Starting in July 2024, Poppy Fowler, an Australian Volunteer, will be joining CKC as a Gender Specialist through the Australian Volunteers Program (AVP). Poppy’s involvement at CKC will help enhance the organisation’s capacity in gender research and practice, aligning with CKC’s vision and strategic development goals to establish itself as a leading research center focusing on gender and sustainable development in Central Vietnam.
This will be Poppy’s first volunteering assignment in Hue, and it will mark the third time that CKC has collaborated with Australian volunteers through AVP. Since 2018, CKC has been privileged to receive support from Australian Volunteers International (AVI) through AVP in hosting volunteers.
CKC values international volunteering as a meaningful approach to capacity development and highly appreciates the support and commitment of volunteers in sustainably developing the capacity of partner organisations. We are dedicated to continuously promoting exchange, learning, and understanding between the organisation and volunteers in mutually respectful and long-term partnerships.
(Tu Nguyen)
In response to challenges of the new era, the United Nations Secretary-General has emphasised the crucial need for young people to enhance their skills for the burgeoning green and digital economies*.
Over the past year, CKC supported young people in Hue city with these critical skills, preparing them to make their significant impact on the world.
In fall – winter 2023, CKC contributed to improve energy management and auditing skills among lower secondary students through the ‘YEAH! – Promoting Energy Saving Practices for Students in Hue: Small Actions towards Environmental Protection‘ project funded by the Australian Volunteers International (AVI).
In spring – summer 2024, CKC continued with the journey to improve young people’s digital skills within the framework of the Data Science Explorers Program (ASEAN Data Science Explorers 2024) funded by the ASEAN Foundation. CKC organised 25 free training sessions on data analysis (Analytics Clouds) and application development (Apps Development) on the SAP platform for more than 1,100 young people between the ages of 15 and 30.
On World Youth Skills Day 2024 (July 15), themed ‘Youth Skills for Peace and Development,’ CKC proudly stands alongside Vietnam’s young generation, offering opportunities for learning and growth to inspire their development.
Source: UN Press, 2024, accessed at: https://press.un.org/en/2024/sgsm22297.doc.htm
(Han Nguyen)
Have you ever wondered about the life cycle of a plastic product? On International Free Plastic Bag Day, which falls on July 3rd, let’s join CKC to explore the various stages of a plastic product’s life cycle to understand the trade-offs related to their convenience and perceived cost savings.
- Extraction, refining, and production: Before reaching consumers, plastic products undergo extensive chemical transformations from vast fossil fuels. The process of extracting, transporting, and refining can annually release up to 12.5 million tons of greenhouse gases into the environment, with an additional 184 to 213 million tons emitted during production.
- Distribution and consumption: Globally, approximately 300 million tons of plastic are distributed and consumed each year, with more than half being disposable items. On average, a plastic bag is used for just 12 minutes before disposal.
- Disposal and recycle: Despite prevalent eco-friendly messaging on product labels, only about 2% of plastic waste is effectively recycled*. The majority is either incinerated, buried in landfills, or ends up in oceans. It is estimated that a plastic product takes more than 1,000 years to decompose.
Landfilling, incineration, or recycling has never provided a sustainable solution for managing plastic waste. Genuine environmental progress will only be achieved when we relinquish the convenience of plastic products.
*Effective recycling: Refers to the process of recycling plastic products back into materials suitable for their original use, though this can only be done once before the downcycle.
Source:
2021, The Story of Plastic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO3SA4YyEYU
2023, Kayla Vasarhelyi, The impact of plastic on climate change, https://www.colorado.edu/…/impact-plastic-climate-change
(Han Nguyen)