Environment & Climate Change
Green Ambassadors Training (Virtual)
Last Updated (Wednesday, 18 November 2020 15:51)
6-12 October 2020; 3:00-6:00 pm HKT
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One of the intervention programs of Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs in its continued efforts to combat climate change is its annual conduct of the Green Ambassadors Training. Due however to the current COVID19 situation, the training was held virtually last 6-12 October 2020 at 3-6pm (HKT). Around 70 young staff and volunteers from the YMCA movements in China, Hong Kong, India, Myanmar, Mongolia, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand participated the said training that was aimed to educate YMCA staff, leaders, volunteers, youth and communities to bring about behavioral changes in order to reduce carbon footprints and to advocate for eco-justice. The training that was moderated by the APAY Green Team included the following areas of learning as part of the continued commitment to strengthen Green Movement towards a carbon neutral YMCA by 2030:
The training also included case studies related to YMCA good practices on climate change action. Three YMCAs presented their case studies and the impact it created to their communities. The following case studies were presented:
Equally important session included the participants sharing of their national environment and climate change situation; and the current actions done in their respective countries and/or YMCAs. The participants also presented their action plan/project that is intended to be directly implemented in their respective YMCAs or communities.
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Through the designed learning sessions, APAY is confident that the participants, referred to as Green Ambassadors, will continue the work in encouraging their respective YMCAs and communities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions; forming and/or strengthening Green Team in local YMCAs levels; increasing its engagement in environmentally friendly practices in local YMCAs and communities by integrating environmental issues into YMCA programs; creating more Green YMCAs and Green Communities; expanding Green YMCA and Green Organization Network; conducting carbon audit; and developing green action plan towards becoming a carbon neutral YMCA by 2030. ~ Maria Cristina Miranda, Executive Secretary for Programs |
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Regional Green Ambassadors Training
Last Updated (Friday, 20 December 2019 12:16)
“Let’s Act on Climate Change: Restore our Nature and Promote Sustainable Livelihoods and Peace” is this year’s theme of the Regional Green Ambassadors Training held last 18-23 November 2019 in Chiangmai, Thailand. The training was joined by 22 participants from YMCAs, school partners and like-minded organization working on ecological preservation in Myanmar, Cambodia, Mongolia, Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand. Participants comprise of YMCA youth volunteer and staff, educators and students.
This training that is co-organized by Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs and Sao Hin YMCA to continue the mission for healthy and well protected environment supporting a sustainable living aimed to have practical and incremental learning effects for all the participants by sharing good practices and providing a practical opportunity to better understand the concept and practice of climate change education. Thus the exposures on the following areas provided experiential learning:
- Visit to Environment and Learning Center at Sao Hin YMCA where knowledge and ideas about ways to reduce the CO2 emission from daily habits were shared to help mitigate global climate change;
- Visit to Sanpatong Wittayakom School and community on energy and environmental conservation where green activities; electricity saving, waste segregation, and environmental conservation towards the low carbon society were observed
- A nature trail of Doi Inthanon National Park as inspiration to clean natural environment and on how multi stakeholders manage protected forest and biodiversity;
- Visit to Doi Inthanon Royal Project on Sustainable Livelihoods where promotion of agriculture development for the hill tribe people was introduced such as alternative crops, reduction of chemical use and support on marketing system which aims to solve the problems of deforestation and poverty.
Together with these exposure visits, the presentation of good practices/case studies on environment and climate change education led to identification of environmental problems as a common concern for climate action. The participants then presented their action plans and commitments.
Danoy Long, a youth volunteer participant from YMCA of Cambodia expressed her commitment saying that, “Through this training I learnt the importance of changing my daily habits. Firstly, I say “no to single use plastic”. Secondly, I will save energy by reducing the number of hours of using electricity and finally I will start using bicycle and public transport. I also believe that we need to engage in advocacy on policies and laws that will protect the environment and the people.”
