VOICE OF THE YOUTH NETWORK BLOGGER

The Bayer Young Environmental Envoy Program started in Thailand in
1995 and was adopted by the Asia Pacific Regional Office of the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). In 2001, Bayer
Philippines and Bayer Singapore decided to adapt the same project in
their respective countries.



Program Objectives:


To train youth leaders in exploring solutions to environmental
problems
To facilitate networking and the exchange of environmental views
among the youth in both host and participating countries
To provide an opportunity for the observation of environmentally
sound technologies, practices and ways of life

Envoy's Roles:


Share their learning for the benefit of their community
Implement their personal action plan and take an active part in
environmental activities, specially on occasions like Earth Day
Join The Young Environmental Envoy Club which meets every year
About Bayer:


Bayer is one of the leaders of the worldwide initiative called
Responsible Care, the chemical industry's contribution to
sustainable development.

At Bayer, environmental awareness started as early as 1901 with the
establishment of the "Wastewater Commission" at Bayer's headquarters
in Leverkusen, Germany.

Bayer Philippines, consistent with Bayer's thrust all over the
world, is committed to conserving natural resources, operating its
facilities safely and minimizing the environmental impact of its
activities. Apart from its own commitment regarding its facilities,
it has also through the years pursued actively programs that
encourage environmental protection.

Eligibility Details
Are you involved in any environmental project? Or do have practical
ideas that address the issues of sustainable development? If you
have a passion for the environment, are currently enrolled in any
recognized tertiary institution (college, university or
polytechnic), and not more than 24 years old, you can become a
Bayer Young Environmental Envoy OR the Philippine representative
to the Eco-Minds Forum.

The top five Bayer Young Environmental Envoys will get an all-
expense paid trip to Germany to observe best environmental
practices, while three of the brightest young minds from the country
will be chosen as the Philippine representatives to the Eco-Minds
Forum, the first to be held in Manila. The Bayer Young Environmental
Envoy and the Eco-Minds are two programs under the partnership of
Bayer and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Bayer Young Environmental Envoy

Five of the finest students from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao meet
other "green-minded" envoys from 12 countries for a weeklong study
tour in Germany in November 2005 to learn a broad spectrum of
environmental protection measures adopted by government and
industries of highly developed countries.

Eco-Minds Forum

Eco-Minds is a new program that will debut in the Philippines at the
end of October 2005. The program seeks to challenge the youth to
think of creative and practical applications of science and
technology in an interdisciplinary way to address issues on
Sustainable Development. Three students from the fields of natural
sciences, engineering/technology, and social sciences/management
will take part in an all-expense paid forum to be attended by
delegates from nine Asia Pacific countries.

Selection of Semi-Finalists

Entries will be screened based on the eligibility and completeness
of submission. Qualified entries will be evaluated on the basis of
the following: 60% for essay, 40% for resume.

Prior to selecting the Envoys for the Germany trip and the Delegates
to the Eco-Minds Forum, there is a regional search in Luzon, Visayas
and Mindanao, where shortlisted candidates are interviewed by a
panel of judges to determine their intelligence, environmental
involvement, communication, leadership and people skills.

Qualified finalists automatically become members of the elite Bayer
Young Environmental Envoy Club. They will be invited to attend an
eco-camp on May 21 to 25, 2005 to give them the opportunity to gain
insights on what various sectors of Philippine society are doing for
the environment.

To qualify for both programs, interested students need to accomplish
the prescribed Application Form and enclose relevant information on
the activities, studies and projects they have carried out related
to the environment, highlighting their role in these activities.
Applicants have to write an essay of no more that 1,000 words on how
they can contribute to the solution of one of the following
environmental challenges that the United Nations has identified in
its Millenium Development Goals:

Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country
policies and programmes; reverse loss of environmental resources.
Reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access
to safe drinking water.
Achieve significant improvement in lives of at least 100 million
slum dwellers by 2020.
The closing date for all applications is March 27, 2005.

www.bayeryoungenvoy.com