A US-based non-governmental organization (NGO) has launched a
program for environmental protection in Beijing in an effort to
help build "Green Beijing, Green Olympics," the organizer announced
in Beijing Saturday.
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"Eco Action Beijing," as the program called, will invite the
primary school, middle school and university students in Beijing to
participate in the campaign for public welfare, said Katherine
Jiang, outreach coordinator of the Roots and Shoots Beijing
Office.
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Roots and Shoots is an environmental and humanitarian program for
young people under the US-based Jane Goodall Institute, an NGO
founded in 1977 to promote wildlife research and conservation, as
well as animal welfare, particularly of chimpanzees.
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"Green Beijing, My Home" is the slogan of the program, which will
last till the close of the 29th
Beijing Olympic Games in 2008,Jiang said.
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This year, the program will focus on educating the students in 35
middle schools of Beijing about environmental protection, she
said.
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The goals of the program, she said, are to pick a group of top
"Green Schools" that are committed to promoting environmental
protection education for long, to train a group of top
environmental protection instructors, and to help enhance the
youngsters' concerns about environmental issues.
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"We will offer financial support and professional guidance to
them," Jiang said.
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"We hope the program can later be lifted to a nationwide popular
campaign that aims to educate youngsters about environmental
protection."
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The Jane Goodall Institute is named after world-renowned scientist
Dr. Jane Goodall, who is well known for her pioneering research in
chimpanzee behavior begun in 1960.
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In 1994, the first Roots and Shoots group was established in China,
and in 2000, Roots and Shoots offices were set up both in Beijing
and Shanghai. There are now more than 300 Roots and Shoots groups
at primary schools, middle schools and universities across
China.
(Xinhua News Agency September 25, 2005)