I strongly believe in community-driven initiatives to push for social change - the more innovative the better :)
Loraine Lee Yen (Singapore)
Hello! I’m studying Communications and New Media in NUS, and would like to be in the media industry in the future. I believe that the media plays an important role in shaping people’s mindsets, and want to use my skills in writing for good to ensure we protect our planet home. Hence, I hope to delve more into the topic of sustainability, to learn while at the same time, influencing others to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle!
Young Reporters from Turkey
A YRE team from Izmir Saint-Joseph French School, Turkey will also be at the World Environmental Education Congress. They will report on activities, write articles, and take photos during the conference. In one of the academic sessions, the leader of the team will present a research paper which was produced as part of a YRE project of the school.
Litter Less Campaign: The longest-running school campaign on litter continues
PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Gosia Luszczek, International YRE Director
Foundation for Environmental Education
E: gosia@fee.global
Over 3 million students from more than 5000 schools across the world have participated in the Litter Less Campaign the past 8 years. The campaign has helped not only students, but also their teachers, parents, and local communities address the issue of litter and waste.
The Litter Less Campaign, which was launched in 2011, has just entered its fourth phase and will be implemented in 15 countries until 2021. The campaign is a joint initiative between Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and Mars Wrigley Foundation which educates children and youth on the issue of litter and gives them the opportunity to engage their local communities in awareness raising activities.
“Providing students an opportunity to learn about the challenges of litter and waste in their community and empowering them to become leaders through the development of meaningful solutions drives sustainable, positive behavior change. The Mars Wrigley Foundation is proud to have supported millions of students around the world through the Litter Less Campaign,” says Anne Vela-Wagner, Executive Director of the Mars Wrigley Foundation.
Through the Eco-Schools and Young Reporters for the Environment programmes, students will carry out litter action plans and media campaigns which aim to tackle specific litter and waste issues. These issues will be carefully selected by the schools together with their National Operators in order to achieve the biggest and most relevant impact in their local communities.
“FEE is privileged for the funding and cooperation it has been granted by the Mars Wrigley Foundation since 2011. The funding of these two extra years are a testament to the impact we have had with the campaign to date. Litter is a form of a pollution that continues to increase as a serious global threat. The situation our oceans are facing due to plastic and micro plastic pollution are a sad example of this. Hence we believe this fourth phase is essential for our on-going efforts in educating and changing the behaviour of children, youth and adults around the world,” says Daniel Schaffer, CEO of Foundation for Environmental Education.
A campaign with a clear impact
Based on research conducted the past two years, the Litter Less Campaign has a clear positive impact on students’ knowledge, attitude and opinion leadership with respect to litter and waste management. The data shows that students who participate in the campaign know more about waste management, conserve more resources and are less likely to litter compared with students who do not participate in the campaign.
“The campaign highlight is always the enthusiasm of the children to make a difference and be given a platform to use their pupil voice concerning issues that affect them. Because of the raised awareness of Litter and its impacts around the world, especially to our oceans and wildlife, pupils have had a real purpose in their actions and messages to their school and community,” says Julie Giles, National Operator, Wales.
About the Foundation for Environmental Education
Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) is the world's largest environmental education organisation with members in 77 countries. Through five ground-breaking programmes, FEE empowers people to take meaningful and purposeful action to help create a more sustainable world.
About the Mars Wrigley Foundation
The Mars Wrigley Foundation partners with organizations around the world to help people and communities flourish. Founded in 1987, the Foundation works to provide oral health education and care, improve lives in mint- and cocoa-growing regions, prevent litter and waste, and create vibrant communities.
Countries implementing the Litter Less Campaign 2019-2021
Australia, Brazil, China, England, France, India, Ireland, Kenya, Malta, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Russia, Scotland, Spain and Wales
PRESS RELEASE: International YRE Competition 2020
Gosia Luszczek, International YRE Director | E: gosia@fee.global
Kristina Madsen, International YRE Coordinator | E: kristina@fee.global
Do you want to raise awareness of environmental issues taking place in your neighbourhood? Are you able to inspire people to take positive action? Do you see yourself as part of the global environmental movement?
Then join the International Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) Competition 2020 by submitting an article, photo, or video that highlights an environmental issue close to your heart. The winning entries will be published internationally on Medium and on the websites of Climate Tracker and YRE!
The International YRE Competition is open to students aged 11-25 from the 42 countries running the YRE programme. Students first have to compete in the National YRE Competition in their respective country and be selected as a national winner before being sent onwards to the International Competition.
In 2019, close to 16,000 entries were submitted to national YRE competitions and 206 entries made it through to the International YRE Competition. These are really the best of the best!
For detailed information about the Competition, visit the International YRE Website.
The International YRE Competition consists of three different categories:
International YRE Competition
Open to all YRE countries and all environmentally related topics, except for the litter theme for countries participating in the Litter Less Campaign. Countries that are not participating in the Campaign can still submit entries related to the litter issue.
Litter Less Campaign
The topic of the submission must be related to litter. This category is open to countries that are involved in the Litter Less Campaign: Australia, New Zealand, China, India, Wales, Spain, Northern Ireland, Malta, France, Brazil and Ireland.
International Collaboration
Open to all YRE countries with three recommended themes: pollution, loss of biodiversity and climate change that have to be linked to a chosen SDG. The submission must be in the form of one joint Article, Photo Reportage of 3-5 photos, or Video and be a collaborative work between two or more countries. Read more about this category here.
The Sustainable Development Goals through the YRE Competition
YRE is working closely with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to promote them and present case stories of initiatives that are developed by local communities and emphasize a holistic approach to achieving sustainable development for all. Therefore, we encourage participants to reflect on the link between their entry and one or more SDGs when choosing a topic to report on. Remember that an environmental lens is always required, also when a social or economic SDG is chosen as a topic of investigation.
Following alarming news about the need to take urgent action to save humans and the Earth, YRE suggests three priority topics for this year: Climate change, Loss of biodiversity, Pollution that have to be linked to chosen SDG(s).
New opportunity in the Photo Category
For the International YRE Competition 2020, the photo category will be organised differently from the past. The three age groups will be merged into one (11-25 years) and instead it will be possible to submit photo entries within three thematic categories:
Single photo reportage
Single photo campaign
Photo reportage consisting of 3-5 photos (new)
The photo category is by far the most popular submission type in the competition, however, telling an impactful story through one or a few photos is not an easy task! We have therefore asked our Jury members to select their favourite photo of 2019 and justify their selection to make it clear what they are looking for when assessing photos. You can see the video featuring P.J. Marcellino below.
Click here to read the specific rules for the three international photo categories. Please note that the national rules might differ - please check this with your YRE National Operator.
ICSE Newsletters by YRE students
The two below newsletters were designed and written by Odell Jeremiah Dass, Palak Goyal, Paridhi Puri, Vandita Sariya, Sujit Bhattacharya, Karishma Kharbanda and Rheza Auditya Wijaya - the YRE press team at the International Conference on Sustainability Education.
Click on the above image to read the full newsletter from Day 1 of the ICSE.
Click on the above image to read the full newsletter from Day 2 of the ICSE.
Meet the YRE going to the International Conference on Sustainability Education in India
Seven aspiring YRE students have been selected to participate in the International Conference on Sustainability Education (ICSE) taking place in New Delhi, India from 9-10 September. Read more about the conference here.
The YRE students will be reporting from the event by interviewing delegates, creating journalistic articles and videos and making posts for social media.
Learn more about each of them below.
Odell Jeremiah Dass (Singapore)
Hi, I'm Odell, an aspiring filmmaker and at the side I dabble with photography and I've always been inclined to visuals since I was a kid
I would want to one day be a part of the production of documentaries like planet earth, or the next blue planet. I believe in adopting sustainable habits to preserve the environment for generations to come, and to show everyone how beautiful planet earth really is through my work and that everyone has their part to play to preserve the environment and to educate everyone around them about it's importance.
Karishma Kharbanda (India)
I am currently pursuing my post graduate degree in Mass Communication from AJK MCRC, Jamia Milia Islamia and want to pursue a career in Conflict Journalism. I have been actively involved in profound deliberations on matters of international concern in the form of conventional debates and youth forums and has won several accolades across India for her endeavors. She has interned with Ninong Ering, former Member of Parliament on Social Media Accountability Bill and her recent work as a Media Intern with the Dialogue and Development Commission, Government of Delhi has given her an in depth experience about the implementation patterns of public welfare schemes.
Palak Goyal (India)
My name is Palak Goyal and I am 20 years old. I basically belong from Rajasthan, India. I am currently pursuing English Honours from Delhi University and aspire to be a Journalist. I love spending my free time in painting and swimming.
From past two years I have actively been a part of a social entrepreneurship organisation named as ENACTUS. It has given me a platform to enhance myself and work for the betterment of the society. Being a part of such a prestigious organisation was a dream come true for me.
Paridhi Puri (India)
I am currently studying Economics at Jesus and Mary college, Delhi University. I’m very passionate about Sustainability, Mental health and Equality. I was a Counter Speech Fellow at YLAC India, I’ve worked with United Nations as a Youth advocate, and I’m currently a Leaders Forum Member at The Global Education and Leadership Foundation.
Vandita Sariya (India)
I am 22-year-old and fascinated by stories. I am constantly on a lookout for something different. I switch between writing articles, making cartoons, performing poetry and making movies on SDGs and other issues that affect people. I have been an active participant in national and international conferences pertaining to the same issues. I believe acknowledging a problem is the first step to any solution and want to bridge the gap between ignorance and knowledge by telling stories that need our attention.
Sujit Bhattacharya (India)
I am a Communication for Development (C4D) practitioner and currently working as a C4D intern at UNICEF, Ranchi. My area of interests is Gender, Environment, Education, Health and with the advancement in time I will increase my area of interests. I have engaged myself towards working with the community and spreading awareness on cleanliness and hygiene. During my academic career, I had the opportunity to work in some of the prestigious organisations like UNDP (Regional Office North East India), Banglanatak Dot Com (Contact Base) Kolkata and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (U) Guwahati. I have contributed in the areas of child trafficking, child rights, capacity building of communities etc.
Rheza Auditya Wijaya (Indonesia)
I am an Indonesian-born youth who is currently pursuing his Bachelor Business and Commerce Degree at the School of Business, Monash University Malaysia. I am responsible to be the President of the Indonesian Student Association in Monash University Malaysia, a 19th TUNZA Eco-Generation Regional Ambassador to Indonesia, as well as the Student Ambassador to Monash University Malaysia.
I am highly passionate in writing and photography. He finds his interest on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Implementations and its further impacts to the society. My passion to work both in team and individually makes me capable to give contributions in any circumstances.
UNESCO 2019 Forum & GAP Partner Network Meeting in Vietnam
Daniel Schaffer (CEO of Foundation for Environmental Education) and Vinh Le (YRE Alumnus from Canada) are travelling to Hanoi, Vietnam where they will be participating in two important events:
2-3 July: UNESCO 2019 Forum on Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship
This year’s theme is ”Learning and Teaching for Peaceful and Sustainable Societies: From early childhood to primary and secondary education”. The forum is organised by UNESCO in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Training of Viet Nam and the Viet Nam National Commission for UNESCO.
4-5 July: 2019 GAP Partner Network meeting
UNESCO is convening the 2019 GAP Key Partner Network meeting in order to identify lessons learned from five years of GAP implementation. The meeting will also serve to take stock of where Key Partners stand on their current implementation activities and to share information with and among GAP Key Partners.
Meet Vinh Le - a YRE Alumni Ambassador
Vinh Le is a YRE Alumni Ambassador as it has been an important catalyst that inspires his passion for sustainable methodologies that shape his vision for an environmentally-friendly world. Vinh has contributed by creating video tutorials for YRE’s Next Green Journalist, a guide for Green Journalists to strengthen their skills and submission. Today, there are thousands of young reporters for the environment.
As an Ambassador, Vinh has a passion for photography. Inspired by the YRE programme, he launched his own photo travel exhibition called "Sustain(able)" which illustrates climate change across the world. He studied Environmental Design and now has a passion for creating spaces that is functional and sustainable. Vinh started his interior design studio creating healthy and sustainable interiors. He has given new life to ‘York Hill Park’ in Thornhill by re-using an existing structure and transforming it into a large public installation.
