Shqip
English
Bangkok, 16 October 2015 – More than 415,000 students were involved in an ozone protection oration contest for school children in Thailand. The initiative was organised by the Thai Government between August and October 2015 to raise public awareness of the importance of protecting the atmospheric ozone layer.
Children between the ages of 12 and 15 years from more than 20 schools throughout Thailand participated in the contest entitled “The Ozone Rally” on the theme, “How can your everyday life protect the ozone layer?”
Twelve finalists spoke on the topic at the final event, which was the highlight of Thailand’s National Ozone Day celebration on 16 October 2015. It was attended by more than 300 visitors and held at Bangkok’s most popular shopping mall, Siam Paragon.
The competition was organised by the Ozone Protection Section, Department of Industrial Works, Ministry of Industry, with the aim of raising public awareness about ozone protection through regional networks of youth and academics.
The Director-General, Department of Industrial Works, Mr. Pasu Loharjun opened the final competition which was followed by the prize-giving ceremony and a mini-concert. In addition to students and academics, large numbers of members of the public and the media also attended the event.
Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Piyanee Thangtongtawi, Director of Ozone Protection Section, and the lead organiser of the event, said the initiative had increased public awareness about the importance of the ozone layer in Thailand and urged other Thai government agencies and neighbouring countries to work with youth and students to raise public awareness of major environmental issues. “Children and youth are very effective when it comes to telling stories and making connections among themselves and their family. Providing them an opportunity to learn about the ozone layer and tell the stories among their connections will result in life-long and sustainable knowledge and awareness about the issue”, she added.
Contact: Shaofeng Hu, Regional Network Coordinator South East Asia and the Pacific, OzonAction Compliance Assistance Programme, UNEP Regional Office for Asia and Pacific