“Environmental Conserva0on and Volunteerism for ASEAN Communi0es” Submi:ed by: ASEAN Youth Volunteer Programme @ AsiaEngage Passion, energy, leadership, impact -‐ these brought together 97 youth volunteers from across ASEAN, for five weeks, (15 August – 20 September), to the ASEAN Youth Volunteer Programme (AYVP@AsiaEngage). AYVP@AsiaEngage is a dedicated youth volunteerism plaMorm, developed and implemented by the UniversiO Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), in cooperaOon with the Malaysia Ministry of Youth and Sports, and endorsed by the ASEAN Secretariat. It aims to create and strengthen the ASEAN idenOty whilst collaboraOvely solving challenges faced by communiOes. The inaugural programme was funded by USAID and focused on Environment and Community Engagement, thus Otled as, “The Development of ASEAN Youth Eco-‐Leaders through Volunteerism and Community Engagement. During the first week, the ASEAN Youth Eco-‐Leaders were hosted at the UniversiO Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) -‐ the only University in the region that is located in about a hundred hectares of forest reserve. One of the university’s research strengths is in the field of the environment and climate change. Therefore, exposure to UKM’s rich biodiversity and environment research was a fi[ng start to the programme. The Eco-‐Leaders also engaged in discussions on the environmental context of ASEAN, from which they developed awareness of the issues shared by the region. Shared problems call for shared soluOons -‐ a learning process for these promising young leaders, as they lived for three weeks with communiOes in one of the four bio-‐diversity sites around Malaysia. The programme was designed for them to work in varying environmental eco-‐systems to solve problems faced by communiOes -‐ Mersing in Johor (Enhancing Environmental Awareness and Minimizing Pollu9on in Coastal Communi9es by Promo9ng the Prac9ce of Community-‐based Recycling), Kampung Dew Firefly Sanctuary in Perak (Firefly Conserva9on and Community-‐ Based Eco-‐Tourism), SeOu Wetlands in Terengganu (Restoring and Conserving a Sustainable Wetland Ecosystem for the Community), and Kuala Selangor Nature Park (KSNP for RAMSAR-‐ Saving the Wetlands and Flyway). Twenty-‐five Eco-‐Leaders were assigned to Mersing, situated on the eastern coastline of Malaysia, to enhance environmental awareness within the coastal community and to minimise coastal polluOon. A`er three weeks, they implemented community-‐based recycling programmes that benefiaed three different local villages. Their efforts were instrumental in increasing recycling efforts and eliminaOng open burning pracOces. They designed and assembled a mobile garbage collector called “Shoot it Right” at local primary schools, launched a recycling campaign at a local resort through the set-‐up of mini collecOon bins by the beach area, and constructed a ten-‐foot buy-‐back centre for the local community. Another group of Eco-‐Leaders was assigned to Kampung Dew, a tourist desOnaOon famous for its fireflies located at the Northern state of Perak, Malaysia. The volunteers there supported exisOng local community iniOaOves on forest firefly habitat conservaOon and the promoOon of community-‐based eco-‐tourism. Since eco-‐tourism has been the main source of income for the
community, the Eco-‐Leaders engaged the locals to help enhance their livelihood. They put together signages that labelled plants along the riverbank with their local and scienOfic names. These served as useful markers for local tour guides, when communicaOng with tourists and researchers. SeOu, located along the east coast of Malaysia, was the other site that hosted the Eco-‐Leaders. Their efforts at this site was mainly on restoring the degraded and semi-‐degraded wetland eco-‐ systems by re-‐establishing wetland condiOons which are similar to the original condiOon of areas that have been altered by human acOviOes. The Eco-‐Leaders documented eco-‐system components which support enormous biodiversity resources. One strategy to restore wetland eco-‐systems is to re-‐introduce original vegetaOon which in the long term will slowly re-‐establish its original hydrology of topography. The Eco-‐Leaders, together with a local women’s group, planted mangrove saplings along the riverbank. As for the children of SeOu, the Eco-‐Leaders organised Environmental EducaOon (EE) acOviOes and a school garden enrichment acOvity to impart small concrete steps that they can take to help maintain green surroundings in school, and at home. The last batch of Eco-‐Leaders was based at the Kuala Selangor Nature Park (KSNP), situated at the mouth of Selangor River, Malaysia and covers approximately 800 acres of mangroves and mudflats. Eco-‐Leaders in KSNP learned how to bring about a more sustainable use of the wetlands and be part of the network on wetlands conservaOon in the region, and worldwide. They took an acOve role in rehabilitaOng the wetland eco-‐system through the rehabilitaOon of mangrove nurseries and planOng of mangrove seedlings, hand-‐in-‐hand with secondary students from two local schools. An important aspect of the learning process was to understand the purpose of the Ramsar convenOon which was cra`ed by the internaOonal community to ensure the conservaOon and good use of wetlands. The Eco-‐Leaders organised events to raise awareness on the different Ramsar sites around the region, and to engage the local community and government in a public dialogue. On the fi`h week, the ASEAN Youth Eco-‐Leaders headed back to UKM for the last stretch of acOviOes. The culminaOon of the programme was the Grand CelebraOon which brought together all the stakeholders to showcase the learning, the culture, the song and dances of various countries and communiOes across ASEAN.
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Smiles, Hearts and Hands from ASEAN to Mother Earth One of the powerful and meaningful ways by which ASEAN people come together is through community engagement and volunteerism. The ASEAN Youth Volunteer Programme (AYVP@AsiaEngage), is a dedicated youth-‐volunteerism plaMorm, endorsed by the 10 ASEAN member states, that create opportuniOes for youth across the region to work together by creaOng knowledge-‐driven soluOons to challenges faced by communiOes. The inaugural programme for “The Development of ASEAN Youth Eco-‐Leaders through Volunteerism and Community Engagement” has seen 97 youth volunteers from across ASEAN spend five meaningful and highly impacMul weeks with each other and the local communiOes in four different biodiversity sites in Malaysia. Through the sharing of knowledge, culture and experiences, the engagement of the volunteers with the local community is truly the embodiment of Bringing ASEAN Closer to the People.
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“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.” -‐ Gary Synder During the first week, the UniversiO Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) hosted all 97 ASEAN Youth Eco-‐Leaders. UKM is the only University in the region that is located in about 100 hectares of forest reserve. One of its research strengths is in the field of the environment and climate change. The University provided the Eco-‐Leaders with a serene and conducive environment to drive their learning journey and knowledge exploraOon.
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Shared Problems call for Shared SoluOons -‐ One ASEAN Community The Eco-‐Leaders also discussed the environmental issues faced by their respecOve countries, and shared within the ASEAN region. In the ASEAN Community, shared problems call for shared soluOons -‐ a recurring lesson for these promising young leaders, as they lived for three weeks with local communiOes in four bio-‐diversity sites around Malaysia.
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One’s Trash, is Another’s Treasure In Mersing Johor, a group of Eco-‐Leaders designed and assembled a mobile garbage collector called “Shoot it Right.” The portable set of waste segregaOon bins has been uOlised in three locaOons in a span of three weeks. Today, “Shoot it Right” belongs to SK Tanjung Resang, a local primary school, that has intended to use it to encourage its students to pracOce recycling, while supporOng local waste collectors in the area.
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Leave Nothing but Footprints on the Sand From educaOon sector, to industry -‐ a second group of Eco-‐Leaders in Mersing launched a recycling campaign for Teluk Gorek Beach Resort. The main recycling centre was set-‐up by the beach area, while mini collecOon bins were posiOoned in strategic areas within the resort. Resort management adopted this system, in an effort to improve waste management by its staff and guests.
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A Back-‐Breaking ContribuOon to ConservaOon The third group of Eco-‐Leaders worked at the Pasir Lanun Beach where they constructed, with bare hands, a ten-‐foot buy-‐back centre for the local community. This centre served as an effecOve mechanism for designated waste collectors to gather, and make profit out of, used plasOc boales and On cans which are commonly found along the shore.
