Climate Change Schools Outreach

Students for Global Democracy Uganda’s broad mission is to empower young people with the fundamental principles of human rights and democracy. However a conducive environment is a human right, since it interrelates with right to health, right to good shelter, right to food security etc.

Students and youth represent a top priority for the global development stakeholders, and a new generation of support. An estimated half a million student, from primary school to university, participate worldwide in global programs each year. However, student community is not well informed on the adverse effects of climate change.

SGD-Uganda reaches out to schools and tertiary institutions with climate change awareness projects.The main aim of these  projects is to create a Student and Youth Community in Uganda that is well informed about Climate Change (concepts, causes, risks) and its impact on sustainable development, and therefore be able to take action and make global responsible choices.

These  projects  are  geared towards creating an awareness of the importance of a culture of protection of the environment, sustainable use of resources and the real and present threat of climate change. This knowledge and culture should be even more evidenced amongst the youth, and amongst the students who are likely to be the leaders of the new nations of tomorrow.

This is normally  done in collaboration with the NEMA (National Environment Management Organisation), Uganda Coalition for Sustainable Development and other stakeholders. These  projects  involve conferences, training workshops, public dialogue and public speaking events on climate change. Further, the students are involved in tree planting exercise as a way of promoting environmental conservation practices through School and community nursery establishments and other practices that will mitigate the green house gas emission.

These  projects empower  students/youth with the information and the literature materials on Climate Change concept. They are geared towards climate change mitigation and adaptation.

We are requesting to empower youth/students with the desired knowledge on climate change that has not been readily available to them. We hold trainings of trainers among these youth and Students who ware responsible to train others in their Universities, Schools and Communities.

Activity Implementation:

The schools outreach activity on climate change involved presentations on the adverse effects of climate change, and thereafter students themselves participated in signing climate petition forms.

The activity was carried out in sites located in three divisions of Kampala District namely Nakawa Division (Kamwokya Streets, Bukoto Trading Centre); Makindye Division (Kansanga Miracle Centre Church and Kampala International University), and Central Division (Makerere College School,Makerere Institute for Social Development, Kampala Senior Secondary School, and even in taxis.

The exercise involved members of Students for Global Democracy Uganda going to National Environment Management Authority Reference Library (NEMA) and Uganda Coalition for Sustainable Development, once a week to pick the petition cards at the same time returning the signed ones. Thereafter, members meet in office to deposit cards signed the previous day and pick blank ones to be signed that very day.

Our schools climate change presentations were on the “Adverse Effects of Climate Change on the Uganda Population”, thereafter open discussions and brain storming on possible action plan was proposed. With the Students’ acknowledgement and consent, understanding the urgent need of the climate change question, climate petition forms were signed to let their voices be heard at the forthcoming UN Climate Change Conference due in Copenhagen, Denmark, December 2009.

 Objectives of the Activity:

To significantly raise the level of awareness of the Student Community on the concept of climate change.

Actively involve the Student Community in Uganda to participate in the climate petition to be presented to Governments of the World during the UN Climate Change Conference due in Copenhagen, Denmark, December 2009.

 Activity Goal:

To create a Student Community in Uganda that is well informed about the concept of Climate Change, and therefore be able to take action and make global responsible choices.

Observations:

We noticed that Climate Change is totally a new concept in the minds of the Student Community in Uganda

Student Community are lacking the information and the literature materials on Climate Change concept

The Student Community in Uganda desires to learn and to get actively involved in tackling Climate Change.

There is no informed ideas on Climate Change amongst the institutional leaders

Student community in the tertiary institutions lack resources to take action on Climate Change.

Due to the desire to have a deeper understanding on the concept of Climate Change, Student Community were so receptive to learn and take action

Challenges:

Climate Change being a new concept, there was need to explain deeper on the question of climate change

Student Community have no well informed idea on adverse effects of climate change

There is total lack of basic literature materials on climate change

There was a big problem accessing some schools due to the bureaucracy and lack of the idea and individual responsibility of the need to take action.

There was a big problem of reaching out to some institutions of learning due to their locality that was affected by lack of transport.

There were no promotional materials like banners, leaflets, manuals and all the related literature.

There was inappropriate coordination of climate change activities amongst stakeholders and action systems to address the phenomenon.

Recommendations:

We need to reach out to student communities in Uganda with a deeper insight of climate change message

There is need to initiate students climate change clubs for enhanced sustainability and participation.

There is need to reach out to the student community with a participatory approach, which will involves open discussions, debates, dialogue on the concept of climate change.

There is need to build and strengthen the capacity of student leaders through training, conferences, so as to be empowered with the practical knowledge to disseminate the information back to their student communities.

We need to have a well coordinated approach on climate change amongst all stakeholders.

There is a need to have adequate promotional and literature materials to reach as many students as possible.

There is a need for the government institutions and action systems to openly communicate to the population, to avoid bureaucratic tendencies, and other issues that may affect in addressing climate change concept.

Way Forward:

We are still actively carrying out the Climate Change Presentation and Petition amongst Student Community, but lacking resources to push for further actions plans as we intended. We have sent about 10 request letters to institutions of learning to reach out to them with the messages of climate change, but we need enough promotional and literature materials, and transport facilitation to effectively carry out this program according to Students for Global Democracy Uganda’s work plan.