National Desk :
Students from Friendship Schools in hard-to-reach, erosion-prone and flood-swept river islands (chars) of the Brahmaputra have been advocating for communities who are victims of climate change at international conferences over the past year, including at COP28. In a seminar at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office in the northern border district of Kurigram on Tuesday, district officials discussed the role of the youth in combatting the climate crisis. “The activism of Friendship School’s students in international forums on climate action is a positive sign for the country,” said Kurigram Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Mohammad Saidul Arif, speaking as chief guest at the occasion. The event was entitled The Role of the Youth in Climate Change Awareness and Social Engagement.
The seminar, organised at the auditorium of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, was presided by the Friendship’s Senior Director and Head of Education, Brig Gen (Rtd) Ilyas Iftekhar Rasul. The welcome address was delivered by Assistant Director Reza Ahmed. They said that besides the formal National School Curriculum, Friendship School students learn about climate change, disaster management, adaptation solutions and advocacy. Since 2021, the students have engaged virtually with their counterparts in five different countries in Europe and elsewhere, exchanging experiences with climate issues and learning about how people in different regions are coping with climate crises.