Vinh contributes to his municipality as member on the Senior Task Force to bring new methodologies to make the community age-friendly. Vinh hosted a pilot project called “MakeEco Toronto” which gathered dozens of youth to network and learn about the SDGs. MakeEco was successful and will be happening in Summer 2019 to explore the SDG #11&12.
Vinh is attending as youth representative of UNESCO Europe and North America + FEE/YRE at the ‘EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP’ Conference in Hanoi, Vietnam. His contribution to the conference is to bring unique creative thinking and solutions to other fellow youth leaders and gain skill sets to successfully host more sustainable events to further implement the SDG goals back in North America & Europe.
Call for YRE students to participate in International Conference on Sustainability Education
Click on the image to learn more.
Winners of the International YRE Competition 2019
Contact: Gosia Luszczek, International YRE Director | E: gosia@fee.global
Kristina Madsen, International YRE Coordinator | E: kristina@fee.global
Copenhagen, June 2019
From thousands of entries submitted to national YRE Competitions in 36 countries this year, the top 200 finalists reached the International YRE Competition 2019. This is the largest number of entries YRE International has ever received, highlighting the growing movement of youth voices and the global interest in the YRE programme.
The awarded entries reflect some of the very best work carried out by YRE students from around the world. The International Jury was very impressed with the students’ choice of interesting local topics, including their reflection on the links to the Sustainable Development Goals as well as their skills on investigative journalism and critical thinking. The winning entries are listed below and will be published through Medium and on the website of Climate Tracker.
“This is my seventh year as a jury member and every year I am more and more impressed by the number of countries participating and also by the quality of the reporting within the articles, videos and photos. What really struck me this year was that the themes on the SDGs were much more focused and help showcase the goals,” says Julie Saito, UNESCO.
Slovakia and Malta became the two countries that received the highest number of awards. This clearly reflects the hard work of the YRE National Operators implementing the programme as well as the efforts by students and teachers. A number of Honourable Mentions were also given to countries that are new in the YRE Programme, including South Africa, Belgium and Puerto Rico.
"Youth are leading the climate and environmental fight, and the YRE submissions prove it! They are showing great passion on denouncing the environmental damages through writing, photo and video, and taking action to change. The future of environmental journalism and activism is quite safe!" says Anna Pérez Catalá, co-director of Climate Tracker and YRE Jury Member.
This year’s International YRE Jury
The International YRE Jury is composed of professionals in the fields of environmental journalism, corporate social responsibility and education for sustainable development, including representatives from UNESCO, UNEP, MARS Wrigley Foundation etc.
The International YRE Jury meeting took place on the 28th of May at the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) head office in Copenhagen, Denmark. There was a thorough discussion on what entries should be awarded based on different criteria such as the technical quality, investigation, originality, and dissemination of the entries. The Jury was free to give 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes, as well as Honourable Mentions, as they saw fit.
List of Jury Members 2019:
Anne Vela-Wagner, Executive Director of the MARS Wrigley Foundation
Christopher Slaney, Freelance Journalist
Mari Nishimura, Ecosystem Division, UNEP
Torvald Jacobsson, Founding Partner of Edumanity and COO of TheGoals.org, Lund University (IIIEE)
Julie Saito, Programme Specialist of Communication, UNESCO
Pedro Marcelino, Documentary Film Producer and Director
Mayra Navarrete, Photographer
Anna Pérez Catalá, Environmental Scientist and co-director of Climate Tracker
Filipa Murta, YRE Alumnus from Portugal
Sasha Karajovic, FEE Board Member
Richard Steed, Communications Officer, FEE
Find detailed information about each Jury Member here.
From left to right: Pramod Sharma, Torvald Jacobsson, Sasha Karajovic, Gosia Luszczek, Filipa Murta, Pedro Marcelino. Richard Steed, Julie Saito, Anne Vela-Wagner, Mayra Navarrete, Christopher Slaney and Kristina Madsen
About the International YRE Competition
The International YRE Competition is composed of three age groups (11-14, 15-18 and 19-25) and three media categories (articles, photos and videos) as well as a special category for International Collaboration. To enter the International Competition, the entries must be awarded the 1st place in the National YRE Competitions held earlier in the year. For countries participating in the Litter Less Campaign, YRE students also have the opportunity to submit entries related to the issue of litter and waste which are assessed separately. All entries can be found on the YRE Competition's Exposure page.
The International YRE Competition winners for 2019 are:
Article
11-14 years old
1st Place
Title: The Upcycling Solution
Country: Slovakia
2nd Place
Title: Take Action, Don’t Wait for a Reaction
Country: Singapore
3rd Place
Title: Where is the ship sailing to?
Country: Montenegro
15-18 years old
1st Place
Title: Bees in the City: Small Insects, Big Problems
Country: Slovakia
2nd Place
Title: A Bloody Problem Period
Country: Canada
3rd Place
Title: The Folly of Developing New Vehicle Fuel Stations
Country: Malta
3rd Place
Title: The Polluting of the River Elbe by Chemical Plant Draslovka Kolín
Country: Czech Republic
Honourable Mention - for creating a moving piece on a local issue
Title: The Stream That Sees It All
Country: South Africa
Honourable Mention - for choosing a new and interesting topic
Title: The Dangers of a Bright Night
Country: Puerto Rico
19-25 years old
1st Place
Title: Climate Change: Looking Back for a Solution of Today
Country: Singapore
2nd Place
Title: A step into the unknown - climate change and Scotland's outdoors
Country: Scotland
2nd Place
Title: First Straw-Free City in Slovakia On the Horizon
Country: Slovakia
3rd Place
Title: Coastal erosion and its relation to climate change and human intervention
Country: Puerto Rico
Honourable Mention - for creating a moving piece with heart-breaking photos
Title: A noble companion - a careless beneficiary
Country: Ghana
Photo
11-14 years old
1st Place (Reportage Photo)
Title: The Secret Life of the Market
Country: Slovakia
2nd Place (Reportage Photo)
Title: Till death do us part…
Country: Cyprus
Honourable Mention (Reportage Photo) - for the technical quality of the photo
Title: Like Knows Like
Country: China
15-18 years old
1st Place (Campaign Photo)
Title: Stop Sucking The Life Out Of Our Oceans
Country: Canada
2nd Place (Campaign Photo)
Title: Next stop OCEAN
Country: Portugal
Honourable Mention (Reportage Photo) - for the technical quality of the photo and its strong message, although lacking an environmental angle
Title: The first row
Country: Belgium
19-25 years old
Honourable Mention (Reportage Photo) - for the technical quality of the photo
Title: Pollinators, the queens of life
Country: Portugal
Video
11-14 years old
1st Place (Reportage Video)
Title: ALPEDRETE QUARRIES
Country: Spain
1st Place (Reportage Video)
Title: A Little Respect
Country: Slovakia
2nd Place (Reportage Video)
Title: The energy transition in St-Pierre-etMiquelon
Country: France
Honourary Mention (Campaign Video) - for sending a good message
Title: Life without plastic
Country: Greece
15-18 years old
1st Place (Reportage Video)
Title: Where did the darkness go?
