U novom volonterskom projektu naše škole zamolili smo veleposlanike raznih država da nam prenesu svoja iskustva u odgoju i obrazovanju djece i mladih u promicanju brige za budućnost Zemlje.

S radošću i zahvalnošću donosimo odgovor Veleposlanice Kraljevine Norveške u Hrvatskoj, Njezine Ekselencije, gđe Astrid Versto:

Dear volunteers of Stjepan Radić Elementary School,

Thank you for setting ecological sustainability on the agenda. I will happily answer your questions.

1. Schools in Norway are doing several things to raise the awareness around climate change and ecological sustainability. This is being done national and international, and both theoretical and practical.

An annual project, called “Operation Day`s work” is an annual event, where pupils all over Norway are working (at home or in a business) for one day of school to collect money for charity projects aimed at youth in other countries. The project in 2017 was to highlight the effects of unsustainable developments, for example related to oil spill, to the youth in Nigeria.

Another project is to develop awareness around waste management, which school all over Norway participate in every year. They do this by picking up waste in and around their schools and local communities.

2. As I mentioned, it is important to increase the awareness of sustainable development. Some years ago, I worked in The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), which has substantial knowledge on climate and environmental work in many countries. I have learned that it is important to work together on the sustainability principles, not only in a national context, but also in an international, regional and local context. The promotion of change on all these levels requires a basic cornerstone, which is to give people, and especially children, the faith that they can make a difference on environmental matters. I would here like to highlight an organization for children in Norway, called the “Environmental Agents”. The organization works on giving children faith in themselves and the future, and teaches them that it is useful to do something for the environment. Much of their work concerns waste management in the oceans. Raising awareness through knowledge, and in a practical way as the children are a part of the waste management process. Pollution of the oceans represents challenges for both Norway and Croatia, so it is important that we work together on these matters.

Best regards
Astrid

Royal Norwegian Embassy in Zagreb