Zeeda Fatimah Mohamad - The International Conference on

Youth Engagement in Sustainability
International Conference on Business Sustainability:
23rd April 2015
Zeeda Fatimah Mohamad
Zeeda Fatimah Mohamad
Department of Science & Technology Studies, Faculty of Science,
University of Malaya
The Journey
2008
2009
UMCares –
Movement
Volunteer-based,
without funding and
official recognition
2010 2011 2012 2013
UMCares - Environmental secretariat
(VC Office)
Volunteer-based, with funding & official recognition
2014
2015
UMCares –
The Community &
Sustainability Centre

Holistic Integration
Sustainability Transitions
VC:
Tan Sri Dato’
Rafiah Salim
VC:
Tan Sri Gauth Jasmon
VC:
Dato’ Amin
Jalaludin
Significant campus sustainability achievement to date
2008
2014/2015
Vision
Negligible
Sustainability as the 9th strategic thrust for UM; Interest for a holistic
direction
Governance
Volunteer movement
Institutionalised as “UMCares – The Community and Sustainability
Centre” , with more diverse and structured volunteer programme
Policy
None
Clear Greening KPIs for development activities
No polystyrene, Reduce paper usage
Sustainable Waste
Management
None
Living Lab: Zero Waste Campaign
Water conservation
None
Living Lab: Water Warriors
Greening & Biodiversity
Botanical garden for
educational purposes
Living Lab: RIMBA
Green Office
None
Living Lab: UMCares Green Office
Community Engagement
Promoting UM to schools,
small unit
CE recognised as a strategic area alongside Campus Sustainability merged under UMCares (Holistic)
Human Resource
General Volunteers
Director, manager, 8 full-time staff, Volunteers
Recognition
None
UI Green Metric (213 to 72); Recognition from top management,
media & stakeholders
The role of Youth
Going beyond awareness to
long term change agents
Thought
leader
Advocator
System
builders
Long-term
supporters
Responsible Citizens
Thought Leader
Advocator
STAR Newspaper: Monday March 30, 2015
Universiti Malaya aims for zero waste
System Builders
UMCares Green Office
STAR Newspaper: Monday March 30, 2015
UM students and staff relaunch Varsity Lake by
releasing ducks, geese and swimming in it
STAR Newspaper: Monday March 30, 2015
Section 12 Petaling Jaya harbours a
world of ecological wonders
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Long Term Supporters
Additional Insights:
• Youth volunteers can come from anywhere. Not necessarily
from those formally trained
• Successful up scaling of youth leadership requires mentoring
and coaching
• Different entry points and natural inclination but need to
develop other skills too
• Combination of structured & unstructured exposure to learning
spaces - Peer to peer essential.
• Learning from mistake: interpersonal and emotional support
• Synergizing inter-generational styles: Baby boomers, Gen X, Y, Z
Don’t be a part of the problem
Be a part of the LONG-TERM solution
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