The Future of Sustainability: Have Your Say!

Week Four - “Shaping the Future”
Comment / Comentario / Commentaire

Nakul Chettri, ICIMOD, Nepal

Moderating team: Nakul Chettri emphasizes that we need to reach to heart of people to change their attitudes, improve the quality of environmental research, as well as campaign in the language of the younger generation.

Nakul Chettri enfatiza la necesidad de llegar al corazón de las personas para lograr un cambio en sus actitudes. Se necesita mejorar la calidad de la investigación ambiental e iniciar una campaña para el lenguaje de las generaciones jóvenes.

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I feel that Dr Rubens Born has given a right choice by addressing to younger generation and asking their views in shaping the future.

First, for every major success stories in conservation, say community forest movement in Nepal which changed the whole perception of conservation just by people's participation and Joint Forest Management in India, where people were empowered for conservation is a mass movement, in the field, for the good cause and people were convinced. Thus, there was a success. So, reach to the heart of people to change their attitudes.

Second, education should not be a barrier for a career. However, most of the younger generation are looking for lucrative jobs and the education system tends to pull them away from the conservation field. On the other hand every Nick, Harry and James are in the conservation business without a conservation motto and qualification. As a result, there are no concrete outputs. Thus, over the last three decades the quality of research and the researcher are also diminishing. Revive this....before they sell our globe.

Third, take lessons from big corporate sectors. Why does the younger generation like to drink Coco cola and eat McDonald's products? It is just a matter of advertisement. We need to campaign in their language of their choice. Follow them!