Country: Slovakia
2nd Place (Reportage Video)
Title: Wise man - Wise consumer
Country: Israel
3rd Place (Reportage Video)
Title: Plastic Packing in grocery stores
Country: Canada
3rd Place (Campaign Video)
Title: Climate smart food
Country: Sweden
19-25 years old
1st Place (Reportage Video)
Title: Stop waste now!
Country: France
2nd Place (Reportage Video)
Title: Circular economy in local community
Country: Slovenia
Honourable Mention (Campaign Video) - for the technical quality of the video
Title: Dear Everyone
Country: Singapore
International Collaboration
1st Place (Article, 15-18 years)
Title: Behind the biggest producer and exporter of cork
Countries: Portugal, Turkey, Greece, and Malta
1st Place (Reportage Video, 19-25 years)
Title: SUSTAINABLE TOURISM - IS IT POSSIBLE?
Country: Malta and Spain
2nd Place (Article, 15-18 years)
Title: Red Meat consumption – an international collaborative research
Countries: Portugal and Israel
Winners in Litter Less Campaign category:
Article
11-14 years old
1st Place
Title: Refocus and reduce….No to Junk Mail!
Country: Malta
2nd Place
Title: To Kill a Seabird
Country: New Zealand
3rd Place
Title: “Dumped from home” Were you dumped from home? Are you not in your best shape anymore?
Country: Israel
15-18 years old
1st Place
Title: When Life Gives You Lemons
Country: New Zealand
2nd Place
Title: Brown is the New-Green
Country: Israel
19-25 years old
1st Place
Title: Lower waste, slimmer waists - Fighting food wastage, one grain at a time
Country: India
Photo
11-14 years old
1st Place (Campaign Photo)
Title: It's time to wake up to the problem of plastic!
Country: Northern Ireland
2nd Place (Campaign Photo)
Title: People are blind to see
Country: Malta
15-18 years old
1st Place (Reportage Photo)
Title: Home sweet home
Country: Malta
Honourable Mention (Reportage Photo) - for highlighting the issue of plastic and wildlife
Title: We are Not the Only Ones
Country: New Zealand
19-25 years old
1st Place (Photo Reportage)
Title: FROM TIMES PAST
Country: Spain
2nd Place (Photo Reportage)
Title: Dream Island – you Decide?
Country: Wales
Video
11-14 years old
1st Place (Campaign Video)
Title: One meal, a lot of garbage!
Country: Israel
2nd Place (Reportage Video)
Title: REPORT ON SCHOOL-GROUND RUBBISH
Country: Australia
Honourable Mention (Campaign Video) - as a fun campaign video that was screened at a film festival
Title: Moepapa (Nightmare)
Country: New Zealand
15-18 years old
1st Place (Campaign Video)
Title: Bring your own
Country: Malta
2nd Place (Campaign Video)
Title: What do you do with your E-waste?
Country: Israel
2nd Place (Campaign Video)
Title: Find a Home for the Trash. We Are on the Move!
Country: China
19-25 years old
No entries were submitted in this age group
YRE given Special Commendation Award for the Global Youth & New Media Prize
YRE given Special Commendation Award
Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) has received a Special Commendation award for its work in mobilizing 340,000 student reporters in 38 countries to find solutions when reporting about environmental issues. The prize will be given at this year’s Eurasian Media Forum (EAMF) in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Since 2002, the Eurasian Media Forum has served as a world-class platform where ‘East meets West’ to discuss the pressing topics and the latest news from the Americas, Europe and Asia. The forum brings together more than 600 delegates from at around 60 countries: notable politicians, experts and influential media speakers.
Each year during the two day forum, the Global Youth & New Media Prize jury awards organisations that innovate and strengthen engagement between news media and young people while reinforcing the role of journalism in society.
“I am delighted that the Global Youth & News Media Prize jury gave Young Reporters for the Environment a Special Commendation in The Planet Award category,” says Dr. Aralynn McMane, director of the prize. "YRE is doing a great job on a global scale helping young people do exemplary solutions journalism about the environment that has real impact at the local level”.
The Planet Award category honors actions that excel in providing young audiences with information and hope for saving the Earth and that strengthen engagement between news media and young people while reinforcing the role of journalism in society.
The Planet Award is part of the Global Youth & News Media Prize, which was created to give recognition to news media organizations around the world that effectively innovate in the quest to serve, support, attract and learn from young audiences. The prize is supported by News-Decoder, the European Journalism Centre, and the Google News Initiative.
“It is with great honour that our YRE programme has been given this award in recognition of all the work that we do. We would like to thank them for their recognition and we are very grateful to our hard working students who make this programme the success it has become today,” says YRE International Director Malgorzata Luszczek
During the two day forum there will will be speakers from media and development fields, like Nelson Graves (News Decoder CEO, former Senior reporting and editor at Reuters), Zahra Rasool (Head of Contrast, Al Jazeera), Martin Ford (Best selling author, researcher and software entepreneur) as well as from across the political spectrum like Toomas Henrik Ilves, former President of Estonia and Jerrol Thompson, former Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The Forum takes place on 22 - 24th of May, 2019 in Almaty Kazakhstan.
