BEN Australia chapter joins “Switch to Green Expo” in Canberra, Australia
“We have less than 10 years to halt the global rise in greenhouse gas emissions if we are to avoid catastrophic consequences for people and the planet. It is simply the greatest collective challenge we face as human family,” UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon recently told the World Federation of United Nations Association.
In response to this challenge, the United Nations Association Australia (ACT) initiated “Switch to Green” as way to increase understanding of implications of climate change for our region and to show case practical ways how we can reduce our carbon emissions and avoid dangerous climate change. UNAA along with local government and different community and environmental sustainable groups has recently organised a 3-day “Switch to Green Expo” in Canberra 10-12 September at Convention Centre.
BEN-Australia, the Australian chapter of Bangladesh Environment Network, was one of the participants of the Expo where it provided information regarding Bangladesh environment in the form of booklet, leaflets, slides, and video clips. The BEN-Australia stalls at the showed few documentaries on environment and the impact of natural disasters caused by global warming. Among these was the documentary titled, “Who Cares if Bangladesh is drowned” produced by Mr. Afsan Chowdhury, as noted Bangladeshi environmentalist and climate change activist and film maker currently living in Canada. Another documentary was “Gramer nam Fullbari,” made by Anisur Rahman of Sydney.
A large number of visitors from the International community, government, NGO and environmental activists visited the BEN-Australia stall and appreciate the work that BEN is doing with regard to climate change, both inside Bangladesh and abroad. Bangladesh is going to be worst victim of climate change with tens of millions of people likely to be rendered climate refugees.
They came to know about the successful conference on climate change, focusing on Bangladesh’s domestic tasks, held in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh in January 2009. They also appreciated the BEN initiative of announcing and organizing the Bangladesh Global Climate Change Action Day (BGCCAD) of September 18, on which Bangladeshis will hold rallies in different cities across the world including New York, Canberra, Sydney, Kitakyushu, Toronto, and Dhaka. A common Memorandum will be submitted to the UN from all these rallies.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to Australia, Lt. General Masududdin Choudhury and other local community leaders, including president of Bangladesh Association in Canberra, Dr. Moyejur Rahman, visited BEN stall.
BEN-Australia took this opportunity to make the Australian and international community more aware of the environmental struggle in Bangladesh and the role played by BEN in it. It also informed all about the involvement of BEN members in the pro-environment efforts in local cities and countries and in the global effort to confront climate change.
Ben-Australia Coordinator, Kamrul Ahsan Khan, participated in the opening session of the Expo and other workshops during the Expo and the conference.
Canberra Action group and climate justice group assisted BEN in carrying out its various activities and in taking part in the Green Expo.
Several other organisations also used the Expo to display there pro-environmental and climate friendly products, such as solar panel, clean energy, water, and energy saving project.
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