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Eco-Minds 2005 Report
Eco-Minds 2005
Philippine President opened Eco-Minds 2005 in Manila
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo opened the inaugural Eco-Minds Asia Pacific Forum - Bayer and United Nations Environment Program's (UNEP) new youth environmental program. The 27 delegates from eight Asia-Pacific countries were thrilled to have an opportunity to meet with President Arroyo at the Opening Ceremony of Eco-Minds.
President Arroyo warmly welcomed the delegates from the eight countries. President Arroyo said, "On behalf of the Filipino people, I thank Bayer for giving the opportunity to expand the minds and the spirits of our Filipino youth, and in fact the youth of the entire Asia-Pacific region.”
Providing the welcome address at the Forum was Dr. Udo Oels, Board Member of Bayer AG who is responsible for innovation, technology and environment, who emphasized, “Only inter-disciplinary cooperation can put ideas for sustainable development into practice. Eco-Minds is therefore an important scientific capacity building forum for bringing together young people representing a wide range of academic disciplines.”
Mrs Elisabeth Guilbaud-Cox, Representative from UNEP said,"UNEP's partnership with Bayer is one we are proud of. It exemplifies the kind of public private partnerships identified by world leaders at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002.Thanks to Bayer, forums such as this one will go a long way in shaping the minds of young people who will shape our future. This Eco-Minds Forum can and will increase the momentum for creating a world in which the wishes of the founders of the United Nations are truly fulfilled."
Providing the welcome address at the Forum was Dr. Udo Oels, Board Member of Bayer AG who is responsible for innovation, technology and environment, who emphasized, “Only inter-disciplinary cooperation can put ideas for sustainable development into practice. Eco-Minds is therefore an important scientific capacity building forum for bringing together young people representing a wide range of academic disciplines.”
Mrs Elisabeth Guilbaud-Cox, Representative from UNEP said,"UNEP's partnership with Bayer is one we are proud of. It exemplifies the kind of public private partnerships identified by world leaders at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002.Thanks to Bayer, forums such as this one will go a long way in shaping the minds of young people who will shape our future. This Eco-Minds Forum can and will increase the momentum for creating a world in which the wishes of the founders of the United Nations are truly fulfilled."
Gathering of bright young minds
The inaugural Eco-Minds Forum saw a gathering of 27 young scientists, engineers, social scientists, economists, and management students from eight Asia-Pacific countries to participate in a solution-oriented group work to solve real-world problems of sustainable development. The delegates aged 18-24 were challenged to think of creative and practical uses of science and technology in an interdisciplinary way in order to address the challenge of Sustainable Development. Eco-Minds is a new youth environmental program of Bayer and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The participants heard from lectures by world renowned economist and Director of the UN Millennium Development Project Prof. Jeffery Sachs and other leading experts in science & technology, environment and business. This included international speakers like Prof. William Roy Jackson, Founding Director of the Centre of Green Chemistry at Monash University in Australia and Prof. Cielito Habito , Professor of Economics at the Ateneo de Manila University; and Indonesia delegate Mr Nyoman Sutarsa said. "Eco-Minds was a foundation for me to broaden my perspective and to change my way of looking at issues or challenges. Being involved in this forum, I saw that there are many ways to look at an issue. This forum has also given me a broad picture on issues regarding development and its impact to the existence of human and nature.”
The participants heard from lectures by world renowned economist and Director of the UN Millennium Development Project Prof. Jeffery Sachs and other leading experts in science & technology, environment and business. This included international speakers like Prof. William Roy Jackson, Founding Director of the Centre of Green Chemistry at Monash University in Australia and Prof. Cielito Habito , Professor of Economics at the Ateneo de Manila University; and Indonesia delegate Mr Nyoman Sutarsa said. "Eco-Minds was a foundation for me to broaden my perspective and to change my way of looking at issues or challenges. Being involved in this forum, I saw that there are many ways to look at an issue. This forum has also given me a broad picture on issues regarding development and its impact to the existence of human and nature.”
Developing Solutions
Participants from different countries with varying expertise also worked in multi-national and multi-discipline groups to find solutions to case study developed by Ateneo de Manila University.
Mr Gerard Dumancas added, “The case study was really very challenging but worth trying to tackle. We were really challenged on how think of creative and practical uses of sciences and technology, while considering economic and social factors, to develop a solution for the problem at hand."
Mr Gerard Dumancas added, “The case study was really very challenging but worth trying to tackle. We were really challenged on how think of creative and practical uses of sciences and technology, while considering economic and social factors, to develop a solution for the problem at hand."
Enjoying the outdoors
The delegates also had the chance to enjoy nature and experience jungle survival training in the pristine forests of Subic with aboriginal guides. They experienced firsthand what the jungle could provide in terms of sustenance, learnt more about the indigenous fauna of the region, and savored the natural beauty of the jungle. “My favorite outing was the jungle trek. It was an amazing experience that really proved that there are natural and simple ways of creating the things that you need to survive,” said Ms Leyla Acaroglu, delegate from Australia.
Once in a lifetime opportunity
Eco-Minds offered the delegates from eight countries the once-in-a lifetime opportunity to interact with like-minded young people from different walks of life to interact and form life-long networks. Eco-Minds also provided the participants to broaden their perspectives on the various issues on sustainable development beyond their areas of expertise and experience. Singapore delegate Mr Tan Jack Young said, “The enthusiasm of the delegates for the environment has spurred me so much, that it has caused me to spread this urgency of the critical environmental conditions and enthusiasm to my fellow youths in Singapore .”
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