A Joyfull Academy in Pakistan

There is an urgent need to work for the combating the impacts of Climate Crisis in the world to control the world temperature. Tree plantation is a key to control the temperature and providing enough oxygen to inhabitant for live in a sustainable atmosphere. In this regards Pakistan Youth Parliament for Water with collaboration of Gomal Daman Area Water Partnership (GDAWP) organized this Plant-for-the-Planet Academy with almost 80 Young Climate Justice Ambassador on Tuesday 23rd April 2019 at American Grammar School and college 17 Meel Bharakhau Islamabad.

Principal of the school Ms. Nighat welcomed program coordinator and President of Gomal Damaan Area Water Partnership and expressed her appreciation to the program coordinator for selecting their school for this Academy. She further handed over the venue to Mr.Wasif for moving ahead on the agenda and program. The main purpose of this activity was to engage & empower the young students in Climate Crisis resilience, mitigation and adaptation sector through do plantation at larger scale.

Mr. Aslam Khan; President of Gomal Damaan Area Water Partnership (GDAWP) interacted with young students and asked them very little interesting questions like either they know about CO2, photosynthesis or ozone layer. He engaged students in his presentation to develop their interest in Climate Crisis and plantation as well.

Acute impacts of Climate Crisis especially Global Warming had been source of catastrophic events in Pakistan and entire South Asia region like flash floods, uneven weather footprint, and fire in the forest at massive level.

He clearly said that this is the time when we all the people senior & young generation must join hands to work together for the mitigation of Climate Crisis impacts through different actions. While the most sustainable and easy way to protect our nature and planet from Climate Crisis impacts & Global Warming is to plant trees as much as we can.

With the start of event all the participants were taking deep interest in different activities. Mr. Wasif Bashir Babar conducted the World Game with help of other facilitators. In this way all the students were divided into different four groups with equal gender balance. They have been provided with world maps, different colourful markers, candies, balloons as well as some informative cards like most populated countries, most carbon emission countries, income, most affected countries/regions.

All the students helped each other’s to find out the targeted region, country and most populated continent on the map. This activity helps them to know more directly about the carbon emission, population of the world, continents, oceans, islands while working on the maps. Shortly the students really enjoyed this activity. Facilitators promised to carry on such kind of fun and interactive session during their classes of geography in school.

The main objective of the event was to develop the interest of student about Climate Crisis and social plantation. But at the same time it was an objective to develop their skills of giving public speeches to motivate and mobilize other students, parents, peers and communities. Program coordinator provided some informative cards to each group and asked them to read, and discuss the details with your group fellows, teachers and after some time present to other students. So with the support of the facilitators of groups and program coordinators; students call upon the stage and deliver their presentation about different topics like carbon emission, photosynthesis, reason of Climate Crisis, weather variations. Students enjoyed this session very much as it provide them a chance to react and express their views openly.

Mr. Aslam Khan (President GDAWP), Mr. Wasif Bashir Babar and other facilitators conducted World Café. They divided all the participants into four equal groups which were curated by the Teachers & Young volunteers. Each group of students assigned one group facilitator in each group and fixed with four different themes entitled, Media, Adults, other Children and Planting Events.

In World Café students discussed multiple ways and perspectives on how to involve media in social awareness regarding the Climate Crisis, plantation and advocacy.

By the group presentation students were divided into four equal groups and they discussed all the themes with facilitators. So they developed the flip charts as its presentation and deliver it on the stage to other students.

Tree plantation was the significant part of the Academy. Students were divided again into in groups to make sure that each student plant a tree and enjoy without any rush. Each student planted one tree with their names on it in schools and some outside around the main road. They also promised to look after it till their schooling time in the institute. Students, teachers, and guest Mr. Aslam Khan (President GDAWP), Principal of School Mrs. Nighat, Director of School Mrs. Maryam Kamran also joined the tree plantation and provided their assistant to students in planting trees. Young students also convinced their Principal, Director, teachers and guest to plant more trees in other areas also organize such kind of activities in other most marginalized communities and schools. Students also captured the pictures with their seniors to identify the importance of tree plantation and said “Stop Talking. Start Planting”.

Program Coordinator motivated students to keep up the plantation process because a small act can create the big change and save the planet for next generation Principal of School Mrs. Nighat paid her special thanks to President of Gomal Damaan Area Water Partnership Mr. Aslam Khan and Wasif Bashir Babar for the organizing this activity in her school. President of Gomal Damaan Area Water Partnership thanked to all the management of the school for their timing and support for this Academy. Mr.Wasif expressed his thankfulness to all the students and facilitators as well as teachers for providing a chance to work with them and arranging this Academy.

For more pictures of the event, please click here! And if you want to become a Climate Justice Ambassador, you can apply at the following webpage.