Straight answers

Staff Reporter / TNN / Jul 22, 2005, 21:14 IST

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Anuradha Gupta, Environmental activist, On conducting workshops on environment at the Children's World Summit in Japan.

Anuradha Gupta, Environmental activist, On conducting workshops on environment at the Children's World Summit in Japan
You have been invited to conduct a workshop on environmental issues at the Children's World Summit in Japan. What issues will you deal with?
The summit will give an opportunity to children aged between 10 to 14 yrs to speak and acquire knowledge on various environmental issues like global warming, biodiversity etc.I am conducting two workshops. First one will highlight the importance of water and its conservation, while the other will deal with the various cycles that sustain life on earth.
Don't you think that the children, in the specified age group, are too young to comprehend the complicated phenomenon?

No. Thanks to the change in the curriculum and impetus on practical education, children comprehend environment related issues quite well. The knowledge level of Indian children has also increased gradually. The only difference is that they, unlike students from other developed nations, get less practical exposure but are much stronger in theory. In fact they have won the International Volvo environmental action project award thrice.

How will you communicate with the participants and will the language difference be a barrier?
Yes, language will be a problem. That's why the organisers have arranged an interpreter for me. Otherwise also the communication will be more through activities like quizzes, plays and with the help of audio-video mode. For the workshop on earth I will personify earth to make things easier to understand.
How will the workshop help the participants?
It will increase awareness level of children with regard to environment and sensitise them to the need for conservation of natural resources including water. Moreover, we'll be able to build an awareness network involving children from different parts of the world.
How do you view India's increased participation in such summits?
India's participation in such international programmes proves that now the world is taking India seriously on all issues and accepts that India plays a very important role in furthering their cause.

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