Maria Cristina Miranda
Executive Secretary
4th Regional Conference on Climate Change: Sep 26-29, 2019, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Last Updated (Friday, 11 October 2019 17:28)
4th Regional Conference on Climate Change in Ulaanbaatar
The APAY 4th Regional Conference on Climate Change was held on 26-29 September, 2019 at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Sixteen youth leaders from Korea, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, Myanmar and Mongolia participated in the program jointly hosted by the Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs and YMCA of Mongolia. It was the first regional program hosted by the YMCA of Mongolia.
The APAY runs E-Learning course on Climate Change, an online platform designed with 9 different modules covering different areas related to Climate Change. Participants who successfully complete the e-learning are required to design and implement an action plan based what they have learned. The Regional Conference on Climate Change was the final and concluding activity of APAY E-learning on Climate Change course which stretched over a 6 month period. At this conference, participants were provided additional information and resources on issues related to combating climate change that is not covered by the e-learning. Participants also had opportunity to exchange information and experiences related to combating climate change by their local communities and YMCAs.
Read more: 4th Regional Conference on Climate Change: Sep 26-29, 2019, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Regional Green Ambassadors Training, Chiangmai, Thailand
Last Updated (Friday, 11 October 2019 13:35)
Asia & Pacific Alliance of YMCAs & Sao Hin YMCA
Regional Green Ambassadors Training
Let’s Act on Climate Change
Restore our Nature & Promote Sustainable Livelihoods and Peace
November 18 -23, 2019
(Including Days of Arrival and Departure)
At the YMCA of Chiangmai, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand
1. Introduction:
Consumption of energy and natural resources is growing steadily, driven by economic development and population growth. Current patterns of energy and natural resource use, agricultural practices, and urbanization appear to be largely unsustainable and require urgent remediation. Moreover, destruction of forests and the considerable burning of fossil fuels are directly causing the level of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to rise.
The average global temperature on earth has increased by about 0.8° Celsius since 1880. By the end of this century, it will be several degrees higher, according to the latest climate research. Studies show that Asia is becoming a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, and its ecosystems are under stress, with on-going, accelerating loss of biodiversity. This region is regularly identified as one of the regions that will be hardest hit by global warming. Since climate change is a global phenomenon that will require collaborative action by individuals, communities, governments, organizations and corporations to bring about meaningful change. We need urgent action at every level to combat climate change and its impacts.
The Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs and Sao Hin YMCA recognize that education has an important role to play in improving the global response to climate change. That means all sectors have to work in direct implementation of climate change adaptation and mitigation especially to inspire others to work towards the necessary behavioral changes.
With our wide geographic reach, YMCAs have the ability to use this advantage to engage stakeholders in government, academic, media, business, and communities to create a force multiplier. Thus, the Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs and Sao Hin YMCA, Chaing Mai, had cooperated to organize the YMCA Green Ambassadors Training Program since 2017.
The training expected that YMCAs of Asia and Pacific Region would be more sensitive towards the ecology, peace & living together within nature, responsive towards preservation of the environment, reduce their respective carbon emission, become Green and Low Carbon YMCA, and work towards climate justice with the concrete and innovative activities in ensuring quality and opportunity of climate change education in their respective YMCA.
To continue our mission for healthy and well protected environment supporting a sustainable living, the Regional Green Ambassadors Training on “Let’s Act on Climate Change: Restore our Nature & Promote Sustainable Livelihoods and Peace” will be organized during November 18 – 23, 2019, in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
The Training aims to have practical and incremental learning effects for all the participants by sharing good practices and providing a practical opportunity to better understand the concept and practice of climate change education.
The training programs will be focused on natural resource preservation, energy conservation and alternative energy promoting, the impacts of climate change and green consumption as well as promote cooperation of all sectors. The participants shall be expected to commit themselves or form a ‘Green Team’ to work for carbon emission reduction in their own YMCAs and community in order to organize continuing activities to reduce carbon emission and promote green society.
Read more: Regional Green Ambassadors Training, Chiangmai, Thailand
International Green Ambassadors Training 2019
Last Updated (Thursday, 04 April 2019 15:02)
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