A BRUNEIAN environment proponent earlier this month took part in the Young Southeast Asian Leadership Initiative (YSEALI) Sea and Earth Advocates (SEA) Camp in the Philippines.
The US Embassy here had nominated Firdaus Ismail to attend the international environmental camp at Aklan, Boracay Island.
During the camp from June 6-12, Firdaus joined 25 other youth leaders from the Philippines for an intensive environmental education and leadership training programme that saw participants engaging in panel discussions, outdoor activities and workshops.
The participants also learned about mass tourism and unsustainable development that could threaten the oceans.
“The region produces 55 tonnes of waste per day and that’s not much different in Brunei with 1.4kg per capita and other parts of ASEAN”, Firdaus was quoted as saying in a press release.
“During a beach clean-up, we found mainly plastic-based litter such as straws and candy wrappers which can increase the likelihood of animal ingestion,” he added.
Firdaus was also invited by SEA Camp to share his experiences in working with non-governmental organisation Green Brunei and discuss the impact of his Green Leaders Camp project.
“The camp was a great opportunity for me to exchange ideas and help others succeed, while also strengthening relations among ASEAN youth leaders and providing them with guidance.
“I learned so much just by listening to other speakers and finding the common challenges we face such as gathering funds and maintaining volunteers to sustain a project. The lesson we took away was to find ways to be more creative with our projects,” he added.
Source: The Brunei Times