Today, on November 27th, “Eco Center” hosted active volunteers of the “Georgian Association of Educational Initiatives” (SIQA).
Young people received a lecture about the topic of “Environmental Advocacy”. At the lecture, we discussed the environmental problems in Rustavi, current challenges and achievements concerning air pollution, we also talked about the importance of waste recycling, environmental advocacy and civil activism. Young activists also watched a short film about the civil movement “Gavigudet”, made in 2020 with the support of the Heinrich Böell foundation, which reflects the reality of the enterprise area in Rustavi and the impact that air pollution has on humans.
The presentation invo
lved practical exercises as well. Including the exercise of “power analysis”, which creates an important basis for implementing a successful advocacy campaign. Besides, participants learned how to check air quality on the portal and determine pollution levels.
We also discussed the harmful effects of air pollution and the ways and habits by which we can contribute to decreasing the pollution rate. Additionally, we discussed the relation between reducing air pollution and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
We would like to underline the importance of meetings like this. The involvement of young people in such issues is essential. Participants realized the importance of our actions for successful advocacy. We are happy to meet such young people and we hope to cooperate with them in the future.
The meeting was held within the framework of USAID Civil Society Engagement Program, funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID).