PANAJI: The Vasudeva V Dempo Change Awareness Programme for Goan School Children, a TERI-Dempo initiative, will be launched at the Dempo Corporate Headquarters, Panaji at 5 p.m. on June 25 on the occasion of 75th birth anniversary of late Vasudeva V Dempo.
It is a unique NGO-corporate partnership between The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), Goa Centre, and V S Dempo Holdings Pvt Ltd (Dempo).
The initiative is in the nature of an awareness-cum-capacity building programme on climate change for the benefit of secondary school children in Goa.
TERI is a globally reputed not-for-profit organisation, which over the past 30 years has been actively engaged in research and awareness generation activities on environment, energy, climate change, education and sustainable development.
Youth have been one of TERI’s focal target groups and several activities have been initiated involving them to spread the message of environment conservation.
Similarly, well known are Dempo, who have a long tradition of corporate social responsibility, with its cornerstone being higher education of, and assistance to, the youth in the region. As pertinent as this record is the inspiration provided to the Group in such worthy initiatives by its former chairman, the late Vasudeva V Dempo.
The launch ceremony, presided over by Dempo Corporate Group Chairman, Mr Shrinivas V Dempo, will be marked by the signing of the MoU on the project.
The signatories will be Ms Ranjana Saikia, director of Environment Education and Youth Services, TERI, New Delhi, and Mr B T Boke, senior general manager, human resources, Demo Group of Companies.
Dr Celsa Pinto, director of education has been invited to grace the occasion.
A presentation on the project will be made by Ms Shabana M Kazi, assistant field co-ordinator, Western Regional Centre, TERI, Vasudha Colony, Santa Cruz, Goa.
Climate change has become an issue of grave concern, and the youth of today being the leaders of tomorrow can play a key role in mitigating the effects of climate change in India. The programme aims to sensitize school students to the science of climate change, its impacts and, more importantly, what can be done to address the issue.
Some of the major activities that will be undertaken at thirty-odd schools across Goa, covering both urban and rural areas are: initiation workshops, resource material distribution, training workshops, competitions, and field visits. TERI will also develop a web page to be linked to its existing sites on climate change education.
The programme reflects the fundamental significance of the need of changing the `climate’ education by equipping secondary school level students in Goa with the knowledge and skill resources needed to confront climate change, the number one threat to planet earth today.
