Event

The World Environment Day on 1st June, 2013 to be held at St John's University of Tanzania main campus Dodoma

MARKING THE EVENT

ST JOHN’S UNIVERSITY OF TANZANIA
 

ST JOHN’S UNIVERSITY ENVIRONMENT CLUB

EVENT PROPOSAL TO MARK THE WORLD ENVIRONMENT           DAY    5^TH JUNE 2013

THEME: THINK.EAT.SAVE

MARCH, 2013

1. Introduction

The World Environment Day (WED), marked 5^th June, was set in 1970’s by a UN meeting to press ahead the global environmental agenda. In the same year UNEP was born.

Over the past few years, the focus has been on the global climate debate and related issues. Last year for instance, the theme was “Green Economy: Does it include you?” with the regard, improving human well being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities.

This year however there is deliberate shift in the theme towards people’s ways of life. The theme “Think. Eat. Save” is an anti-food waste and food loss campaign that encourages people to reduce their footprint. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), every year 1.3 billion tones of food are wasted. This is equivalent to the same amount produced in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, 1 in every 7 people in the world go to bed hungry and more than 20,000 children under the age of 5 die daily from hunger.

The message behind the theme is to promote an understanding that the communities are pivotal to changing perceptions, attitudes, practices and knowledge concerning key ethical issues that relate with environmental conservation.

In line with that, St John’s University of Tanzania (SJUT) through its Environment Club (SJUEC) seeks to host a public lecture and discussion to mark the WED. Prior to that, a range of recycling activities round the university and nearby schools will be done in the week to the climax of the World Environment Day.

2. Goal

The public lecture aiming at personalizes environment issues and enables everyone to realize not only their responsibility but also their power to become agents for the change in support of sustainable development with the issue of entitlements and equity.” It is hoped that at the end of the session, both graduate and undergraduate students will be able to see clear link between the WED and their disciplines. Similarly, a clear and loud message will be sent across to the primary and secondary schools students that will attend the event.

3. Objectives

The objectives of the event are four-fold:

• To encourage students and the entire community to become more aware of the environmental impact of the food choices they make and empower them to make informed decisions.
• To enhance social integration and to create social partnership among students/lecturers for the different higher learning students in Dodoma.
• To build a forum where students, lecturers and the public at large can relate, deliberate issues and discuss different aspects of development.
• To be a starting point for micro-projects for environmental conservation around SJUT – such as waste recycling, tree-nursery – in line with the WED 2013 theme.

4. Activities

The main activities in marking the WED will be the following:

• Public lecture on the theme preferably presented by lecturer or Professor from either University of Dodoma or St John’s University of Tanzania.
• Sustaining environmental cleanliness particularly through ensuring improved waste management that will enable on-source sorting for efficient practices.
• Essay writing competition for secondary schools

5. Target group

The target group of the event is the public at large, but more specifically:

• SJUT and other Higher Learning Institutions’ students
• Higher learning academics/faculty
• Neighbouring communities and secondary school students in the area
• NGOs and CBOs engaged in environmental management and socio-economic development
• Local government authorities

6. Sponsorship and sponsor benefits

It should be noted that this is the fifth time that SJUT hosts a public lecture to mark the WED. Similarly, in Dodoma, it has been at the centre of the communication of this day and thus creating increased awareness to the public that it’s a center for environmental management.

7. Conclusion

We look forward to your positive response in ensuring that the event is a success. Kindly find attached the budget for the event, which you may opt to sponsor part or whole. Our appreciations are in order.

Mr. Fadhili Bwagalilo                                                           Mr. Msafiri Gaula

Patron, SJUEC                                                                     Chairperson, SJUEC