Saptarshi Pal's blog

Last year, Maria and I went to the IWF World Leadership Conference. It was a very interesting event where we had a number of stimulating discussions. One of them was about the need to have a Youth Foundation which would impart entrepreneurship training and be instrumental in creating social entrepreneurs. I was already working in this field and decided to form the Climate Smart Entrepreneurs’ Alliance (CSEA) as a stepping stone to the Youth Foundation.

My first brush with business was at the age 11, when I started selling stickers/posters in school. It was a great experience, although short-lived, and I regard it a milestone as I realized what I wanted to be when I “grow up!”

At the age of 15, I started working on environmental projects in Kolkata. This was another great experience, the summary of which can be found here, where we had to come up with revenue-generating projects to support our numerous activities.

I realized that entrepreneurship was probably the best solution to address most of our social concerns. Personally, I am not attracted to NGOs as most of them are unsustainable (lack of funds, inefficient) in the long run and hence have a high mortality rate.

Highlights of the essay by Jean-Paul Brice Affana (Cameroon) who is one of the eight finalists of The World Bank Essay Competition 2009.

Jean Paul is from Yaoundé, the capital city of Cameroon. According to him, one will be surprised to find the number of yellow taxis and motorbikes plying the streets of Yaoundé. Most of the taxi drivers use “Zoa-Zoa” fuel to run their taxis. “Zoa-Zoa” is adulterated petrol illegally supplied in Yaoundé. Its poisonous emissions are affecting the environment and the health of the people. There are about 18,000 taxis and motorbikes running in Yaoundé and most of the taxi drivers are unaware of the fact that the adulterated fuel that they are using not only spoils the engine of their vehicles but also poses a severe threat to the environment.

Jean Paul believes that ignorance of the impacts of human activities on the environment and the lack of awareness about climate change lead to such irresponsible actions by the citizens of Yaoundé.

Highlights of the essay by Guillermo Recio Guajardo (Mexico) who is one of the eight finalists of The World Bank Essay Competition 2009.

Sierra Tarahumara, Mexico, is known for its enormous diversity of natural resources with over 7,000 plant species, or one fourth of all the botanical species in Mexico, that includes various species of forest resources, such as pine, fir, and ash forests.

Widespread deforestation for commercial gains is having serious repercussions on the socio-economic conditions of the indigenous people of this region. Lack of forest cover has led to a decrease in the rainfall in that region and has led to extreme fluctuations in temperature. These conditions have led to the desertification of that region which has seriously affected agriculture. In the absence of their traditional occupation, the locals have been forced to turn to sawmills for their livelihoods, although they are witnessing its consequences! Some of the other impacts of this loss in livelihood include migration, malnutrition, and drug trafficking. 

Highlights of the essay by Kwasi Gyeabour (Ghana) who is one of the eight finalists of The World Bank Essay Competition 2009.

"He acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his actions."
                                                                                                       - Confucius

Kwasi, along with his friends, wants to establish a Green Mutual Fund for initiating “green” enterprises. Apart from professionals, this fund will appeal to the general public to invest in, as it serves the dual purpose of avoiding “natural” calamities by protecting the environment, and of having a return on the investment. With this fund, Kwasi wants to pioneer such enterprises in his country.

Highlights of the essay by Miguel Antonio Garcia (Philippines), who is one of the eight finalists of The World Bank Essay Competition 2009.

Climate change is a major threat to Cebu and has been responsible for widespread devastation. In his essay, Miguel begins by sharing his experiences with three local organizations dedicated to combating this threat. I will describe them briefly:

Highlights of the essay by Sunviana Sunaryo Suni (Indonesia) who is one of the eight finalists of The World Bank Essay Competition 2009.

“Growing thoughts in a kid’s mind is the same as growing plants. We have to be patient in planting the right thoughts in their mind and keeping the thoughts away from bad factors, until the thoughts grow and become a mature tree. A right, strong, and mature thought will lead to the actions supporting the thoughts. This will be the time when kids are not kids anymore but youth. The problem we are facing now is that: Have the right thoughts been planted in our kids yet?”

Sunvi’s essay focuses on ideas on how to build a green awareness in both the NOW and NEXT generation –the youth and the kids.

Highlights of the essay by Sonali Punhani (India) who is one of the eight finalists of The World Bank Essay Competition 2009.

“The earth produces enough to satisfy everyone's need but not everyone’s greed.”
                                                                                                       -Mahatma Gandhi

The Holy cave shrine of Amarnath is among the most sacred pilgrimages of the Hindus, as it is considered to be one of the three abodes of Lord Shiva. The ice Shiva Lingam (symbol of Lord Shiva) found here is a natural ice stalagmite that forms between July and September and melts thereafter. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims visit Amarnath each year to offer their prayers, and Sonali Punhani was among the visitors in 2006. However, an unusual occurring happened that year which stunned the more than 1 billion people in India. The Shiva Lingam had melted from a majestic height of over fifteen feet to a mere seven inches! Investigations revealed that this was due to the unexpected increase in the temperature that year—global warming, as it was later established.

Based on the essay by Sophie Bathurst (Australia/Germany) who is one of the eight finalists of The World Bank Essay Competition 2009.

In schools across the globe students are made to realize the importance of walking to school, as it is not only a very healthy form of exercise but also as it reduces our carbon footprint. However, parents are often reluctant to implement it as they are mostly too busy to accompany their kids and can’t allow them go alone on the dangerous city streets. The idea of a Walking School Bus, as suggested by Sophie, is one of the most innovative and effective ideas that I’ve come across in a long time. She also suggests that we should have Walking School Bus drivers to ensure the safety of the primary school students on the streets and even designated Walking School Bus Stops! I feel the sight of primary schools students walking in a group to school will certainly inspire older generations.

Dear Readers,

This year the World Bank Essay Competition attracted 2,469 submissions from over 150 countries, which certainly reflects the popularity of this competition. The overall theme for this year is Climate Change and the role the youth can play, keeping in mind the importance of the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC), Copenhagen, December 2009.  

This year, the competition introduced two new categories: photo and video. Of all the submissions, 8 essay finalists and the winner of the video category will be invited to the ABCDE at the end of June in Seoul, where the Final Jury for the essays will take place. It is an incredible feat to be selected among the thousands of other participants and youth from across the globe are sure to be interested to know about these essays.

So, I will be highlighting the main points of each of the 8 essays in my blog, until the ABCDE. Hopefully, this will be a way to learn about and discuss the innovative ideas in these essays, and you can also connect with the finalists and ask them your questions by commenting on the blog.

Best Regards,
Saptarshi