UN Climate Change Conference, Bali
3-14 December 2007


By Hana Shazwin Azizan
Bali
13 December 2007











Bali, a beautiful but busy ocean paradise, is the hottest spot right now as it plays host to the United
Nations Framework on Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) 2007, as well as other parallel
conferences. One such conference is the 3rd South East Asian Youth Environment Network
(SEAYEN) Conference, participated by 27 youths from all South East Asian countries except Brunei
and Myanmar. I was the Malaysian representative from a local NGO, Tree Theatre Group (TTG).

The SEAYEN Conference was held at the Ramayana Hotel, Kuta from December 9 to December 11.
The programme was brief but extensive as it concerned networking and collaboration issues faced by
South East Asian youth with regards to environmental projects. Discussions on improving the network
and the topic of climate change were debated by the fiery youths late into the evening.

Observers from the North East Asian Youth Environment Network (NEAYEN) as well as the ASEAN
Youth from the British Council were also present and actively supplied their input. These observers
joined as affiliates to the SEAYEN.

The conference had its share of notable speakers from various bodies, such as the Association of
South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asian Regional Offices of the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), and the International Forestry Students Association (IFSA). They highlighted the
social and scientific aspects of various environmental problems unique to Asia and South East Asia,
and encouraged us to take an active role in combating them at the local and regional levels.

We gave presentations on the problems faced in our countries, and underlined our projects as one of
the few collective youth efforts in combating them. The environmental youth movement in South East
Asia was discussed and concluded to be much smaller and slower than our Western counterparts. As
a result, we each pledged to network locally and step up the youth involvement in our respective
countries.

We were also invited to a Policy Dialogue Dinner in the Nikko Bali Hotel where we were given the
chance to mingle with bigwigs from the UNFCCC. We took this opportunity to forge relationships and
network with these prominent people.

On the final day of the conference, we separated into small ‘Break Out’ groups where future joint
SEAYEN activities such as World Tree Day, Le Tour de Trash (an environmental ‘big walk’), and
World Environment Day 2008 were discussed. World Tree Day was a proposal by Malaysian children
from the Tree Theatre Group that was submitted by myself as the sole Malaysian delegate and was
agreed upon by those present. I was also then selected as the SEAYEN Leader for 2008.

The World Tree Day Campaign was recently launched on 26th June 2007 with two co-patrons,
namely Education Minister Dato Sri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and Natural Resources and
Environment Minister Dato Seri Azmi Khalid. Subsequently, a memorandum for the World Tree Day
from over five million Malaysian school children was handed over to the Prime Minister, Dato Seri
Abdullah Hj Ahmad Badawi on 26th August 2007 during the Rimup National Integration Ceremony in
Ipoh by Jes Ebrahim Izaidin.

Youth statements including the proposal for the World Tree Day were collected and combined into a
draft that was further debated during the closing session of the SEAYEN Conference. This
conference is an important landmark for youth representation on the environment in South East Asia
as the Youth Statement will be presented to the UNFCCC on December 14, the final conference day.

During the farewell dinner, members of my group, TTG, performed a medley of eco-songs that we
had composed. This included a song written by Jes Ebrahim Izaidin, a fellow former UNEP Tunza 2006
International Junior Board member and TTG Youth Coordinator dedicated to the Bali UN Climate
Change Conference titled “Lets Heal Our World”. The troupe consisted of children and youth ranging
from 6 to 21 years of age.  We were also in Bali to advocate World Tree Day and to collect signatures
for our petition to establish it.

After the conference, TTG took opportunity to visit a local senior high school, SMA5 in Denpasar.
There, the 12 TTG youth planted 12 trees and 12 in the afternoon on the 12th of December. This
was done to promote World Tree Day, as well as to offset the carbon emissions caused by our travel.
When we return to Malaysia, we will plant an additional 120 trees.

This experience has been very enriching for me as I have come to learn about the problems and
efforts of my fellow youth in South East Asia. I have also been given the chance to befriend them and
collaborate on future projects that will hopefully increase youth participation and interest in the
environment.

And to support the World Tree Day Campaign do please log on to www.worldtreeday.org

Hana Shazwin Azizan a young environmentalist is a co-founder of the
Tree Theatre Group.

She was the former UNEP Tunza 2006
International Junior Board Member.

She was the Malaysian Youth Delegate to the
UNEP Tunza 2007 Youth Environment Conference in
Leverkusen, Germany.

She represented Malaysia at the 2008 UNEP-Seayen Conference held in
conjunction with the UN Climate Change Conference, Bali, Indonesia.

She is the UNEP-Seayen Youth Head for 2008.

She is also a cub-reporter for the New Straits Times Malaysia

 More Reports by Hana Shazwin Azizan >    Tunza 2006 Article       
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