June 1^st

On this International Children’s Day, BLDP collaborated with the UNESCO Project on Education for Sustainable Development plan, China Soong Ching Ling Foundation and the UNEP-Tongji Institute of Environment.  As a reward for the youth implication in the use of better ecological practices in the everyday life, the organizers invited 15 children, selected from 3000 schools of Shanghai, to give a speech on the World Expo Theme, “Better City, Better Life”. This event was a bilingual speech contest named “Voice of The Youth”. These children, aged 12 to 14, were given 5 minutes to share their ideas on sustainable development, their views for the future and their ideas of good practices in front of a panel of judges composed of renowned experts. Every organizer pronounced a speech to explain the motivations of the organization of such an event and what it meant for them. Giving a voice to the promising Chinese youth is a refreshing way to get creative ideas to further develop sustainability solutions. After all, “out of the mouths of babes and sucklings comes the truth”, or so says the adage.

 

By exposing their innovative ideas or comments in English during a major global event, the Chinese youth showed it was ready to take its responsibilities and address challenging issues, not only in China but also internationally. Thanks to these kids, China’s future never looked so bright !

Dr Mae C. Jemison was the key note speaker for the event, as well as being a judge. Because of her experience as a physician and chemical engineer, the presence of this former NASA astronaut was most relevant. Dr Jemison is the founder of the Dorothy Jemison Foundation, which implemented an educative project called The Earth We Share. During a summer camp gathering children aged 12 to 16 from different cultures, the participants are invited to try and solve environmental problems. This is a way to increase the children’s awareness of global problems.

Jennie Young invited Dr David Sutton to take part in this contest as a moderator. David Sutton is a human ecologist and international consultant specializing in ecological conservation, sustainable development, integral health and creative communication. Former lecturer at Stanford University, with over 30 years of experience, holding a Ph.D, Dr Sutton is engaged throughout the world for his creativity, problem-solving and writing skills.