GREEN CAMPUS ACTIVITY

New Normal, New Earth!

The way of our lives changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To restore our daily life and survive, we are adapting ourselves to the new normal.

As the survival of human race and the Earth’s environment are inseparable from each other,

this year, we discussed the climate crisis in the COVID-19 era

and sought the role of college students.

On the online forum,

around 1,500 college students from 199 universities of 21 countries,

who had been unable to participate in the offline forum, pre-registered

and participated in the UN ACT NOW campaign.



Session 1 / Opening Ceremony

The forum started with the opening speech by the President of DAEJAYON,

followed by video congratulatory messages from:

President of IUCN, ZHANG Xinsheng,

UN Assistant Secretary-General

and Head of New York Office at UNEP, Satya S. TRIPATHI

Ambassador of the Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the UN, H.E. Michal MLYNÁR,

Ambassador of the UAE to S. Korea, H.E. Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi,

Ambassador of Bangladesh to S. Korea, H.E. Abida ISLAM,

Ambassador of Belgium to S. Korea, Peter LESCOUHIER

Ambassador of Finland to S. Korea, Pekka Metso,

Chief of the Youth, Education and Advocacy at UNEP

and CoChair of the UN HESI, Sam BARRATT

President of Australasian Campuses Towards Sustainability (ACTS), Corey Peterson,

Chairman of Eco Youth Organization, Sang Eun LEE,

Executive Director of EISOM, EAD, Shaikha Al Dhaheri,

President of Daejeon Sejong Research Institute, Chae Gun CHUNG,

Founder of Bye Bye Plastic Bag, Melati Wijsen.

Next, we shared the climate crisis response activities of college students of DAEJAYON

and highlighted their activities and voices.

Also, UN ACT NOW Campaign, action for climate crisis response, video was screened,

sharing examples of environmental practices in our daily lives.

The campaign, which took place 10 days before the forum,

involved 496 students from 199 universities in 21 countries.

Through the UN SDGs Performance,

we could feel the enthusiasm of college students to cope with climate crisis.

Session 2 / Expert Lecture

Lecture from environmental experts were given under the subject:

“Climate Policy Transition of Korea”

by Chairman of IUCN Korea National Committee, Jong Soo YOON,

and “Green Recovery in Developing Countries”

by Policy Specialist of UNDP Seoul Policy Centre, Dr. Sarwat Chowdhury.

Also, British Ambassador to S. Korea, Simon Smith

and Regional Director of the Asia Regional Office of IUCN, Aban Marker Kabraji

delivered a special message to encourage environmental activities around the world.

Session 3 / College Student Case Presentation

About 100 students, who participated through Zoom,

actively participated in the forum, including the UN SDGs performance and QnA.

In particular, as the participants gathered from all around the world,

the forum that was held in S. Korea in the afternoon,

was dawn in the U.S. and morning in South Africa.

We opened the third session with DAEJAYON NEWS.

This year’s four main activities were selected as the keywords of the news,

and student activists introduced each keyword with wit, melting the frozen atmosphere.

Best practice team from Korea and UAE, that participated

in this year’s “Global Green Art Campus Campaign with University Students Worldwide,”

presented their activities.

They introduced their environmental activities

that have changed since the outbreak of COVID-19 and shared their activities.

Online award ceremony was held for the excellent teams.

First prize: Green Expedition, Minster of Environment Award

Second prize: See_real, President of IUCN Korea National Committee Award

Third prize: Tea Tree and Green Canvas, President of DAEJAYON Award

We applaud and cheer college student environmental activists

for participating in environmental activities through online and offline this year

in the COVID-19 pandemic to respond to climate crisis.