Girls power in Pakistan

Pakistan Youth Parliament for Water organized the 1st Plant-for-the-Planet Academy with 85 Young Climate Justice Ambassador at  PakTurk International School & College Islamabad on 20th September  with collaboration of Gomal Daman Area Water Partnership (GDAWP) to engage and empower the young students to fight climate crisis and stand for climate justice. 

Mr. Wasif Bashir started the Academy and provide detailed Introduction of the Plant-for-the-Planet mission and vision. He further added that a young child of 9 years started to involve the young generation considering  them Climate Justice Ambassador for massive level tree plantation to solve the climate issues in the world. While he gave an example of Felix started first tree plantation in 2007 and till now there are millions of tree being planted to  win the trillion tree plantation globally. He further added that climate is a big challenge in the world which putting sever threat to  Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), food security, environmental sustainability and economic growth. Its creating catastrophic events in Pakistan and entire South Asia region like flash floods, uneven weather footprint and fire in the forest at  massive level.  

Mr. Aslam Khan (President GDAWP) hold the World Café with dividing all the students into four equal groups which  was facilitated by the teachers and young volunteers. Students assigned which have one group facilitator in each group and fixed with four different themes entitled, Media, Adults, other Childrenand Planting Events. In this World Café students discussed on multiple assumptions and perspectives on how to involve Media in social awareness regarding  the  climate crisis, plantation and advocacy. Furthermore they demonstrated that plantation is foremost needed to combat the climate  challenges with involving the adults, parents, peer, other children for more plantation in vulnerable communities.  

Media group highlighted that young Climate Ambassadors can work independently for awareness raising about plantation and climate  crisis through social media like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, web blogging, YouTube, daily motion, developing the flyers, broacher  etc. this group concluded that media is best and effective tool to mobilize the local communities for the social  plantation and climate change related awareness.  

Planting Events group students demonstrated that we can increase the number of planting events with creation of competition in the different schools, areas, district clubs and provinciallevel. While they added that we should also start to discuss with our parents,  peers and relatives to attractive their attention towards the tree plantation.

Adult groups highlighted that if each child can influence their  parents and, family members, sibling and friends then ultimately at this moment at least we can take a great number of our allies in  this good work. So at the next stage all the children and their allies should talk to their associated peoples about the climate crisis, CO2, disasters and water related challenges to convince them for enormous tree plantation.

Other  Children involvement group concluded that children are best in the behavior influence of their parents and other children. So children should play their role to learn first about the climate change challenges and then share to other  children for making successful plantation around the world on Child to Child approach. 

Each student planted one tree with thier name tag on it in schools and promised to look after it till their school period ends. Students, teachers, and Mr. Aslam Khan as well as Director of the PakTurk School provided their assistant  to students in planting trees to ensure strong intergenerational  cooperation to secure the present and future of the Pakistan.  Young  student  also convinced  their  teachers and guest  to plant the 150 trees in other areas, organizing the meat free day at school  canteen to reduce the corban emission level and playing small contribution  in  assuringglobal temperature desirable. Students also captured  the witness pictures with  their seniors to identifying  the importance of tree plantation and said “Stop Talking. Start Planting.”. Mr. Aslam Khan motivated students to  keep up the plantation process assmall act can create the big change and contribution to save the planet for next generation. 

Ms. Zerfishan Adnan conducted Rhetoric activities with students in which she provided the platform  to improve  the presentation and demonstration style of the young Climate Ambassadors as in evening activity. During the  presentation student highlighted that there are twosources of carbon emission as  natural and manmade in which second one is more  dangerous but controllable as well with strong commitments and plantation. While students also presented that climate  related worst  events like heatstroke, uneven weather footprint, disasters, global warming are quiteeasy to combat with multi‐stakeholders  involvement, equal gender balance, youth, media campaigning and educational institutions. Academy concluded with strong  commitments of the young climate justice ambassadors for mobilizing other children, adults, media, and parents to have a massive  plantation in Pakistan considering ourselves as a responsible of today and tomorrow. 

Ms. Zerfishan Adnan concluded the session and declared that Youth, Water and Climate Combining to have a water secured & climate adaptive world. Pakistani young generation is ready to make this planet a livable, peaceful  and sustainable for current and next generation to ensure the sustainable Development. As future is Not‐Not tomorrow. Each student received one young ambassadors Certificate, one book entitle Tree By Tree. Ms. Zerfishan Adnan thanks to team of Pakistan Youth Parliament for Water (PYPW) for organizing this activity and also promised to support young generation and PYPW for such as climate and water related activities in Local Institution.

Mr.Babar declared that there is upcoming second Plant-for-the-Planet Academy in another city so we will inform your teachers and any students from you all can join if want. Furthermore Mr. Babar paid special thanks to Ms. Zerfishan  Adnan,  Mr.Aslam  Khan for the generous support to make this Academy successful in Pakistan. 

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