GREEN Brunei is keen to strengthen its initiatives on environmental education and conservation next year. The initiatives include holding more green camps, school talks and encouraging more people to take part in tree-planting, said the non-profit organisation’s community engagement director Khairunnisa Ash’ari. She said through its activities this year, she realised there is great potential in engaging more young people. “So far, all our programmes have been short-term, and we want to look into having more long-term programmes which are sustainable,” she said. This year, it initiated two tree-planting activities in Bengkurong apart from other conservation activities. However, Khairunnisa said plans are under way to turn them into long-term programmes by having them more frequently. “We still have a lot to do in terms of reaching out to the community…

GREEN Brunei recently attended Singapore Power Shift, a kickstarter workshop aimed at building up climate knowledge as well as knowledge on how to run successful campaigns. The Bruneian non-profit organisation was represented by its Community Engagement Director Khairunnisa Ash’ari, with support from the British High Commission. Organised by global climate movement organisation 350.org, Singapore Power Shift was part of 350.org’s second phase of the Global Power Shift (which took place in Turkey last year). The two-day workshop saw participation from over 50 youth from Southeast Asian countries, and focused on topics relevant to climate change movements around the world. Participants were also exposed to a wide range of campaigning skills and techniques through case studies, which were presented by different non-government organisations within and outside Singapore. Five campaign proposals were…

Khairunnisa listened intently as the speaker went on about the harmful effects of carbon dioxide on the environment and what Singapore has been doing to slow down global warming.  It was just less than 12 hours ago that Khairunnisa flew in from Brunei to attend the Singapore Power Shift organised by 350 Singapore held over a span of two days.  350 Singapore was founded by Young NTUC in March 2010. Speaking with a glint in her eye, Khairunnisa shares her passion in creating sustainable development. “Right now in Brunei, the environmental impact is not so obvious, we know that the problems with the environment such as haze, and water pollution crosses geographic boundaries but Brunei don’t have these problems right now, however with all these new knowledge that I can…

GREEN thumbs went beyond their backyards yesterday as they participated in a mangrove planting activity that was held along the river banks of Sg Damuan. Organised by local non-government organisation Green Brunei, the event is supported by the Forestry Department, Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources and HSBC Brunei. A total of 39 participants — comprising members of the organiser as well as staff from the Forestry Department — planted 105 mangrove saplings and at the same time learn about the importance of the plants in the ecosystem. “Mangrove forests provide protection and shelter against extreme weather events such as floods,” shared Forestry Assistant and Head of Bukit Patoi Forest Recreational Park and Selirong Island Unit, Mohamad Rozizan Mohd Maslin to the participants at the planting site. At the same…