More about Global Youth & News Media Prize 2019 Laureates can be found here.
Download here the YRE Presentation for the Award in PDF or click on the picture below.
About YRE – ‘Giving our environment a voice’
The Young Reporters for the Environment programme aims to empower young people aged 11-25 to take a stand on environmental issues they feel strongly about and to give them a platform to articulate these issues through the media of writing, photography or video. The programme is based on a four-step methodology which seeks to develop students’ critical thinking and expression, creativity and leadership skills. Every year the top YRE investigations have the chance to participate in the annual YRE competition and to be assessed by professional juries on national and international levels. The programme also gives Young Reporters the opportunity to participate in international environmental conferences to further develop their skills and network.
Website: www.yre.global
About the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE)
With members in 77 countries we are the world’s largest environmental education organisation. FEE’s programmes represent the cutting edge in Education for Sustainable Development and Environmental Education. It is the vision of the Foundation for Environmental Education that through its five programmes we empower people everywhere to live sustainably and in an environmentally conscious manner.
Educational activities and resources from WWF
We are happy to share some brand-new educational resources for students and teachers created by WWF. The below text and photos were produced by WWF to inform about Our Planet and the ways that students and teachers can participate and use the educational materials.
Our Planet, Their Future
“Young people are the future of our planet. We must equip them with the information, insight and practical skills to understand the importance of biodiversity - both intrinsically and for the survival of humanity. Educators have a key role to play in preparing young people for the challenges that lie ahead. There can be no greater legacy than giving young people the tools they need to save our planet.” - Sir David Attenborough
WWF’s 2018 Living Planet Report revealed the scale of human impact on our precious natural world. Our Planet, launched on Netflix earlier this month, takes the story further. The eight-part series, voiced by David Attenborough, reveals the natural wonders that remain, and explores what we need to do to ensure a future in which nature and people thrive.
Today’s young people will be the stewards of our planet in the years to come, and the future of all life depends on them gaining the knowledge, skills and passion for nature necessary to transform humanity’s relationship with the natural world and build a more sustainable future. With just 10 years to bring huge changes to lifestyles and business practices worldwide if we are to avoid global environmental collapse, young people will be faced with a turbulent and challenging world as they move into adulthood and make decisions about their own personal and professional futures. Their actions and voices in support of the changes that are needed to save the planet will be pivotal factors in whether the change is achieved in time, and in a positive way for those living through this transition. The School Strike for Climate movement has shown how powerful youth voice and action can be, and how urgently young people feel change is needed. It is vital that young people are given access to the most current information and evidence about the plight of our planet, so that they can direct their energies towards making the changes that will make a positive difference to the future.
WWF has created a range of resources and activities for schools and young people that build on Our Planet and ensure that the important subjects and messages in Our Planet can be accessed by a wide spectrum of young people around the world. We are empowering educators in primary and secondary schools to draw on the incredible wealth of free high-quality video resources on ourplanet.com to delve into the key issues of our time with their students. We are galvanising schools to confront and discuss the state of our planet as a community through assemblies and screenings. We are prompting young people outside school to pay attention to the natural world and ‘tune in’ to the reality and importance of biodiversity in their everyday life through our innovative nature ID app ‘Seek’. Last but not least we are supporting and enabling a growing movement of young people who want to play an active role in creating the future they want, but need information, skills and resources to do so.
INSPIRE
Bring the story of our planet to life for young people with the spectacular videos and interactive explorable globe available for free on www.OurPlanet.com. Take inspiration and guidance from the Our Planet educator guide, which includes ideas for sparking ideas, discussion and engagement with videos. Present to the whole school or even the wider community with the using the Our Planet Assembly Pack.
Take inspiration from young people who are already taking action to create a sustainable future for our planet – follow the Youth for Our Planet blog. www.youthforourplanet.com
CONNECT
Access free classroom resources and educator guides for primary and secondary schools to build a deeper understanding of our living planet, the links between our lifestyles and the health of the natural world, and the actions needed to bring our planet back from the brink.
Connect live with nature and sustainability experts and projects around the world via Skype in the Classroom on the Our Planet Live site. https://education.microsoft.com/ourplanetlive
Get outside and discover the natural world around you with the Our Planet Seek app. https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/seek_app
ACT
Contribute to global citizen science when the Our Planet Biodiversity Action toolkit launches in June, and join a worldwide network of youth-led biodiversity action projects.
Put young people in the driving seat by running an Our Planet’s Future Summit for young people (11-16) and support young people to come up with a model for a sustainable future for our planet.
Speak up and add youth voice and pledges of action to the global movement to save our planet. https://www.ourplanet.com/en/voice/
YRE & YouthMundus
FEE is partnering with Inner Voice Artists (IVA) to support YouthMundus - a new, environmentally conscious global short content and music festival, specifically designed for the world’s youth and inspired by the SDGs, which is taking place 14-24 November 2019 in Rome, Italy.
The festival is organised by Inner Voice Artists (IVA) - a global media and entertainment company whose mission is to inspire and help create more opportunities for underrepresented voices within the areas of film, television, music, commercials and endorsements. The company’s goal is to ensure equal representation, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, social status, age or language.
The three educational programmes of FEE (YRE, Eco-schools and LEAF) will assist the development of different festival activities, seminars and workshops related to education for sustainable development and will help encourage people to take environmental action during the festival.
YRE students will also participate in the festival where they will do interviews and report on the different events through articles, photos and videos.
YRE Hub – A new platform for students to share stories
As part of YRE’s 25th Anniversary Celebrations, we are happy to announce that we have created a new platform for the YRE network to share stories on an international level. It’s called YRE Hub: www.yrehub.global
The YRE Hub is an open space for YRE Students and Alumni to share their inspiring stories and showcase their work within the fields of sustainability and environment. It is also a place to find inspiration, express opinions, and connect with others.
We encourage students to share stories that are positive, constructive, well-researched and that inspire people to take action. It can be articles, photo stories or videos about local environmental issues, different SDGs, personal experiences as YRE or any other story that in some way contributes to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). We want to keep it open, positive and inspiring!
