Students sustainability writing contest

Joshua Ndip is organizing this fundraiser.

My name is Joshua Ndip Ako from Stockholm Sweden. I am the founder of the www.golifedays.com platform. A platform meant to connect students worldwide to exchange knowledge about climate change. The foundation of www.golifedays.com started at Södertörn university in Sweden with the help of DRIVHUSET and was sponsored by Almi Bank. I have a master’s in Political Science from Södertörn University, a master’s in Communication for Development from Malmö University, a bachelor’s in political science from Stockholm University, and a bachelor’s in international development from London university.

The past few decades have sown great promise and also some setbacks in environmental sustainability awareness, but the human-nature relationship is reaching its bull peak and is not showing signs of turning the tides to a sustainable world environment. Should we act or relax? I am going forward to launching an ESSAY CONTEST to encourage middle, high school, and first-year university students to be active in environmental sustainability discourses. This contest is important:

- Because the most important role of the environment, especially in knowledge and innovation lies at the doorsteps of higher institutions of learning. Higher institutions are the centers of innovation, and students from these institutions are future leaders.

- Because Political agreements, financial incentives, or technological solutions alone do not suffice to grapple with the challenges of climate change.

- Because it will require a wholesale change in the way we think, the way we communicate, and the way we act – a rethink of how we relate to one another and how we interact with the ecosystems that support our lives.

- Because to create a world that is more just, peaceful, and sustainable, all individuals and societies must be equipped and empowered by knowledge, skills, and values as well as be instilled with a heightened awareness to drive such change.

The GoLiFeDays Writing Contest is dedicated to fostering young girls’ and boys’ interest in environmental sustainability. Middle, high school, and first-year university students are asked to submit a 650-word essay for middle and high school, and 2000 words for first-year university students relating to sustainability in their everyday life/world. For example, they can choose how engineering, culture, religion, politics, or transportation affects environmental sustainability. In return for their efforts, one middle schooler, one high schooler, and one first-year university student receive €100 scholarships each. All donations collected will be paid directly to recipients to be used for their educational expenses as they see fit. Participating Students create accounts on GoLiFeDays.com to share their essays with the public.

I am appealing to all who see students as the future of our society, as well as anyone who recognizes the importance of communicating environmental sustainability. Alumni and alumnae of both Stockholm university, Södertörn university, London university, and Malmö university, Parents, colleagues, family members, and unaffiliated individuals with an interest in empowering students to engage in climate change in general, I ask that you donate whatever amount of money you can to this cause. With your help, I will continue to provide not only a communication platform to students and virtual communities around the world but also a first-rate environmental sustainability knowledge exchange opportunity for students.