EnvSusDev

OVERVIEW

In 2007, SAEP continues its work in environmental education and awareness and the promotion of environmentally sustainable development. Some of SAEP's major projects in this area are described below. A great boost to our environmental programs was the addition to our staff in March 2006 of Asanda Lugalo, an experienced outdoor education and youth development officer. Another boost has been a new partnership with the University of Cape Town's Mountain and Ski Club, which works with SAEP to take a small group of learners on monthly climbs on Table Mountain. UCT MSC joins the Mountain Club of South Africa as a key SAEP partner in environmental education and youth development. A third outdoor education partner teamed up with SAEP in 2007: a JDI (Just Do It) group formed earlier this year. With the help of an intern from the USA, Rachel Ackoff, SAEP has also developed environmental debate materials for use in high school debating leagues.

Environmental Education in the Outdoors

Since 2003, the Outreach Program of the Mountain Club of South Africa has provided monthly opportunities for township high school learners to experience nature in Cape Peninsula National Park and learn more about their natural environment. Asanda Lugalo describes one such hike and shows how valuable they are in his Report on MCSA Hike of March 18, 2006

In 2006, SAEP formed a new partnership with the Mountain and Ski Club of the University of Cape Town (UCT MSC), see Asanda Lugalo's Report on UCT MSC Excursions (June 2006). This initiative, part of the Outreach program of UCT MSC, is different from the excursions of the Mountain Club of South Africa in that the same group of high school learners go on the hikes every month.

In May 2007, a newly formed JDI (Just Do It) took a group of SAEP's high school students on the first of a series of hikes. Read more at JDI/SAEP Hike May 2007

One of SAEP's major events in 2006 was a three-day environmental education camp at the False Bay Ecology Park in late November for thirty-five learners from five township high schools. To learn more, see Asanda Lugalo's Report on SAEP Camp (November 2006).

Environmental Debate Topics for South African High Schools

A major opportunity for developing environmental awareness and promoting critical thinking on environmental issues is South African schools debating. SAEP co-founded the Township Debating League in 2003 to promote debating in the historically disadvantaged high schools in Cape Town's Cape Flats. In 2006, a volunteer from the USA, Rachel Ackoff of Swarthmore College, prepared materials to be used in 2007 by Township Debating League and other high school debating leagues. These materials are:

Air Pollution and Global Warming

Service Delivery in South Africa

Sustainable Development in South Africa

SAEP'S ENVIRONMENTAL PHILOSOPHY

The natural environment is Southern Africa's greatest economic asset. The key to the economic development of Southern Africa is conserving and sustainably using that environment. SAEP subscribes to the philosophy that the goal of environmental management in South Africa should be "turning Southern Africa's environment and cultural heritage into the most valuable product on earth". This involves broadening the access to natural resources and involving local communities economically in tourism and cultural heritage enterprises.

Environmental education for all - especially in the historically disadvantaged communities - is essential if the environment is to be protected and sustainably used. This involves not only basic environmental awareness, but also the development of a cadre of skilled and highly motivated young environmental managers in the region. To this end, SAEP has worked with black community-based environmental organisations and educational institutions at all levels, to build environmental capacity in individuals and organisations. Its particular focus since 1999 has been the black townships located in the Cape Flats, a part of the Cape Town metropolitan area.

Environmental leadership and leadership skills and the capacity for environmental advocacy, especially in the black community, must be developed as rapidly as possible. Communities must be empowered to participate in the decisions that will determine the direction of development and the state of the environment where they live and work. To this end, SAEP has been involved since 1999 in a program of educational support and leadership development in Philippi and other townships of Cape Town, training high school students and giving them extensive experience in debating, student journalism and other forms of creative writing, organisational development, and environmental activism. In 2003, it launched a "gap year" internship programme for a group of gifted high school graduates from Sinethemba Senior Secondary School, Philippi.

In all of the foregoing, science and technology, and in particular information technology, are essential for sustainable development and development of global competitiveness for Southern Africa.