“YRE is a special community of change makers and it’s a privilege to celebrate its 25 years of existence – I hope to celebrate many more years of fueling the curiosity of budding journalists to come.”
How to publish a story on YRE Hub?
YRE Students and Alumni who want to publish a story can contact their National Operator and ask for the log-in details to the platform. They can then follow this step-by-step guide to share their story with the world.
Vinh Le and Allison Gacad from Canada have already shared two excellent stories on the Hub that can serve as inspiration:
We hope YRE Students and Alumni will welcome this new opportunity to share their work and help make it a success!
YRE forms partnership with Little Citizens For Climate
YRE International has formed a partnership with the non-profit association Little Citizens For Climate (LCFC). LCFC is affiliated to the federation of clubs for UNESCO and is also collaborating on a national level with our FEE member Teragir. The partnership will provide YRE students who are particularly interested in and concerned about climate change an additional platform to showcase their work.
The below paragraphs were written by LCFC to inform about the association and to explain how to participate.
ACT:
Children, and in particular those who live in the countries that are the most threatened by global warming, are heirs of an alarming ecological situation. We want to offer these children a space where they can express themselves, exchange and take action in order to give them a means to defend their rights, make their voices heard and take initiatives.
We encourage teachers, monitors, educators and parents who are interested in helping with this initiative to assist our children in creating a project relating to the current environmental urgency.
With the authorisation of their legal guardians, each step of the project should be filmed. We will complete the video editing and broadcast it on the following YouTube channel: Little Citizens for Climate. Projects can be done individually or in collaboration with other groups and in any country or language.
The children define themselves as an “Ecological Brigade” whose goal is to educate the adults.
EXCHANGE:
At the same time, each child will have the chance to meet other children from around the World under the supervision of young Ambassadors. These Ambassadors, ages 12 to 18, are particularly motivated and have a longstanding involvement in the defense of the Environment. They are dedicated to informing the younger children, empowering them and helping to motivate them in taking their own initiatives.
Our server is equipped with an automatic translation system so that language will not be a barrier in communication between the children. The environmental cause is universal.
LEARN:
At LITTLE CITIZENS FOR CLIMATE, we have noticed that existing pedagogical resources are created by adults, for children. However, we believe that cooperative learning is the best way for children to acquire a solid knowledge base. With their own words, approach and sensitivity a child will be best suited to find ways to relate to and communicate with peers concerning these topics so that, together, they can find solutions that are meaningful and accessible to them.
Today’s children are tomorrow’s adults and,through their role as Little Trainers on our website,they will be able to prepare for the challenges they will have to face in the future. The future of all living things is in their hands since the adults have failed to do their part.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
You can send us your videos with the topic of your choice as long as it respects the following criteria: it has young people as the main actors and it concerns the environment. We will take care of the editing and the writing of subtitles for the videos for you.
You can subscribe to our YouTube channel in order to stay updated on our latest broadcasts and help us share our channel and videos to children around the globe.
You can help us connect with other organizations or project leaders that may be interested in developing a partnership.
You can join our association.
Litterati Launches Education Initiative
The below article was written by Litterati and shared here as an inspiration for schools and students who want to combat litter and help clean their communities.
Our planet faces many environmental problems. It often feels overwhelming and hard to know how we can make a difference. Well here’s one way you can. Join the Litterati - a global community that’s cleaning the planet - one piece of litter at a time. This mobile app (iOS & Android) allows anyone to identify, map, and collect litter in their community.
Litterati has launched an Educational Program that engages students, collects data, and drives environmental action aligned with 7 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Litter is tangible, approachable and easy to understand. Litterati’s Educational Program provides a service-learning model that involves students in a range of experiences which benefit their community, while advancing their classroom skills. The program empowers them to build a more sustainable planet.
In California, 7th and 8th grade students from Spencer Avenue Elementary School picked up and documented 2,902 pieces of litter in the Island Lake Conservation Area. The Litterati data revealed the prevalence of cigarette butts as well as more surprising discarded objects, including shopping carts, couch cushions, and even a lawnmower. Litterati helped students understand the negative impact littering can have on their community; a message they shared at a schoolwide assembly. The students also sent letters to neighborhood businesses, offering suggestions about what they could do to improve their litter footprints. (read more)
Arturo Soria school in Madrid used Litterati during an end-of-course activity, cleaning up local parks near their school. Thanks to the Litterati app they were able tag, track and log the litter they collected. From the data and maps they created, the students analyzed the problem and proposed several solutions to the local community. Some involved making posters, pins and artwork to raise awareness. Other solutions required asking local businesses to install ashtrays. Students then wrote letters to the municipal cleaning services suggesting how they could pitch in and help. (read more)
It's easy to get started:
Create a club for your class or school
Invite your students to join the club
Photograph a piece of litter
Recycle or throw out the piece of litter. (Repeat steps 4 & 5)
Each photo is full of data. Geotags map problem areas. Timestamps indicate when we see specific types of litter. And tags identify the most commonly found brands and products. This data can then be used to influence product innovation, sustainable packaging, and educating consumer behaviour. We all have a role to play.
Litterati has been featured at TED, is supported by the National Science Foundation, and in partnership with the United Nations Environment.
Download the Litterati app today and join the movement. Individually you can make a difference. Together we create an impact. If you want more information contact us at support@litterati.org
PRESS RELEASE: Young Reporters for the Environment celebrates 25th Anniversary
This year Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) celebrates its 25th anniversary as an international programme run by Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). In 1994, Luxembourg became the first country to officially implement the YRE programme and today it engages more than 350.000 young reporters in 38 countries across the world.
”YRE is an absolutely fantastic programme because it not only involves youth in important environmental and sustainable issues, but it also gives them tools that enables them to present news in a structured and knowledgeable manner. In this way, YRE provides the path from critical thinking to critical expression.” says Daniel Schaffer, CEO of Foundation for Environmental Education.
The Young Reporters for the Environment programme aims to empower young people aged 11-25 to take a stand on environmental issues they feel strongly about and to give them a platform to articulate these issues through the media of writing, photography or video.
