THE fourth Green Leaders Camp (GLC4) concluded yesterday with a closing ceremony at the Youth Centre and a presentation of certificates to the participants by Haji Mohammad Zamree bin Haji Zunaidi, the Director of the Tourism Development Department at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism.
In his speech, Haji Mohammad Zamree called for more non-government organisations (NGOs) and youth associations to participate in environmental projects in the coming year of 2017, which was declared as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism at the United Nations’ 70th General Assembly.
“An increasing number of environmental initiatives are being led by the government, NGOs and the private sector, so it is up to the individuals themselves to take advantage of the many opportunities offered to them,” he said.
“I implore youths to look beyond the traditional methods of learning, and seek out various avenues of obtaining knowledge on the environment, including through conferences, outdoor camps and seminars.”
Thirty youths, aged 16 to 25 years, participated in the camp from December 5 to 8, which was supported by Nasi Putih, LF Asia, Seri Bumi Consultant, Brucert, MOC Sdn Bhd, and Progresif Cellular Sdn Bhd.
During the four-day camp, various talks were conducted on the topics of volunteerism, leadership and environmental issues by guest speakers from the Tourism Development Department, the Forestry Department, DARE (Darussalam Enterprise), Poni Divers, Kunyit7 Lodge, Radisson Hotel Brunei, and the alumni of the previous Green Leaders Camp.
The participants also went on a tour of a stingless bee farm and a sago factory in Tutong District.
In addition, two workshops were held on Project Management, and Communication and Public Speaking, facilitated by Mohammad Firdaus bin Haji Ismail, the Programme Manager for Environmental Education under Green Brunei, and the Project Manager of GLC4.
During these sessions, participants devised their own projects which are part of the camp’s requirements.
“This camp has taught me a lot about leadership skills, and of course, about the environment,” said Muhammad Izzudin bin Haji Jahari, one of the camp participants.
“My public speaking skills and teamwork abilities have improved over the course of the programme. I’ve also learnt a lot about eco-tourism which was previously unknown to me, and also ways of promoting eco-tourism through different mediums,” he said.
Another participant, Aiman Razin Firdaus bin Haji Abdul Rahman said, “The Green Leaders Camp has taught me how to plan and conduct a project. Attending the talks has improved my mindset and way of thinking on a particular subject.
“In addition, it has motivated me to participate in activities of benefit to myself and the rest of the community. Since most of the participants come from various educational backgrounds and have the same interests, it was easy for us to bond and learn from each other.”
“This year’s camp has the most diverse participants coming from varying educational backgrounds – ranging from ‘O’ and ‘A’ Levels, Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE) and even undergraduate students,” said Mohammad Firdaus, the Project Manager.
“This made the camp much more interesting to conduct. It was nice to see how they applied their knowledge from the talks and workshops in their project ideas. As members of Green Brunei, we would like to see more youths being proactive in environmental conservation both during and beyond the camp,” he added.
The first Green Leaders Camp was held in 2014 with the objective of empowering youths through workshops on teamwork, leadership skills and conservation. To date, the camp has trained 97 youths on environmental initiatives.
Source: Borneo Bulletin