Climate Proposal for Nepal-Green School Campaign by prem-bohara

Region/country: Other developing Asia/Nepal

Executive summary

The world’s children are particularly vulnerable to a degrading environment while simultaneously being essential stakeholders to, and key beneficiaries of environmental governance. At this moment in time, as environmental governance frameworks to address climate change, green economy and the worlds access to basic needs of food, water, energy and sanitation, the rights of children need to be acknowledged and recognized as key stakeholders. International and national leaders are compelled to recognise that within decades, this demographic is, in effect the very one who must travel the path presently being charted to ‘climate-smart development.’

Green School Campaign is an Earth Child Institute (ECI) initiative with the aim to inform and empower children and young people, with special attention for the participation of girls. The campaign tackles global environmental issues; climate change, and encourage them to adopt green, healthy and sustainable lifestyles in their schools and communities. This practice will also mitigate carbon emissions and environmental vulnerability, giving children practical knowledge and skills during environmental education practices, which will keep them safe and healthy. Furthermore, this campaign will inspire each children and youth to understand the value of ecosystem services to their lives and to plant a tree, instilling a sense of personal responsibility and necessary lifeskills for  survival. We are seeking funding and sponsers for this proposal for its implementation. So, We would like to invite sponsers and funding.

Team

Earth Child Institute Nepal is a national youth led non-profit non-governmental organization working with community based organizations and schools to protect and restore the environment while saving the future of children and the Earth. It is committed to the environment and children to convert the global challenges; climate change, water scarcity, energy security, children’s environmental health into local authentic opportunities which benefit the both today’s children or future generation and the Earth.

ECI Nepal educates, engages and empowers the today’s children and young people so that they shall be environment conscious citizen who can act in harmony with the Earth and take the responsibility of their own actions. Combining the new innovation and old indigenous knowledge and practices, ECI Nepal intend to create the economic opportunities for the local communities through best utilization of natural resources; medicinal plants, flora & fauna, NTFP etc. 

Leading ECI Nepal is:

Prem Bohara. Prem is executive Director of Earth Child Institute Nepal, an innovative youth who is passionate about to make a positive change in environment and children of Nepal. His vision is to convert global environmental challenges into local green opportunities to uplift the Karnali region.

 Kabita Bhattarai-is program coordinator of Earth Child Institute Nepal, media entreprenuer and youth leader. She is passionate to promote green and sustainable lifestyle. She is expert in media field.

Earth Child Institute (www.earthchildinstitute.org) headquarters, based at the United Nations in NY The Earth Child Institute is programmatic hub dedicated to the ‘children and environment’ of our world. This broad scope is based on the premise that any action taken to protect and restore the environment will benefit today’s children and future generations… and that children and young people who recognize the interconnectedness of all things and feel empowered in their own ability to think and act in harmony with the Earth will benefit the environment. A win-win scenario… empowering today for a sustainable tomorrow.

ECI's cornerstone campaign is called 2.2 Billion: The Power of One Child + One Tree = A Sustainable Future for All http://www.earthchildinstitute.org/archives/497 and is based upon the fact that there are 2.2 billion people under the age of 18 on Earth today and if we plant one tree with and for each child in conjunction with school gardens for food security and access to WASH facilities, thereby reducing vulnerability and increasing resilience to increasing prevalence of natural disasters associated with climate change can turn our present tide of over-consumption and development toward a sustainable future for all.

Leading ECI is:

Donna Goodman, Executive Director and Founder of Earth Child Institute has extensive international experience in climate change and WASH education, Child rights, Human Security and with the engagement of children through schools and in environmental governance. Author of numerous UN publications and formerly Programme Adviser for UNICEF on Climate change and environmnetal education, Donna is thrilled to help development and implement Earth Child Institute's youth led model toward healthy environments and healthy children worldwide through her expertise in capacity development and participatory resource mobilization.

Joyce Lynn (Lyly) Njinga is program director of Earth Child Institute Originally from Cameroon, Lyly holds a Master’s degree in Environment and Sustainable Development from the University College London in the U.K. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies with a focus on Global Environmental Policy from American University in Washington D.C. With a passion and interest to address challenges within the fields of environment, climate change, sustainable development, and education, she has been involved in various related research, field work, and advocacy projects. Prior to joining Earth Child Institute, she worked within several local and international organizations in Africa, South America, Europe, and the U.S

Winnie Hagemeyer is program coordinator of Earth Child Institute, a native of Rio de Janeiro, Winnie has interned at different non-governmental organizations both in Brazil and the US. She joined Earth Child Institute after receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations at the State University of New York at New Paltz, where she focused her studies in global civil society and the United Nations. While working at ECI she will also plans to pursue a law degree and focus on international law and human rights.

WHAT

ECI Nepal proposes to work with ECI headquarters to train and mobilize more than 100,000 Nepalese children and young people in gender responsive, lifeskills based methodologies and participatory tools. These young people we will not only inform and educate but also inspire to help their peers residing in the Karnali region and other regions of Nepal to plant trees to make it a success. The campaign will connect urban and rural children/future generations for the Earth. We also meet thousands of supporters (who can donate their time, expertise, fund or anything which can support the campaign ) As part of an international network, our efforts span from nationally and internationally, as our Nepali schools plan to connect with ECI affiliates in Brazil, Ghana and in the US with the United Nations in NY, who will help us to reach 100,000 future generations of Nepal to inspire them to plant trees and adopt green and sustainable lifestyle.