”The past 25 years, YRE has become perhaps more relevant, as the world’s environmental reality has become more dire, and a war on science and on truth has surfaced. By continuing to train young minds to think critically, act locally, and engage globally, YRE continues to plant a powerful seed for tomorrow, spreading knowledge through the many young influencers coming through its ranks, from all over the world." says P.J. Marcellino, filmmaker, YRE Jury member and former YRE student.
YRE’s 25th Anniversary will be celebrated throughout 2019 with different activities. As part of this, a special 1-minute Video Competition was launched. YRE students and Alumni from around the world have submitted videos that aim to reflect the essence of the programme. A total of 25 videos have been selected and will be shared on social media throughout 2019. The top 3 videos will be awarded by the end of the year.
This month a new international YRE Blog / Press Corner will also be launched. It will function as an open platform for YRE Students, Alumni and the YRE Network to share their stories on sustainable and environmental issues. The platform is meant to serve as a press corner where inspiring articles, videos, and photo stories will be available for the wider public.
“Both the competition and the blog are meant to give YRE students more opportunities to express their opinions and show off their creativity and passion for the environment.” concludes Malgorzata Luszczek, International YRE Director.
About YRE – ‘Giving our environment a voice’
The Young Reporters for the Environment programme aims to empower young people aged 11-25 to take a stand on environmental issues they feel strongly about and to give them a platform to articulate these issues through the media of writing, photography or video. The programme is based on a four-step methodology which seeks to develop students’ critical thinking and expression, creativity and leadership skills. Every year the top YRE investigations have the chance to participate in the annual YRE competition and to be assessed by professional juries on national and international levels. The programme also gives Young Reporters the opportunity to participate in international environmental conferences to further develop their skills and network.
Website: www.yre.global
About the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE)
With members in 76 countries we are the world’s largest environmental education organisation. Through our five ground breaking programmes, we help communities realise the benefits of sustainable living. Recognised by UNESCO as a world leader within the fields of Environmental Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).
Website: www.fee.global
Special 1-Minute Video Competition - List of Nominees
To celebrate YRE’s 25th Anniversary, a special 1-Minute Video Competition was launched. YRE Students and Alumni from around the world have submitted videos that aim to reflect the essence of the programme. A total of 25 videos have been selected and will be shared on the YRE Facebook page throughout 2019 and three winning videos will be found by the end of the year.
Publishing the nominated videos on Facebook
The 25 videos will be published on the YRE Facebook page in random order. The first video will be uploaded on the 23rd of January 2019 at 15:00 CEST. After exactly 12 days, the number of likes will be noted and another video will be uploaded and so on, until all 25 videos have been published.
Finding the three winning videos
The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will be found in the following way:
The video that receives the most likes on Facebook will receive 12 points, the second-most liked will receive 11 points and so on. Only likes on the original post uploaded by YRE International will be counted so remember to visit the YRE Facebook page. You are highly encouraged to vote for videos that have not been made in your own country.
Once all the videos have been published, the YRE National Operators will be given the opportunity to vote. They are free to give 1-12 points to any of the 25 videos - except videos from their own country.
In the end, the 3 videos with most points will receive 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards.
Many congratulations to all of the nominees! We look forward to sharing your videos throughout 2019!
The 25 nominees listed by country:
(The videos will be published on Facebook in random order)
Canada: What is YRE to me?
China: Guardian Little Messenger
China: Silver Chain League
China: Green Lighting
China: Blue Sky and Blue Water! Protection starts at school!
China: YRE-Be Active Actors of Beautiful China
Greece: 25 Years of History
Israel: What do you do with your electronic-waste?
Israel: We care
Israel: Work it out
Italy: The environment game in my neighbourhood
Malta: YRE Malta
Montenegro: From contest to volontere
Montenegro: We can all together
Portugal: My experience as a YRE
Portugal: 25 Videos for 25 years of YRE
Portugal: YRE - “opening new opportunities for my life”
Portugal: You…Listen!
Portugal: YRE: A Mission for Life
Slovakia: YRE Slovakia: We're going further!
Slovakia: Blowing in the Wind
Slovakia: Reducing Waste - Pass it Forward
Slovakia: Slovakia Mladi reporteri
Turkey: Right Waste, Right Place
Turkey: Makroproblem, Mikroplastic
Looking back at COP 24 - Young Reporters' Perspectives
Six inspiring young people got the unique chance to work as Young Reporters at COP 24 in Poland last month. All of them found the conference to be inspiring, educational and a little overwhelming. Nevertheless, they did an amazing job conducting interviews, attending sessions and representing the YRE programme at this highly important conference on climate change. Below are the personal accounts of three of the participants, Martina, Wesley and Kristin, who all look back at the COP with gratitude and renewed inspiration.
Visit Exposure to see all the articles and interviews created by the Young Reporters during COP 24.
Martina Mifsud, Malta:
I went into COP24 anxious, nervous and on edge.
I came out of COP24 ecstatic, enriched and fulfilled.
COP24 was easily one of those priceless experiences that you can never really replace. It was a week filled with knowledge sharing, opinion discussing, and idea shaping. And it was only possible through the active participation of each of the 20,000 observers, panelists, youth activists and NGO representatives. Collectively, it was a goldmine, bringing together so many different people under one roof (except when the sessions were in area G, because that was at the other end of the planet).
Everyone; from young to old, from developed and developing countries, gender and ethnicity disregarded, had the opportunity to participate and voice our opinion, and the thing which truly impressed me was the receptiveness of the people, and they were not shy to say what was on their mind. Of course, not everyone agreed to everything that was said, but everyone respected what was said. There were sessions with great speakers and not so great speakers, but the information available was all rich and useful. Even the observers themselves spoke out, asked questions, argued frugally when needed and discussed opinions. It was one whole body at COP, and no one was left outside the circle. Not the shy last-row observer during the first session, not the easily judged indigenous woman during the second session, not the speaker discussing so openly about things usually hushed in the third session, and, most definitely, not us three young reporters, who formed an inseparable bond during those five days, and who together with our dearest Kristina, represented YRE International for the said week. COP was filled with good people with good intentions, each keen to share knowledge and spread positivity (and, where needed, potential defeatism).
