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ONE hundred and eight teens and young adults raced across the Bio Innovation Corridor (BIC), formerly known as the Agro-technology Park, in Tungku to complete the challenges set during the Remarkable Green Race yesterday. Organised by Green Brunei, the race was a first for the non-profit environmental awareness group aimed to raise awareness among the 16-40 demographic about environmental issues, creating more exposure about the BIC and to encourage them to be more active in future green programmes. Attending the prize presentation was the Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources, Hjh Hasnah Hj Ibrahim and representatives from the sponsors of the event. The teams of four participants each raced throughout the park from station to station to complete green-themed challenges, one of which was the…

THE International Volunteers’ Day could serve as a reminder to volunteers that any related activities carried out are not only beneficial to the country, but it also helps to foster their individual growth. In an interview with The Brunei Times, the president of the Belait Youth Association (PEMBELA), Atikah Rumaizah Dr Hj Harun said through volunteering, a person would be able to understand and learn more of the community they lived in. [Related story: Brunei to commemorate International Volunteers’ Day with festival next week] “Especially by extending their helping hands to those in need, volunteers would be able to develop within themselves the senses of empathy and care; that they are more people out there experiencing hardships which perhaps could be more difficult compared to the volunteers themselves,” she said. “Besides…

ONE Bruneian youth will attend the United Nations-backed Global Forum on Youth Policies in Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to discuss ways of implementing national policies that are tailored to the current generation’s needs. Khairunnisa Ash’ari of Green Brunei will join governments and parliaments, youth networks and movements, research and development communities to examine how youth policy can be implemented in war zones, post-conflict settings, and tackle youth unemployment. Khairunnisa, who is involved with Brunei Youth Council and other NGOs such as the ASEAN Youth Volunteer Programme, was the recipient of Youth Service Award last year and the ASEAN Youth Award recipient this year. Speaking to The Brunei Times before her departure at the Brunei International Airport, Khairunnisa said she saw the call for applications from Facebook and decided to try…

THE 3Rs are prevalently heard throughout schools in the Sultanate nowadays. In a bid to conserve a clean beautiful earth, students at a young age are now taught the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling. It is no secret that recycling is important and a little difference can actually go a long way. Recycling is one of the best ways to help our environment because approximately 75 per cent of the rubbish that we throw away can be recycled. Why recycle you ask? The raw materials that we use to produce items could be of limited resources and we might not always be able to replace what we do throw away. Do consider the fact that less landfill means less pollution which in turn leads to a cleaner and greener…

IN CONJUNCTION with the 20th Asean Youth Day Meeting (AYDM) and 9th Ten Accomplished Youth Organisations (TAYO) Asean Award, youth and youth groups from nine Asean countries yesterday took part in a sharing session held at the Silaturrahim Hall at the Youth Centre in the capital. Among the Asean youth who took part to deliver their presentation were from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Themed “Youth as an Agent of Change Towards Development of Community and World Peace”, the sharing session aimed to share experiences, network and build friendships as well as provide a view towards strengthening regional solidarity, stability and prosperity. AYDM highlights the various contributions and achievements of youth in the region towards Asean community building through a variety of platforms in…

THE 20th ASEAN Youth Day Meeting (AYDM) kicked off yesterday morning with a “sharing session” by the recipients of this year’s ASEAN Youth Award and Ten Accomplished Youth Organisations (TAYO) ASEAN Award. A total of 35 delegates from ASEAN countries respectively are currently in the country to attend AYDM which will run until October 11. Themed “Youth as an Agent of Change Towards Development of Community and World Peace”, the sharing session was held at the Youth Centre in the capital aimed for the awardees to share their experiences and inspiring other young people in making a difference in their community. The recipients for the ASEAN Youth Award and TAYO ASEAN Award for Brunei were Khairunnisa Ash’ari and Kumpulan Putra Seni (KPS). Khairunnisa, who is actively involved in Green Brunei,…

FOUR Bruneian youths yesterday departed for Beijing, China to address environmental issues at the International Youth Organisation Forum and Beijing Sister City Youth Camp. Rodziah Hj Adnan, Stephanie Yong, Mohd Khairullizan Mohd Yussof and Firdaus Ismail will participate in the forum and camp held from October 20 to 26. The youths are representatives from the Department of Environment, Parks and Recreation (JASTRE), Green Brunei and Beach Bunch. Rodziah, an officer at JASTRE’s Environmental Planning and Management Unit, said the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports extended its invitation to the department as environment will be one of the issues discussed during the forum. Firdaus from Green Brunei said the programme would benefit him in terms of knowledge sharing in aspects such as urban enviroment management and sustainability. He further said…

NON-governmental organisation Green Brunei is pushing for all schools to teach environmental education. Community Engagement Director Khairunnisa Ash’ari said the Ministry of Education should make sure recycling and waste management are incorporated into the school curriculum. In an interview yesterday, she said one of the ways youth can practise environment conservation as part of their lifestyle is when they are made aware from a young age. “For instance, if schools do not make it a culture for students to recycle, then it is more challenging to get the students to participate in green community activities.. “As a habit, students should be encouraged to switch off the lights and fans when not in use,” she added Although the Ministry of Education, through the Science, Technology and Environment Partnership (STEP) Centre, has…

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…