Connecting with sister programs in schools in Peru, Brazil, Ghana and Togo will not only serve to combat climate change and improve livelihoods, but they also create an environmental consciousness in young people that will have future benefits. Students gain an understanding and appreciation for conservation and they also develop practical life-skills that promote sustainable development within their communities. The 2.2 billion young people under the age of 18 worldwide will be the ones that have to cope with the impacts of climate change. They can be powerful agents of change and research has shown that relevant education on climate change and disasters in a school environment can reduce their vulnerability and their community’s vulnerability to disaster risk and contribute to sustainable development.

The knowledge and actions of educated young people can go beyond the classroom to help their parents and communities. Children and youth can play a pivotal role here because the important school lessons they learn on climate change and disaster risk reduction is often shared with their communities.

Objectives;
1. To inform and educate 100,000 children and young people about climate change through environmental education in 200 schools/colleges and outreach and mass awareness in their communities around Nepal by 2012,
2. To have school children with their parents, teachers and other local community people plant 100,000 trees in and around schools in the Karnali region by 2012,
3. To train and mobilize 200 core youth leaders and 2,000 young volunteers throughout this campaign and create strong relation among local, national and international volunteers by 2012
4. To nurture a global community of children and young leaders who will learn from one another while restoring Earth’s ecosystems.
Activities:
Seeding of saplings will be prepared before November 2011. 50,000 thousands sapling will be seeding through indigenious species of plants, 25,000 non-timber and rest of the plants will be timber forests.
A training workshop convened by ECI headquarters to mobilize youth leaders, assisting in cultural adaptations and translation of methodologies and participatory tools.
 

Why: Rationale for the proposal

One way to constrain the impacts of climate change is to reduce emissions from and through the forest sector as a complement to ongoing climate change policies. Collaborative forest rehabilitation efforts around the world are a start, but they cannot be done by governments and the private sector alone. School-based reforestation initiatives are an important way for students, teachers, and communities to make tangible contributions to climate change mitigation efforts.
It is not only economic measures that are necessary to empower communities to eradicate the root causes of deforestation and degradation in order to move toward the successful implementation of REDD+ efforts. Through innovative school-based educational approaches and life-skills based environmental programming that encourage the protection of ecosystems and the sustainable use of natural resources, education is also critical to ensuring the return on investment from REDD+ projects.

How: Feasibility of proposal

By 2025, today’s children will represent more than half of the world’s workers and leaders. A critical strategic opportunity exists to ‘insure’ the resiliency, effectiveness, and overall return on investment related to carbon markets and climate change adaptation through innovative formal and non-formal participatory educational approaches, which nurture and empower children to live in harmony with one another and with the earth. These essential values will enable children all over the world, to protect the environment, while shifting cultural and societal trends away from unsustainable overconsumption, thereby converting CO2 into healthy ecosystems, healthy people, and healthy economic opportunities. 
The vision is inspired by the dual challenge of providing a hopeful future to the world’s rapidly growing young population, These goals are attained through participatory and relevant heart-centered education coupled with the urgent need to regenerate Mother Earth’s degraded ecosystems Evidenced by over-population, over-consumption, unsustainable agricultural practices, deforestation, dependence on fossil fuels and overgrazing. All of which have taken a toll, causing the education and well-being of children to be threatened by lack of access to safe water, sanitation, clean energy and healthy food. Empowering methodologies combined with sustainable environmental solutions underscore the Power of One school vision that every child can make a difference. International roll out and expansion of the model will be based on a unique social business and financing model designed to stimulate entrepreneurship in service of the Whole.

I think that the COP17 participation is important so that ECI Nepal can align with emerging government priorities and commitments in relation to climate change as well as for youth empowerment/employment.
Emissions absorbed? "ECI is developing a mechanism to quantify carbon emission reduction through school programs. Resulting quantification will be shared as it becomes available." Emissions reduced? New lifestyles and businesses encouraged? Our contention is that today's children who are educated in sustainable consumption and living in harmony with nature will live into these values as adults. We plan to create jobs for youth to work with children and in environmental trades.
 

Target Area:
Country Nepal
Zone Karnali
Districts Dolpa, Jumla, Humla, Mugu and Kalikot
VDCs selected 200 schools
Direct Beneficiaries 100,000 children and young people of Nepal, especially of karnali region (school and outreach)
Indirect beneficiaries overall karnali people and other residing in karnali at the time of the Campaign

Way forward;
• Promotional materials finalised; browser, pamphlets, t-shirts, cap, bags(replace plastic),
• Climate change and importance of trees to tackle with climate change handbook,
• Videos-3-translation and promotion/donation drive
• Hoarding board
• Flyers Appeal letters; government and government officials, embassies
• Sponsor letters-Business and corporate organizations,
• Direct sales of promotional materials
• Volunteer mobilization-educational promotion with fundraising
 

Vision of the future under this proposal

It is imperative that world leaders and policymakers acknowledge the increasingly urgent call to take action with and for children. Efforts to engage with and empower the world’s 2.2 billion citizens under the age of 18, who comprise nearly a third of all humanity, through the involvement of today’s youth in environment and development decision-making and in the implementation of programmes is critical to the long-term success of global environmental governance. The engagement of children and young people in their communities is directly related to the sustainability of any green economy initiative seeking to addresses poverty eradication, access to education and gender equality. Investments in green economy, when combined with investments in life skills-based environmental education from an early age, will ensure greater returns. It will shape more qualified and informed citizens who can ensure effective sustainable development, while attracting investments that make strides toward poverty eradication, and robust social, economic and environmental conditions for all people.