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Youth and Sustainable Development
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Presentation
of the Mayor of Vancouver's 2005 Environmental
Achievement Award [Sekiyo Shimbun] |
The SGI-Canada Vancouver Youth Earth Charter Committee (YECC) was among the winners of the Mayor's Environmental Achievement Award at the Sustainability Fair 2005 sponsored by the city of Vancouver and the Canadian government. Held on June 8 at the Vancouver Public Library, the awards ceremony, which commemorated Clean Air Day and Environment Week, recognized individuals, nonprofit organizations and corporations for environmental initiatives that protect, preserve and enhance the environment. Mayor Larry Campbell presented a certificate to SGI-Canada Vancouver youth for their efforts to promote the Earth Charter, a "people's treaty" that sets forth fundamental principles for sustainable development and conservation of the natural environment, and for their efforts to establish the YECC which organizes and implements environmental education and volunteer activities.
During February and April, the YECC visited elementary schools in the Vancouver suburb of Langley to teach children about the Earth Charter, and in June it participated in a neighborhood cleanup. On May 7, together with SGI Vancouver youth leaders, it hosted a screening of
The World Is Yours to Change, an award-winning documentary sponsored by the SGI, at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Center. Over 30 youth organizations promoted ideas for sustainable living at home and abroad at this event, held to celebrate the start of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) and attended by some 2,000 local residents.
Meanwhile in Malaysia, the State Government of Selangor commended SGI-Malaysia (SGM) for its contributions to art and culture. The conferral took place on July 4 at the State Youth Culture Center in Shah Alam, capital of Selangor.
In Singapore, the Singapore Soka Association (SSA) youth division was awarded the Singapore Youth Award (SYA) 2005 for Community and Youth Services. The award recognizes excellence in and commitment to community service and youth development. The award ceremony took place on June 25 at the Istana, the official residence of the Singaporean president.
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