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NON-GOVERNMENT organisation (NGO) Green Brunei concluded its third Green Leaders Camp on Wednesday with a certificate presentation and closing ceremony at the Marine Biodiversity Centre in Meragang. Themed ‘Protecting the Marine Ecosystem from the Impacts of Climate Change’, the event was attended by Mahmud Hj Yussof, chief executive officer of the Heart of Borneo Centre and head of the Biodiversity Research and Innovation Centre (BioRIC), as the guest of honour. He also presented certificates of completion to 31 participants between 17-26 years old from various higher education institutions. The four-day camp was held from September 20-23 and was sponsored by the Heart of Borneo Centre, which is under the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources (MIPR), 350.org Singapore, Seri Bumi Consultant, Suci Mas Company and Boustead Sendirian Berhad. The camp…

THIRTY-three students and supervising teachers from three schools took part in a field trip organised by Green Brunei, last weekend. The activity was part of the Green Ambassador Programme, which aims to increase more awareness on environmental issues. The students made many stops during their two-day visit: the Tenaga Suria solar power plant in Seria, the Tropical Biodiversity Centre in Sungai Liang, the Tasbee Bee Farm in Kampong ungai Kelugos, the Wasai Batu Mapan, the Bintudoh Greenspring Resort in Lamunin, the Tasek Merimbun Gallery, the Butterfly Park, and the Daikyo Environmental Recycling in Serasa. Through such ventures, the students were able to learn more about the various environmental topics including renewable energy, the “Heart of Borneo Initiative”, and beekeeping, as well as learning more about the country’s rich biodiversity. The…

NON-governmental organisation Green Brunei will be organising its third Green Leaders Camp from September 20-23. Themed “Protecting Marine Ecosystem’’, the youth camp will focus on training of youth leaders and youth mobilisation, through the exposure of issues and environmental initiatives led by NGOs in the country. The camp aims to empower participants through a variety of workshops such as volunteerism, leadership, and many others. Green Brunei’s project manager Muhd Firdaus Hj Ismail (pictured) yesterday called for the youth throughout the sultanate to be part of the climate change movement. “We will be inviting speakers from local youth-led NGOs and an organisation from the Philippines called ‘The Climate Change Project’. The workshop sessions would be very hands-on and I’m sure the participants would be looking forward for the turtle workshop,” said…

ALTHOUGH Brunei is a small country, the forest-rich nation can be a leading example in environmental protection efforts in the region as part of the initiative to address climate change. Khairunnisa Ash’ari (pictured), co-founder and the community engagement director of Green Brunei, stated this in an exclusive interview with The Brunei Times, sharing that the world is seeing dramatic effects of climate change in various parts of the world, including rising sea levels, extreme weather shifts and severe flooding. “With disasters hitting Myanmar and the Middle East last month, climate change is becoming a pressing reality… Our recent trip to Singapore to attend the ASEAN Power Shift last July has shown us how serious the issue has become and how little action has been taken to combat this issue,” she…

YOUTH who are inspired, motivated and filled with passion can become individuals who can accomplish just about anything. Here in the Sultanate, there are quite a number who can prove just that and The Brunei Times had the privileged of retelling some of their journey to greatness.   Inspirational youth   Ambitious, determined and passionate would be some words that come to mind upon meeting Khairunnisa Ash’ari, an advocate for youth development and climate change action and the co-founder of Green Brunei, who has won the Youth Service Award in 2013, ASEAN Youth Day Award in 2014 and the Queen’s Young Leaders Award in June this year. Based on its website, the prestigious UK-based award recognises and celebrates youth from the Commonwealth, aged 18 t0 29, who are examples in…

SOME 20 youths from various environmental organisations and different educational backgrounds, including pre-university students, participated in a national consultation on issues pertaining to climate change and its effects on the country. The event, which was organised by Green Brunei with support from the Department of Environment, Parks and Recreation (JASTRe) and held at the Ministry of Development’s Bertabur Hall, was aimed at coming up with a plan for a position paper on climate change by collating ideas and opinions that in turn will be forwarded to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Power Shift, scheduled for July 24-26 in Singapore. A student, Abdul Muqsit bin Haji Jafari, from Sayyidina Ali Secondary School (SMSA) in Kuala Belait, said, “It was an interesting discussion with youth representatives from various environmental groups.…

FOUR students from Sayyidina Ali Secondary School (SMSA) participated in a national consultation to discuss climate change issues within the country with other youths from various environmental organisations. It was the first time the pre-university students - Abdul Muqsit Hj Jafari, Asila Hanum Hj Ahad, Muhd Zulqarnain Hj Zulaihi and Nur Hanis Nazihah Ideris - participated in such discussion, where they shared their insights and ideas on the matter. According to Abdul Muqsit, it was an interesting discussion with 16 other youth representatives from different environmental groups in Brunei, which gave them a valuable learning experience and golden opportunity for those unfamiliar with the issue. “We hope what has been discussed will help solve the issue, not only locally but internationally,” he said. As the `other participants are on a…

GREEN Brunei is hoping to become a full-time social enterprise so that their efforts will be more sustainable in the long run. The non-profit organisation – established in August 2012 – promotes environmental education and conservation. It currently operates as a volunteer organisation that is dependant on sponsorships but it is now looking towards generating revenue by becoming a social enterprise. Khairunnisa Ash’ari, President of Green Brunei, said profits made will be used to support more environmental initiatives and help them be more sustainable. She told The Brunei Times that she believed community-led initiatives are important and Green Brunei hopes to be the platform to initiate that while contributing to the sustainable development of the country. Khairunnisa is currently in London and is one of the recipients who will be…