Decarbonize:Decolonize - a project realized as part of COY14&COP24
Decarbonize:Decolonize is an international project realized by young people to raise the awareness (not just among teens!) about the grave climate changes which are destroying our planet and how little time we have to act in order to save our future. Youth from all over the world, supervised by their caring and supportive teachers, learnt how to act according to the rule: "think globally, act locally".
A group of students from pre-DP class joined the project: Adrianna Śmiałek, Ewa Masłowska, Maria Borowczyk, Mikołaj Mitręga, Wiktor Malara, and Michał Jański, who could always count on the factual and organizational support (and good advice) from their teachers: Ms Anna Stebel, PhD, and Ms Joanna Stebel, MA/MSE. The early phase of the project started in September, when we were paired with a school from Kenya. Along with Kenyan students, communicating via Internet platforms, we prepared our case studies and compared them. Our task was to present them the environmental situation in Silesia. Our source of knowledge were native Upper Silesians, while the Kenyans described their environmental problems focusing on the perspective of the elders from one of the Maasai societies.
After completing the so-called "bilateral studies", students created an anti-smog ad, which will soon be available on YouTube.
The next stage of the project were the so-called "tri-regional studies" - video conferences and discussions from representatives of the project from entire Europe and Africa. Thanks to the completion of that task, we could learn about climate changes from a broader perspective, and present the effects of our research in front of a wider audience. We edited a blog together throughout the entire project. Its summary should soon be available at the Decarbonize:Decolonize website.
In the meantime, we sent drawings and paintings to the arts competition organized as part of the project - the Palace of Youth in Katowice was filled with artistic works, including ours! The arts contest was supervised by Ms Marta Zemła, MA.
The end of November brought the most exctiting part of the project - the visit of international Guests to Katowice! Our high school had the honour to host representatives of Decarbonize:Decolonize and COY14 from all over the world. Finally, the time came to show the presentations live, to participate in long, fruitful discussions, and to make new friends. We hosted 60 people from different countries. Adrianna Śmiałek took care of the Guests and their stay at the hostel.
The climax of the project took place on December 3rd, in the building of Katowice School of Technology in Rolna 43. There, a meeting of all delegates of the project and students from many schools of Katowice took place. Each group had a chance to present and discuss the results of their research. The conference was widely described by the local media, which proves how significant this international and peaceful event was. See the footage by TV Silesia: https://tvs.pl/informacje/o-zmianie-klimatu-w-wst-w-katowicach-wideo-glos-zabraly-szkoly-stowarzyszone-unesco/ .
Everything must come to an end - and, eventually, we had to say goodbye to our wonderful Guests, remembering many wise words and important thoughts about saving the environment. We hope to participate in more such successful and valuable projects in the future.
We would like to express our sincere gratutude for the Headmistress of Melchior Wańkowicz Private High School, Ms Jolanta Kałuża, MA, and the National Coordinator of the Baltic Sea Project within UNESCO ASP-net, MsJolanta Mol, PhD.
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