Youth programs encourage deeper social engagement

The Second United Nations China Youth Environmental Forum will kick of nationwide in June, helping to increase environmental awareness among teenagers.

The event, which is scheduled to last through August, will provide opportunities for young attendees to participate in an international event.

With the theme of "sustainable development and our environment", the forum is open to middle and high school students of China. The annual event is held by the UN Environment Programme, also known as UN Environment, China Daily and the Center of Environmental Education and Communications at the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

Each participant is expected to take 12 online and offline classes based on the information of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Global Environment Outlook series report released by UN Environment.

Some of the trainees will participate in an environmental campaign at sub-forums in Beijing, Shanghai, Xiamen and Guangzhou, as well as three provinces in Northeast China.

Winners from each competition area will qualify for the final at the main forum held in Beijing on Aug 1 and 2.

Finalists will have the opportunity to participate in domestic and overseas events, including the United Nations Environment Assembly to be held in Kenya in December, or the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, in September, and the World Youth Forum in the US early next year.

During last year's event, Zheng Bozhong, a student from the High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, made a speech in English about poverty relief.

He and a female student were selected to attend the Sixth World Youth Forum held by the UN Economic and Social Council in the United States.

"I got a chance to share my views about the topic I care about at the event and attracted the attention of the public, especially people my age," Zheng said.

"I also learned how people put forward their insights to help to solve the problems in other countries. It reflected the power of teenagers," he said.

Zheng said his own official Sina Weibo had about 20,000 fans, many of whom would talk about poverty or environment-related issues with him on the internet.

"My classmates are too busy with their schoolwork to care about those topics, but I want to bring more friends into the discussion," he added.

Zheng attended community programs held by Peking University to help children in poverty-stricken areas of China.

Teenagers can play a role in poverty alleviation and pollution reduction because they make up a huge part of the world population, he said.

"People our age may suffer from poverty or begin to shake off poverty with their own hands," he said. "Many people might think it is far from their lives, but it is not true."

Li Ying, Zheng's mother, said although the event seems to have nothing to do with the national college entrance examination, it does help children to develop their personalities, ideas and faith.

Zheng began to care more about international and political issues after coming back from the UN and often brings about initiatives among Chinese teenagers with his speeches, she said.

"Maybe those activities stimulate his passion and dreams," she said.

At first, they thought joining the event would help in the application of foreign colleges, and an invitation letter did come from a US university, according to Li.

"However, he didn't expect to go abroad until finishing his higher education at home," she said. "Many of his friends went abroad and never came back. But he said a developing China needs professionals more."

Jaime A Webbe, chief of Environmental Education and Training Unit at UN Environment, said the event expected to help youth to understand the civil environmental rights established in national legislation and laws, provide more contact with nature and encourage them to develop their own actions to realize sustainable consumption.

"Environment education equips youth to live, lead and work in our green economy world," she said.

Jia Feng, director of the Center of Environmental Education and Communications, said the event encourages teenagers, who are also future policymakers, company managers or celebrities, to have a big say in human issues.

"Their education influences their decisions and their decisions lead the development of the country," Jia said.

"To improve youth awareness, we should hold more technological innovation activities and invite young people to experience real society, such as visits to sewage treatment plants or environment monitoring stations, as well as incorporating social practices into school education."

For more information, please visit http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/regional/2017yef/index.html

chenmeiling@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 05/17/2017 page12)