Leverkusen / Nairobi,
8 November 2010 - A global partnership on
youth and the environment that engages millions
of young people worldwide launched by the
United Nations Environment
-Programme (UNEP) and Bayer AG in 2004 -
will be extended to the end of 2013.
Projects implemented
under the partnership range from tree planting,
the development of educational materials
and creative competitions, to the convening
of major children and youth conferences
and strengthening youth representation at
major global events. Bayer will invest 1.7
million US Dollars annually in support of
projects carried out under the partnership.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary
General and UNEP Executive Director, said,
"Youth and children represent over
37% of the world's population. Their future
will be shaped by our action to protect
the planet. The partnership with Bayer aims
to step up efforts to facilitate young people's
access to vital information on the state
of the planet, to invest in their initiatives
and to ensure their voices are heard in
the international arena."
Dr. Marijn Dekkers,
Chairman of the Board of Management of Bayer
AG, said, "We are looking forward to
continuing this successful partnership with
UNEP that strikes such a chord with young
people throughout the world. We are committed
to initiating constructive dialogue with
and supporting young people who are interested
in environmental issues. After all, they
can make a valuable contribution through
their justified interest, critical awareness,
commitment and passion for environmental
protection."
Through the partnership,
UNEP and Bayer create opportunities for
young people and children to expand and
share their environmental knowledge and
skills and to put into practice concrete
environmental protection ideas. What began
as a pioneering project in 2004 has now
become a public-private partnership that
serves as a model for both organizations.
Activities under the
UNEP-Bayer Partnership:
Tunza International
Youth / Children's Conference - a summit
held every year on an alternating basis
for youth (15 to 24-year-olds) and children
(8 to 14-year-olds). The aim is to encourage
young environmentalists to network, exchange
ideas and interact with the experts on environmental
issues. In addition, youth meetings on a
regional level are organized every year,
too. The word "Tunza" means "to
treat with care and affection" in Swahili,
the official language of Kenya, where UNEP's
headquarters is based. TUNZA is the chosen
title for UNEP's overall outreach strategy
targeting youth and children.
The Young Environmental
Envoy Programme - established and organized
by Bayer since 1998, is an environmental
education initiative with an Olympic spirit
that involves a one-week study trip to Germany.
Over fifty young people from eighteen countries
in Latin America, Africa and Asia have participated
each year, so far.
Children's Painting
and Photo Competitions - The number of children
taking part in the UNEP-Bayer International
Children's Painting Competition on the Environment
has grown fifty-fold since the launch of
the partnership. In 2010, 600,000 children
from 95 countries submitted paintings on
the topic of "Biodiversity". A
parallel competition in China attracted
over 2.6 million children.
Another creative competition,
using the medium of photography to enhance
environmental awareness, is "Ecology
in Focus". It targets young photographers
in Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and
Hungary. Around 1,700 gifted young people
take part each year.
TUNZA magazine - produced for and by young
people, the magazine is published quarterly.
Each issue is devoted to a specific environmental
theme. The printed and online editions,
published in English, Spanish and French,
attract more than one million readers every
year.
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