PHNOM PENH: On July 5, 2024, The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) celebrated the closure of USAID Cambodia Green Future, a five-year activity that worked with young people to promote sustainable practices that aim to reduce demand for luxury wood furniture, curtail consumption of bushmeat, and campaign against littering.
This project focused on promoting positive behaviours and practices using the Social Behavior Change Communication approach and engaging with youth leaders, social media influencers, and other stakeholders. Over the last five years, USAID Cambodia Green Future trained hundreds of youth leaders, social media influencers, journalists, and civil society members to effectively communicate and encourage behaviours to improve the natural environment for all Cambodians.
Speaking to youth represented at the event USAID Mission Director Kerry Pelzman noted, “This activity is going to end, but we know your work will continue. You are the key to a sustainable, green future for Cambodia. Based on our activity surveys, three out of four Cambodian youth believe biodiversity conservation, forest protection, and sustainable natural resource management are important issues for Cambodia. Let’s keep going until we reach 100%.”
“All Cambodians, young and old, have a common duty to conserve and protect our precious natural resources,” said His Excellency Borina Ngauv, Secretary of State, Ministry of Environment. “Green Future Activity’s goal and objectives support and align with the circular strategy on the environment for 2023-2028, which aims to ensure environmental protection, natural resources conservation, and sustainable development towards a carbon-neutral economy by 2050.”
The event included interactive booths, displaying the impacts of the activity’s three Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) campaigns: #Talk2ProtectForests, #Talk2ProtectOurWildlife, and #Talk2StopLittering. The event’s guests learned about the role youth play in biodiversity conservation, forest protection, and the correct disposal of waste. Guests included representatives of relevant ministries, conservation partners, the private sector, development partners, influencers, and youth leaders.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the world’s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. USAID’s work advances U.S. national security and economic prosperity, demonstrates American generosity, and promotes a path to recipient self-reliance and resilience. Reaching all 25 Cambodian provinces, USAID/Cambodia works with Cambodian and international partners to make the country a more open, prosperous, resilient, and inclusive partner in the Indo-Pacific region. Our work focuses on advancing government accountability and human rights; improving health and nutrition; supporting education and child development; increasing agricultural production and food security; conserving forests and watersheds; and helping farmers and households adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change and natural hazards.
The USAID Cambodia Green Future Activity is a five-year (2019-2024), $5 million project funded by USAID and implemented by ECODIT and FHI 360. The Activity works to empower Cambodian citizens and civil society with the knowledge and skills to use evidence-based communication systems to influence positive actions to support biodiversity conservation, forest protection, and broad sustainable natural resource management. Once aware of common threats to biodiversity and livelihoods, Cambodians can strategically communicate with fellow citizens and inspire them to protect their natural resources. Toward this end, the Activity has two objectives: Objective 1: To increase target populations’ knowledge and positive attitudes about the benefits of Cambodia’s unique and endangered biodiversity and the critical importance of forest ecosystems. Objective 2: To increase citizen-led efforts to apply strategic communications to protect biodiversity and forest ecosystems in target areas. Learn more at www.facebook.com/USAIDCambodiaGreenFuture.
Green Groups (GGs): Green Groups are youth volunteers under the facilitation of the USAID Cambodia Green Future Activity. GG has been established since October 2021. As of July 2024, there are 11 green groups with 113 (86 females and 27 males) members in total. GG has two main roles: 1). The forefront of the strategy is a big bet (given their place in Cambodian society), but, as change agents, they can influence their peers, parents who are the ones engaging in the harmful behaviors and 2). The driving seat is paying off: high engagement and involvement of GG in conducting outreach activities at schools and or in communities. GG members engaged in development of the campaign material such as idea sprint workshops (reconfirm the behaviors, find the causes that lead to those behaviors and find the strategies to address the behaviors), co-development of Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) strategy and SBCC toolkits/materials.
Photo by: Supplied
