Foreigners form environmental group
By Ma Lourdes Grace Ga
About a week ago a group of about 30 foreigners launched what may be the first foreigner-initiated group related to the environment and renewable energy issues.
The group, Global Green Stewards (GGS), is aimed at assisting foreigners particularly from developing nations to learn from their experiences in Korea so that they may be agents of change and development when they return to their countries.
The group was officially launched last week at a ceremony attended by among others, Busan city officials and representatives of various environmental and alternative energy NGO’s, teachers, journalists and students.
Koo Ja-sang, CEO of the Energy Natura Inc., and Ok Seong-ae, executive director of the People to Green Energy, were guest speakers. They also assist the group with training and information.
The group has attracted over 50 members from Africa (Kenya, Uganda, and Burundi), Asia (Korea, the Philippines), Oceania (Fiji) and the United States. These enthusiastic foreigners have already undergone serious lectures and project evaluations.
The lectures are given voluntarily by experienced environmentalists, leaders of non-governmental organizations such as Climate Change and Alternative Energy Center. They also attend conferences, seminars and workshops.
What is striking is the courage with which these foreigners, with few resources, can form a nonprofit organization and craft a vision and mission, including raising awareness and conducting feasibility studies in Asia and Africa.
They also intend to network with grassroots environmental NGOs and companies in their countries for the possible funding of local projects by Korean government agencies. In December, a group of GGS members will be off to the southern Philippines for their first feasibility study and networking mission.
The director of GGS, Benson Kamary, a Kenyan journalist and a Ph.D. student in Busan, said that GGS is upbeat with its mission to learn, plan, network and execute. ``Korea as a nation transformed itself from poverty to development. Among the G20 nations, it stands out as a model to many developing nations. Being in Korea now, therefore, offers us a chance to learn even more,” Kamary added.
Korea considers environmental health and appropriate agricultural practices to achieve greater growth. GGS is seemingly born out of the conviction that socio-economic development cannot be separated from environmental health.
Environmental protection and the use of cleaner energy have become serious subjects among individuals, communities and countries across the globe.
I wonder how best a group like GGS can change the world unless the change begins from the individual. This led to my experience at an energy saving family camp at Changnyeong, about three weeks ago. The camp was organized by a Busan-based NGO in collaboration with the city. At the camp, the participants received training on energy saving.
They were required to brush teeth using a cup and not running water. They were even supposed to generate electricity by pedaling a bicycle fitted with a motor, never serving more food that one could finish and other similar practices.
This is one of the best learning experiences a family can ever have. At some point, each family was asked to bring their electricity, water and gas bills and was shown how to evaluate energy use, waste and saving. This equips the family with stewardship skills on energy usage.
Who knows? This small group of thoughtful and committed foreigners from Busan could change the globe. As Arthur Koestler once said, ``The principle mark of genius is not perfection but originality, the opening of new frontiers.”
The writer is a staff member at the Philippine-Korean Culture Centre in Busan. She is also is deputy director of Global Green Stewards (GGS) and can be contacted at ggstewards@gmail.com.