|
Background
“
Securing our common future will require new energy and openness, fresh
insights, and an ability to look beyond the narrow bounds of national
frontiers and separate scientific discipline. The young are better at
such vision than we, who are too often constrained by the traditions of
a former, more fragmented world. We must tap their energy, their
openness, their ability to see the interdependence of
issues...............
“ Our generation has too often been willing to use the resources of the
future to meet our own short term goals. It is a debt we can never
repay. If we fail to change our ways, these young men and women will
suffer more than we, and their children will be denied their
fundamental right to a healthy, life-enhancing environment. “
These words were spoken by Mrs Gro Harlem Brundtland, Chairperson of
the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) at the
launch of the Commission's monumental Report, Our Common Future, at the
Queen Elizabeth Hall in London on 27 April 1987. At this ceremony, she
presented copies of the Report to twelve young people from around the
world who had testified before the Commission or helped it during
meetings in their countries. This involvement of young people in tile
launch followed through on part of the Commission's original mandate: to seek especially the views of youth.
The issue of environment were, for many years, were dealt with in
isolation They were artificially separated from the various social,
political, economic and human
considerations. The time has come to look at environmental issues from
a broader human perspective. The ultimate solutions to many of the
environmental problems today lie in changes in human behavior and
lifestyle. Each individual, no matter how
significant or insignificant in terms of resources use, can play role in this process.
Objectives
Environmental issues present some of the most profound and complex
challenges requiring attention today and in the coming decades. Hence
it is important that a strong foundation be build to enhance local,
regional, national and global capacities to respond to those challenges
is increasing environmental awareness. Here the role of youth is
central, for it is in the rising generations that heightened awareness
can most easily be achieved.
Almost half of the nearly 6.4 billion people in the world are under the
age of 25. At present, over 3 billion individuals or just over 50 per
cent of the world's population are children or youth. In terms of youth
alone, there are 1.3 billion young people aged between 15 and 24.
According to the World Youth Report 2003, almost 60 per cent of these
young people live in the developing countries of Asia. Another 15 per
cent are in Africa, and approximately 10 per cent in Latin America and
the Caribbean. About 15 per cent live in developed regions approaches
to the problems facing them is greater than ever.
The World Youth Foundation recognizes this situation and regards young
people as a major force for a better world. Thus their empowerment
through effective and meaningful participation in decision-making is
crucial. The idea of participation is based on our conviction that
young people themselves are the best resource for promoting their
development. They should be the architects and agents for change. In
this new millennium, they can help us meet the challenges of the
world's burgeoning environmental problems.
1) To create awareness and encourage greater educational presence on nature/ environment.
2) To create a society which is equipped in managing crisis/disaster
3) To examine existing approaches and proven success stories on
environment conservation, i.e. awareness and prevention programmes
4) In a world where the number of young people has become the largest
in history relative to the adult population, the need to take urgent
and ever more innovative To come out with innovative ideas on how to
sustain the interest of youth on environmental issues which is
affecting our daily lives
5) To make youths as environmental ambassadors in their respective countries
|