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Let there be Light! And there were Fireflies. In Kampung Dew, Perak, habitat loss and water polluOon has made nature’s light slowly fade out. The Eco-‐Leaders began by surveying around the firefly habitat, and studying its various flora and fauna. They gained valuable knowledge on the mangrove forest which consists of over a hundred Berembang trees, where fireflies congregate for shelter and to feed on its dew. Other local plants that they discovered were the Rotan Bakau, Bakau Minyak, Bakau Kurap, Nipah, Pinang, Putat, and Baru-‐Baru.
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Knowledge is Power, especially when it’s Shared Knowledge-‐driven volunteerism empowers communiOes. Since eco-‐tourism has been the main source of income for the community in Kampung Dew, the Eco-‐ Leaders also engaged the locals to help enhance their livelihood. They put together signages that labelled plants along the riverbank with their local and scienOfic names. These served as useful markers for local tour guides, when communicaOng with tourists and researchers.
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It’s a Bird, it’s a Plane, it’s Superman! Birdwatching at SeOu In SeOu Wetlands, Terangganu, the Eco-‐Leaders documented eco-‐system components which support enormous biodiversity resources. Among those they closely examined were birds that highly depend on the health of the wetland, which serves both as their habitat and food source. They sighted birds that are commonly found in mangrove locaOons such as the Dollar Birds and Asian Black Starlings, as well as a few rare ones like the Blue Kingfisher, Indian Roller and Brahmini Kite.
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Holding the Earth Together In hopes of restoring the wetland eco-‐systems, the Eco-‐Leaders together with a local women’s group in SeOu, planted approximately 84 mangrove saplings along the riverbank. Their strategy was to re-‐introduce original vegetaOon which in the long term will slowly re-‐establish its original hydrology of topography. In the process, they have helped provide habitat for many unique species and regulate water levels in the area.
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Use your Handprints to Lessen your Eco-‐Footprints Several community building events saw the rippling effect of environmental educaOon to various local communiOes. As for the children of SeOu, the Eco-‐ Leaders organised Environmental EducaOon (EE) acOviOes, and a school garden enrichment acOvity, where they learned of the small concrete steps that they can take to maintain the green surroundings in school, and at home.
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Sheltering Mother Nature In Kuala Selangor Nature Park (KSNP), the Eco-‐Leaders took an acOve role in rehabilitaOng the wetland eco-‐system, while training secondary students from two partner schools in the community. Together, they teamed-‐up towards restoring abandoned mangrove nurseries through clean-‐ups and se[ng up of plant shelters.
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Saving Earth -‐ one Tree at a Time... Over the years, land clearance, development upstream and polluOon from nearby areas have resulted in the loss of large mangrove areas. The Eco-‐Leaders, with their student mentees, eagerly acted on this call to restore mangrove populaOon in Kuala Selangor, and joined forces in several tree planOng iniOaOves.
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ImaginaOon is the start of InnovaOon Another key area of learning at KSNP was the Ramsar convenOon. Ramsar was cra`ed by the internaOonal community to ensure the conservaOon and good use of wetlands. In order to raise awareness on this issue, the Eco-‐Leaders organised public events and interacOve acOviOes to share knowledge on the different Ramsar sites around the region. These also served as venues for dialogues with the local community and government about the roles that each stakeholder plays in protecOng the wetlands.
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CelebraOon a`er ConservaOon On the fi`h week, the ASEAN Youth Eco-‐Leaders headed back to UKM for the culminaOon of the programme. The Grand CelebraOon brought together all the stakeholders to showcase the learning, the culture, the song and dances of various countries and communiOes across ASEAN. It is hoped that AYVP has served as a catalyst for the Eco-‐Leaders to create a mulOplier effect of knowledge driven and community engaged volunteerism, for the development of the ASEAN Community and its peoples.