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The Pacific Youth Environment
Network - PYEN
The UNEP Regional
Office for Asia and Pacific (UNEP ROAP) with support from Bayer
group of companies aims to establish a similar youth environment network
in South Pacific. The University of New South Wales will provide support
and leadership and capacity building skills. Preliminary discussions and
preparations have taken place on the network and the South Pacific youth
environment network should be launched soon. It will be launched within
the year 2005
Launch of the Tunza-Pacific Youth Environment Network (Tunza-PYEN)
Bangkok, 20 October 2005: The United Nations Environment Programme
is pleased to announce the launch and establishment of the Tunza - Pacific
Youth Environment Network (Tunza-PYEN). As part of its launch, Tunza-PYEN
will have an inaugural conference from 23 to 27 October 2005 in Sydney,
Australia hosted by University of New South Wales (UNSW). This Conference
will bring together youth delegates from the Pacific to formalize PYEN
and will offer capacity-building workshops and training on networking
among the members.
The Conference is part of the United Nations Environment Programme's
TUNZA programme for children and youth. 'Tunza' means to treat with care
and affection in Kiswahili and it is a wide-ranging programme to involve
children and young people in environmental issues.
The participants of the Conference (young people aged 15 to 24) come from
various countries of the South Pacific sub-region. They were selected
on basis of their essays on their vision and long-term goals for PYEN
and the difference PYEN can make in their individual lives. The programme
of the Conference includes public lectures on key environmental issues;
workshops and training sessions to aid in the development of regional
action plans and sustainable development indicators; and group discussions.
The UNEP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Mr. Surendra Shrestha,
who will be a chief guest at the Opening Ceremony of the Conference, has
said that young people are an important force for channeling change in
society and their involvement in environmental and sustainable development
issues is necessary for ensuring a better future.
UNEP has already launched similar youth environmental networks in other
sub-regions of Asia and the Pacific, specifically South Asia and North
East Asia. Both the networks have successfully raised youth awareness
and increased youth involvement in environmental projects and activities.
The Tunza-South Asia Youth Environment Network (Tunza-SAYEN) was one of
the partners with UNEP for the recently held Tunza International Youth
Conference 2005 in India.
The Conference is organized by UNEP and the University of New South Wales,
Sydney, and sponsored by Bayer AG. It is supported by the South Pacific
Regional Environment Programme, University of South Pacific, Randwick
City Council, UNSW's Kensington Group, UNSW's Ecoliving Centre.
For more information on Tunza-PYEN please contact
Mary O'Malley
UNSW Media Office,
Tel: (+61-2) 9385 2873, 043 888 1124.
Ms. Tanawan Sarabuddhi
UNEP ROAP,
Bangkok,
Tel: 6622882314
Ms Twinkle,
UNEP RRC.AP
Phone: 66-2-524 6222
Fax: 66-2-524 6233
Youth
Projects
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