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The Green Dream
Last Updated (Monday, 25 January 2021 19:00)
The Green Dream
A Dream That Became a Reality!
With great pleasure we share the news with the YMCA family, that the YMCA of Moratuwa was a carbon-neutral YMCA during 2019. The feat was achieved, mainly through a 12kVA Solar PV system which was installed in July 2018. The total investment for the project was 11790 USD which was partly funded by the APAY.
The overall emissions for 2019 were 4.66 tons while the total offsets were 7.02 tons resulting in a positive carbon offset of 2.36 tons. The figures were obtained using the APAY Carbon Footprint Calculator. In the Year 2019, the system generated a total of 17630 kWh worth 2154 USD.
How It Works
The Solar power systems can be used with or without batteries to store excess energy. Our system does not have storage and the excess energy generated is fed to the electrical grid through an inverter (Although this may not be possible in all countries). Similarly, when the demand exceeds generation, electrical energy is drawn from the grid.
A New Business Model for CBOs
One of the main objectives of the project was to use part of the monthly savings from the solar plant for community outreach programs. For example, the YMCA utilized funds to provide health care for the malnourished children in the community. In the year 2019, medicine and infant food worth more than 1700 USD were issued through the outreach project in addition to the free medical consultations given by board-certified healthcare professionals.
Challenges
Going green was a bold decision by the YMCA . The challenges we faced were (a) the high initial cost of investment (b) Determining whether the system will properly function throughout the useful life cycle of the solar panels (c) Cost of maintenance needed for the system during the life cycle of the plant.
Lessons Learned
It would be great to see many other YMCAs join us on our journey. The following are some useful tips you may consider if your YMCA would decide to harvest green energy.
1. Prepare a feasibility report.
2. A Solar PV System could be a significantinitial investment. Our simple payback period was 4.7 years.
3. It’s good to have a minimum 10-year warranty for the Inverter and a 20-year warranty for Solar Panels. Fittings and the rooftop panel supporting structures could be a costly replacement in corrosion-prone atmospheres. Therefore, use Aluminium or Stainless Steel.
4. A warranty is no good if your service provider ceases to exist. Choose a company with good credentials.
5. As soon as the system is commissioned, obtain an insurance cover for environmental hazards and other risks.
6. Follow IET electrical installation regulations
7. Install surge arrestors for both the DC and the AC Sides of the inverter.
8. Design the system to export 20% of the energy generated to the grid on a sunny day.
9. Carefully select the utility tariff system.
Our Thanks
Our heartfelt gratitude goes to the APAY for providing the initial push by partly funding the project through the APAY Green Fund. We also thank all the member movements who have contributed to the APAY Green Fund.
-Niranga Fernando
General Secretary, YMCA of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
A Year Through Zoom!
Last Updated (Monday, 25 January 2021 19:35)
A Year Through Zoom!
ICF looks back on a year with many challenges due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and its related restrictions. However, like so many others, ICF took its activities online as much as possible in order to keep offering a space for young peace-builders of the region to learn, exchange and connect. The year 2020 was concluded with an online series of four workshops on the Intersection of Religion, Gender, and Human Rights.
The workshops took place every Thursday from November 19th to December 10th. The different sub-themes on each respective Thursday were:
| Religion, Femicide, and Various Forms of Sexual Abuse | “Women who are the victims of violence and sexual abuse usually do not get justice for themselves. Though the result is not a hundred percent, people are now raising their voices for justice for the victims of violence and sexual abuses. People are breaking the silence against violence, and this is a good sign.“ – Psyche Mankin from Bangladesh in her reflection on the first session. |
| Religion and LGBT Communities: „Is God’s Love Exclusive for Straight People?“ | |
| Health as Human Rights and Peace Issue | |
| Women’s Rights are Human Rights. |
YMCA Tozanso organized Retreat for Essential Workers amidst Covid-19 Pandemic
Last Updated (Friday, 29 January 2021 13:19)
Responding to Covid-19 related crisis, essential workers such as Doctors, Nurses, Staff of facilities of Elderly and people with disabilities are experiencing heavy burden on their daily work and exhausted both mentally and physically. To provide healing and retreat opportunities to the workers, YMCA TOZANSO held a 2-day program “Retreat for Essential Workers” on November 17th - 18th, 2020 at NCY Japan International Youth Center TOZANSO, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.
People working in medical and welfare settings are experiencing mental and physical stress. They can hardly get a holiday, and their daily activities are limited to their home and work. The additional pressure of not to cause infection at their workplace might cause their mental illness.
In this program, YMCA TOZANSO invited Dr. Mihoko Nakatani (Clinical Psychologist) as a counselor to maintain and improve the mental health of Essential Workers and provided time to relax in the rich natural environment of YMCA TOZANSO surrounding the Mt. Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan.
On Nov. 17th, six management staff from 3 different social welfare facilities in the local area were invited to the program. At the opening session, they learned the importance of mental health care for themselves. They also enjoyed working in the fresh air, followed by a bonfire session to share their anxiety and worries.
On Nov. 18th, some front-line workers joined the group and visited the deep forest of Mt. Fuji. They also worked together on “Collage” to express their dream of hope.
“There was no time to take a break these days. A deep breath in nature has made me feel much better.” “During the bonfire session, I could get to know that everyone has similar trouble. It relieved my burden. These are quotes from the participants.
Dr. Nakatani says those people have a strong will to “work for people” and “be close to people in need”, and they sometimes failed to notice their own exhaustion. She points out that those sense of mission can quickly bring them into “Burnout Syndrome”. She also advised the participants to share their feelings among workers every day and not carry their mental stress to the next day.
YMCA TOZANSO will continue a similar program for both medical and welfare workers in the future.
By- Kazuki Yamane, Executive Director of YMCA Tozanso
Albay YMCA helped communities recover from Typhoons
Last Updated (Monday, 25 January 2021 19:34)
In the Philippines, the Bicol region was triple hit by successive typhoons, Quinta, Rolly and Ulysses, in the last quarter of 2020 amidst Covid-19. Based on the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council data, the typhoons’ damage to agriculture and infrastructure in the country was around ₱35 billion whilst 125 persons killed, 458 injured and 29 missing. Tens of thousands of people were also internally displaced, temporarily staying in designated evacuation centres and makeshift shelters due to massive flooding and deluge of boulders from Mayon Volcano.
To facilitate early recovery actions, the Albay YMCA launched a fundraising campaign dubbed Bangon Bicol (Rise Bicol) on November 4, 2020, and received a total cash donation of ₱283,593.49 (USD 5,671.89), most of which were from World Alliance of YMCAs (WAY). In-kind donations were also received, such as rice, used clothing, noodles and canned goods.
The rollout of donations to disaster-affected communities commenced on November 22, 2020, two weeks after damage assessment and needs analysis. It was found that nearly half of the communities visited have already received shelter kits from the government and that the underlying hurdle was food security. Thus, Albay YMCA concentrated on the provision of food packs. Further, priority communities were determined based on typhoons’ damages, rate of displacement and poverty incidence.
The association coordinated with local government units prior to activity to ensure that the assistance will be delivered to minimise the risk of Covid-19 for disaster-affected people. So far, six successful food packs distribution has been carried out wherein the majority of direct beneficiaries were mothers, children and farmers from far-flung villages that were severely lashed by the abovementioned typhoons.
“On behalf of the beneficiaries in Albay province, we sincerely thank the donors especially our friends from local YMCAs in the Philippines, Asia-Pacific Islander Leadership Network (APILN) and World Alliance of YMCAs led by Secretary General Carlos Sanvee. Words cannot express our heartfelt gratitude for them for the continued trust, support and humanitarian assistance even in this difficult time of pandemic” said General Secretary Ianne Christine J. Aquino.
As of December 30, 2020, the Albay YMCA was able to provide food packs to 620 families or 1,863 individuals.
#BangonBicol
By YMCA of Albay
Tourism, Climate Change and Travel the YMCA way
Last Updated (Monday, 07 December 2020 15:25)
The travel and tourism industry has a high climate and environmental footprint, requiring heavy energy and fuel consumption and placing stress on land systems. Flights taken to reach tourist destinations cause more CO2 emissions than all local activities combined, with severe consequences for climate change. It has been estimated road and air travel to destinations contribute over 70% of the total carbon footprint of each trip.
The travel and tourism industry contributes to around 8% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as a result of aviation (40%), transportation (30%) and the consumption of goods and services (30%) including food and accommodation (Lenzen et al., 2018). The UNFCCC claimed that 8% is enormous and not sustainable. 8% makes the industry a bigger polluter than the construction industry. Travel and tourism-related transport CO2 emissions are predicted to increase to almost 2 million tonnes by 2030, a 25% rise from 2016 to 2030. The growth of travel and tourism over recent years has put achieving the targets of the Paris Agreement at risk.
During this time of COVID-19 pandemic travel and tourism is one of the industries most affected. On the one hand, there has been some reprieve in terms of reduction of GHG emissions, but on the other hand, it is impacting economies, livelihoods, public services and opportunities on all continents. Both the Governments as well as the travel and tourism industry are struggling to revive and kickstart traveling again.
From the perspective of climate change, this crisis presents to us an unprecedented opportunity to reform and transform the relationship of tourism with nature, climate and the economy. It is time to rethink how this industry impacts our natural resources and ecosystems, building on existing work on sustainable tourism; to examine how it interacts with our societies and other economic sectors; to measure and manage it better; to ensure a fair distribution of its benefits and to advance the transition towards a carbon-neutral and resilient tourism economy. We should take this opportunity to change the nature or traditional understanding of tourism by developing and promoting responsible and sustainable perspectives and practices on tourism by introducing responsible and sustainable activities at the destinations – focus on low carbon activities and carbon mitigating activities.
As travel restarts in some parts of the world, many YMCAs will also begin to plan programs that would involve traveling to an activity venue. We want to encourage you to Travel the YMCA way.
We hope that this GATN campaign on Traveling the YMCA way can transform not just our travel behaviour but will help us to adopt a more responsible and sustainable daily lifestyle, too.
Below are some simple steps to begin our responsible and sustainable lifestyle and to combat climate change.
- Watch our consumption habits, especially electricity and water.
- Eat local foods. Imported foods and products have a high carbon footprint.
- Minimize driving by setting concrete reduction goals and walking, biking, carpooling and using public transit as much as possible. Set a goal of walking or biking anywhere within 2 km of your home.
- Fly less and, when you do fly, make your travel count and justify your carbon footprint:
- travel with a purpose -- not just for pleasure or leisure
- choose green hotels and encourage hotels you visit to green their practices
- mitigate your travel and consumption with carbon neutral or carbon negative activities
- make sure the local communities benefit from your travel-- support the local economies, contribute to local development, support local NGOs and community services projects
~ Chan Beng Seng, GATN Coordiator
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