Mission Green Earth-Stand Up Take Action
Under the Great Green Project, WAYE partnered with UNDP/ UNEP to support the seventh Millennium Development Goals (MDG) on environment in their Mission Green Earth Stand-Up Take-Action (MGESUTA) campaign in 2008.
WAYE is uniquely positioned to sustain the momentum of MGESUTA activities, while also ensuring a strong results focus. The basis of WAYE's education programs, events, and planning leading up to MGESUTA was to create communities of practice that serve as the pillars for future action. This approach has served WAYE well in nurturing youth leadership networks and actions on the tree-planting front.
The overall strategy and technical approaches utilized in MGESUTA 2008 by WAYE feature a strong community-driven element. WAYE carefully planned several mega-youth events and education programs between August 15 and October 19, 2008, which took place all over the world. One type of event, which happened all over India, was the UTSAV program. Literally translated, UTSAV means "Peaceful Celebration". Taught as a four-day, sixteen-hour seminar, UTSAV contains a strong personal development and maturation element that has yielded remarkable beneficial results to participants. About 1000 young leaders were simultaneously involved in tree plantation and creating awareness about MGESUTA using banners, posters and even cable TV.
On August 9, 2008, during a UTSAV in Mumbai, a mega-concert event was carried out by Vikram Hazra, a nation - ally acclaimed musician. The central thrust of the event was the promotion of MGESUTA 2008. This concert was instrumental in galvanizing the youth of Mumbai and getting them involved in the MDG cause. With approximately 1,000 young leaders participating in the UTSAV program, a dynamic platform for success in the Fall was established, and a critical mass of participants and organizers was assembled in preparation for the Stand Up events.
Another critical tool for WAYE to build tremendous momentum heading towards MGESUTA 2008 was its Youth Empowerment and Skills Plus Program (YES!+). This program was implemented in universities and colleges all over the world with phenomenal success. A seven-day community development and leadership program, YES!+ brought together strong leaders and provided them a platform to engage in collective action. Humanitarian service and civic engagement is a central focus of the program and allowed our WAYE faculty and organizers to easily bring people on board for MGESUTA. Thousands of young people learned about the United Nations-WAYE collaboration and became inspired late in the summer to get involved in the fall pledge and tree planting/adopting events.
In addition, WAYE faculties were actively involved in organizing introductory sessions to MGESUTA in various universities, institutions, and even in informal settings, such as people's homes. Word-of-mouth was a critical tool for WAYE to raise the profile of the event, as well as for kindling interest in the cause of the MDGs. WAYE also facilitated numerous training-of-trainers sessions, by engaging our faculty with volunteers, students, and leaders who had committed themselves to making MGESUTA 2008 a success.
WAYE leaders and organizers played a crucial role in keeping communities together and connected through a variety of methods, including: community service, musical events, education programs, and many more. WAYE laid the foundation for achieving future outcomes that move us closer towards the MDGs.