I do not have words which sum up my experience- and I am absolutely thrilled that I was the first Maltese person given this opportunity to represent my country at COP. There is nothing which I can use to describe how this week has been for me- except that I feel that it will have an impact on all of my future decisions. I would like to wholeheartedly thank Young Reporters for the Environment International for the opportunity, Ms. Audrey Gauci for being there from day one, our dearest Ms. Kristina Madsen for her patience and much needed help during that week, and my fellow reporters; Lovely from Canada, and Wesley from Singapore. It would not have been possible without you!
Wesley Poh, Singapore:
Looking back, my experience at COP24 has been incredibly memorable. There was nothing I had done in the past or could have done prior to arriving in Katowice to fully prepare myself for the level of activity going on at the conference — there was always a side event going on, an interesting session on the intersection between climate change and one of the many other scourges of humanity being held, a networking event to meet and learn from inspiring activists all over the world and countless interview opportunities as you walk down the numerous hallways around the venue.
Yet, even amidst the madness, I find myself having grown so much both as a budding environmental reporter and simply as an informed, global citizen of the world. At the conference, because our party of YRE reporters was constrained to a small number of three individuals, I had no other choice but to be forthcoming in asking extremely distinguished panelists questions about their views. The stresses of the environment also meant that when I did manage to get interviews, I had to conduct them with a discerning mind by asking insightful questions to get the most of the short amount of time we had together. This in my view made the experience at COP24 a lot more meaningful than the capacity building training we had in Lisbon eight months ago as I could not rely on the work of my teammates if I encountered difficulties. In a way, I’d like to think that if you as a journalist survive COP, then that in itself is a huge achievement. In my view, not much else is harder than covering COP as a young reporter for the environment.
Finally, the experience at COP24 has undeniably broadened my mind. It has taught me to analyse issues holistically and to avoid using reductionist tendencies like oversimplifying complex problems just for the sake of easy understanding. For instance, I had initially planned to do one article solely on climate change and poverty, and the other solely on climate change and gender equality. Within the first two days of the conference however, it became glaringly apparent that the interactions between such issues cannot be cleanly defined. There is no absolute division between the problems of poverty and access to water; nor between indigenous rights and loss of biodiversity or between health and gender equality. The realities are a lot more complicated than most of us are comfortable with, but this should not intimidate us.
Krakow and Katowice now have a special place in my heart, and shout-out to my ridiculously capable groupmates Lovely and Martina for always being there when things got a little too overwhelming. I’d also like to thank Kristina, who was always very supportive in guiding us throughout the four full days. Of course, I am indebted to YRE for giving me this unparalleled opportunity.
As I leave Poland today, I do so with a nourished mind, a full heart, and an inspired spirit.
Kristin Rodrigo, Canada:
FEE & YRE at COP 24
Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and YRE International are once again highly active at the COP. Every year our engagement grows and we are proud to be part of this highly important conference and to contribute to the discussions and actions to help mitigate and adapt to Climate Change.
Together with UNFCCC and UNESCO, FEE is organizing two special events at COP 24:
Youth Training Workshop on Constructive Journalism
5 December, 15:00-16:30 I Climate Action Room 2
The workshop aims to equip participants with the skills to create stories in Climate Change that will initiate positive action. The event will be run by Gosia Luszczek (YRE International Director). Quinn Kanaly and Noel Dockstader (Directors of Point of No Return) are invited as guest speakers.
Round Table Discussion on Climate Change Education (CCE) Challenges
13 December, 15:30-17:30 I Climate Action Room 2
The aim of the Round Table Discussion is to develop a set of recommendations that is actionable by different stakeholders and will contribute to the implementation of ACE. Daniel Schaffer (CEO of FEE) will moderate the event and Pramod Sharma (Senior Director of Education) along with invited experts will contribute with their knowledge on the topic.
NB. The events are by invitation only. If you are interested in participating, please send an email to kristina@fee.global with a brief note.
Young Reporters at COP 24
YRE International is also sending six young reporters to participate in the COP. They will be reporting on the events and creating journalistic pieces on topics related to climate change.
YRE student at Piece Summit of Emerging Leaders in Bangkok
Yoorha Kang from South Korea will travel to Thailand to participate in the inaugural Piece Summit of Emerging Leaders which is taking place in Bangkok from 28th to 30th of November. The conference is organized by Humanitarian Affairs Asia and aims to gather 500 young leaders from different parts of the world and give them an understanding and broader perspective on the vitally important subject of Peace.
In addition to being a regular participant in the conference, Yoorha will work as a young reporter preparing an article and a video on specific topics of interests. Her journalistic pieces will be published on YRE Exposure in the beginning of December. She will also be making posts for our social media platforms so remember to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Read more about Yoorha in her short biography below.
“I was an observer in the past, but now I’m an action-oriented person believing what I’m doing really can make our world more sustainable”
My name is yoorha Kang from South Korea. I am a graduate student majoring in biomedical science at Seoul National University. Since I was young, I’ve wanted to become a scientist who can devote oneself to prosperity of humanity by prolonging the human’s lifespan and seeking the way to make the world better. I thought that those goals can only be achieved by studying medicine and biology. That’s why I decided to major in biology. However, every spring people in South Korea suffered from microdust. Every morning, people checked the level of microdust in the air via application or news and always carried masks for protecting them from microdust which causes oneself severe diseases in pulmonary or Bronchus. Besides microdust, various environmental problems due to excessive development are happening literally everywhere and this makes me realize that what we are facing now is just the tip of the iceberg and we need to take action before it become deteriorating.
Since then my interest in the environment has become bigger and bigger, which finally led me to work for FEE KOREA. I’ve been involved in FEE KOREA over 1 year and now I’m in charge of Eco-Schools Korea and really enjoy what I do. Working in a FEE changes who I am. I was an observer in the past, but now I’m action-oriented person believing what I’m doing really can make our world more sustainable and now I have no doubt that Environment can be a golden key which leads us to a better world that I’ve been dreaming of ever since I was a little girl.
This time, I luckily could have a wonderful opportunity to be nominated as representative of YRE and will attend Peace Summit of Emerging Leaders 2018 held in Bangkok. On behalf of YRE international, I want to share our enthusiasm towards environment with other delegates and play the role as a catalyst to improve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).