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CHAPTER 4. PUBLIC AWARENESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

4.4. Environmental Education

4.4.4. Selection of Educational Materials (suite)

Example: Wall Newspaper (Congo)

In the Congo, the environmental education programme aims to inform the general public about the Fauna Reserve of Conkouati and to involve the people in the management of the reserve. Talks and debate accompany the "Wall Newspaper" on specific issues.

Recommendation: This method is suitable for areas that have no access to radio or TV and have few cultural activities. However, it is important to prepare a relevant education programme which will be adapted to the local conditions and which will use existing resources, such as people, infrastructure, etc.

In regard to all the constraints, it was decided to produce a wall newspaper on cloth, using paint, with little texts and mainly pictures.

To accompany the quarterly newspaper, guides (recruited in the villages) will be trained to make interactive presentations to different target groups depending on the issue. Also, leaflets will be produced to inform partners and literate people and to insure that the message is carried out.

A wall newsletter can be a continuous media where people come to have a look and discuss the wall newsletter issue.

Recommendation: The wall newsletter has to be well planned and displayed at a location where everyone passes, meets, village affairs are discussed, and solutions found.

Example: Flannel Board (Western Africa)

This "GRAAP" technique, as called in West Africa, is very effective to visualize environmental issues, and has been successfully used over the last fifteen years in West Africa. The flannel board helps the participants to build the statement on their past and present environment. By having this visually in front of them, they are able to discover the inter-relationships among the problems and to find solutions by themselves. They can identify opportunities and ways of improving their activities in sustainable use of their resources. This technique is also useful as a teaching-approach in schools.

Recommendation: Choosing a technique calls upon different indicators: the advantage of this one is that it is easy to replicate and update. Further, it is relatively inexpensive as it can be constructed with local materials.

The education conducted in primary, secondary, and high schools should be extended by various forms of informal education comprising both the persons who are still studying and those who have completed their education.

Educational and information action and campaigns are also worth mentioning. Their role is significant and when properly conducted they can be very effective.

Such action includes training, lectures, and organization of various information meetings. Information materials are distributed in the form of leaflets, posters, etc. Mass media are often included in such a process. Campaigns are actions of a special nature. They are often accompanied by surveys carried out to check their efficiency.

Also important are competitions on environmental issues, usually addressed to children and young people. The campaigns are often accompanied by competitions organized to check the level of environmental knowledge. To encourage participation in such actions organizers provide attractive awards for the winners.

Children and young people willingly spend their free time in clubs where they can meet girls and boys of the same age, develop their interests, hobbies, etc. Through the activities of environmental clubs, young people learn and undertake various actions to protect their environment.

Example: Clubs (Mali)

In the Ningari region of Mali, where the Guinea worm illness is very widespread, young people have got themselves well organized. With the approval of the traditional village chiefs and the help of their history and geography teacher, they have launched an information campaign. Coming together from eleven villages in the region, teams of five pupils patiently explain how you can get the Guinea worm illness, and how to avoid it by filtering water, etc.

The role of the education programme "Walia team" is to come up with technical information, help people to make the link with traditional and modern authorities, and convince them that, thanks to clubs, they can do something concrete which benefits all without financial support.

The clubs need technical support and recognition from adults and project leaders to be able to perform ideas. Decision-makers and project leaders can help them by encouraging them to go step-by-step and to help them with the implementation of their projects.

Recommendation: the use of Clubs, youth associations, can become good opportunities to pass on messages and also to undertake activities related to environmental issues crucial for the government as well as for the population.

Exchange visits play a significant educational role, especially as far as adults are concerned. Such visits allow an exchange of experience and acquired knowledge. Participants of such meetings may present their own achievements and compare them with the successful interventions of others. Field trips for farmers are also highly appreciated. Participants of such trips have the opportunity to learn about pro-ecological protection in farming, and more importantly, by exchange of experience, for example, on development of fishing techniques which cause less damage to the biodiversity of the environment.

Furthermore, it should be mentioned that farmers benefit from so called agricultural consulting which provide all types of information on farming methods and their impact on the quality of the environment.

Table of Contents

• Brochure
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• International Year of Forests
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• World Environment Day
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• UNEP Campaign
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