As we sat in the lobby of the IGI airport, New Delhi, eagerly awaiting our flight to Copenhagen, we were anxious to experience the dream that we had been nurturing for so long. Our dream, began 10 months back when the CLEAN-India organizers from Development Alternatives called our schools for the selection of three students and a teacher to represent India at the GEYC in Sweden.
 
The GEYC was organized by the International Institute for Industrial and Environment Economics (IIIEE) from the 15th to 19th of June 2000. About 15 schools, represented by two students each, came for the selection. After a mind-boggling written test which tested our knowledge on environment, computers and our country, ten students were selected for an interview. The interview tested the communication skills and the students’ views on various issues concerning environment and society. Finally we, Aditi from Delhi Public School-RK Puram, Rohit - Army Public School, and Shibani - DPS Noida and Ms. Urmil, a teacher from Central School, Masjid Moth were selected. Aibanrihun, the fourth delegate from our team, was selected through a similar gruelling process in Shillong. The selection process was followed by an eight month long Young Masters distance learning course, which covered fundamental environmental topics ranging from Eco-systems, PEMS (Preventive Environmental Strategies), bio-diversity and socio-cultural aspects. Through the Internet, we received the course material and submitted our assignments after lively and informative discussions. As soon as we received our first unit, we knew that we were in for a lot of learning and hard work. Through all the course material that followed, we learnt about things that were so apparent yet we never really noticed their impact on our environment and us. The unit on bio-diversity made us realize that the invaluable wealth that our country possesses and how we are gradually destroying it. Assignments like designing a new and more eco-friendly packaging of a McDonald burger and tracing the ecological footprint of a product gave us practical knowledge and experience. The Internet also proved to be an excellent media to interact with student delegates representing various countries and know their views on different issues.
 
The last part of the course consisted of a project work that was to be presented in Lund during the Convention. After much deliberation, we thought that the issue of waste management in a domestic perspective was appropriate as it was posing a huge crisis in our country and had solutions which could be easily implemented. To base our project on a first hand experience, we did a lot of field work which consisted of visits to landfill sites, kabadi wallahs, composting sites and talking to people involved at various levels of waste management. We even recycled paper and started composting of the kitchen waste. After a lot of research and discussion, our project was prepared as a computer presentation titled "Why Waste the Waste". Though the entire course (ending just before the convention) was tough and demanding, it was very informative and a lot of fun.
 
On reaching Lund, the scene in the lobby of the Star Hotel was overwhelming. It was crowded and chaotic, and yet there was this excitement in the air, each face different yet bearing that similar gleam of enthusiasm and anticipation. Each one was busy trying to meet and talk to people from other parts of the globe. One look at he scenario and we knew that the past many months of hard work were all worth it and the next five days were going to be an experience of a life time. The convention took off on a hearty note on the 15th of June with a lavish breakfast, a common ‘phenomenon’ (if we call it that) on all the five days of the convention. On the University campus, the mayor of Lund welcomed all of us. Students of Lund schools performed a lively welcoming orchestra as we all entered the exhibition hall and then the team of organizers introduced themselves. We then signed up for the workshops we wanted to attend on the 15th and the 16th of June. These two days were set aside for workshops and presentations by different delegations. Delegates of India 1 (our official designation!) attended workshops on negotiation skills, marketing strategies, Earth Charter, Eco bills etc. Aibanrihun, one of the delegates of our team, was selected to be trained as an environmental journalist by the Reuters group. She is one of the 12 students who will cover the IUCN regional conference in Amman, Jordan in October. The workshops were conducted by well-known personalities and we found ourselves deeply involved in very interesting sessions followed by discussions. Throughout the two days, we were able hear different opinions of people on issues and realised that there were so many perspectives a problem which we had never even thought about.
 
On the morning of 16th June, the King of Sweden officially inaugurated the convention. The event was also marked by the Uniting Waters Ceremony, in which students brought water from the water bodies in their respective countries and poured it from their country’s traditional bowl into a large glass bowl. Aditi from our group, poured the Ganga water collected from Uttarkashi from an earthen pot. Then, one of the delegates gave some of the water in a small bowl to the King. This ceremony symbolized the shared concern of each country towards the water resources. It also symbolized the coming together of different cultures, transcending all barriers as delegates proudly stood together holding their national flags, acknowledging the important role they had to play in changing their society and the world that we all shared. After lunch on the 16th, we gave a presentation of our project work. The presentation was received well. People showed interest in the different ways of waste disposal that we had suggested. The presentations were followed by a ‘knowledge café’ in which different groups, each having delegates from different countries, discussed matters concerning society and implementation of PEMS. The conclusion that each group drew was that education (formal and informal) was the single most important requirement to implement PEMS or any kind of change in society though the ways suggested by each group in which this could be achieved were different. In the evening while the teachers went for their workshops, the students went to a nearby disco. Here again, meeting people from completely different backgrounds, on a very informal and fun-filled platform, was an amazing experience.
 

On the 17th of June, everyone went to the Hoor municipality where we were taken to the Skanes Djurpark which housed many animals belonging to temperate climate. Chief Oren Lyons, a native Indian chief, gave us a speech in which he stressed the relationship between man and his environment. He also asked the delegates to be happy and to enjoy life but at the same time to be responsible. Aibanrihun had the opportunity to interview him later as a part of her training programme. The evening was spent near Vaxsjon lake where some delegates ventured into the water for a swim, while others enjoyed and appreciated the picturesque view. The fourth day was spent at the Viking Museum where we had a glimpse into the lifestyle of ancient Sweden during the times of the Vikings. We were also taken to a recycling unit and shown how the segregation of waste was carried out in Sweden. Since our project work was also based on the lines of waste disposal, it was interesting to note how efficiently segregation could be carried out. After lunch, an expert took us on a nature walk along the Baltic Sea and explained the thriving eco-system of that area. The evening was a colourful and entertaining affair as delegations presented their cultural items. All four delegations from India gave a common presentation which started with a solo classical dance performance followed by a patriotic song, folk song, film song and ended with the Hindi and English version of ‘We Shall Overcome’. The performance was appreciated by many. We also put ‘Mehendi’ on the hands of eager and excited students and teachers. The final day began with all the delegates participating in one of the sessions in the conference on Eco-efficiency at the Scania Convention Center. This was followed by a trip to the Oresund Bridge that connects Copenhagan to Malmo, which was due to open on the 1st of July. We also had a look at the Oresund Exhibition Center near the bridge. In the afternoon, we were taken to the Eco Augustenborg and Ekostaden where we attended workshops on water harvesting, transportation, skating, music, etc. We then returned to the hotel to prepare for the Young Masters’ Graduation Ceremony. The ceremony was held in the main hall of the Lund University where the students were handed out their Young Master’s Graduation certificates. Getting our diploma certificates in our hands was a feeling that none of us will ever forget and once again the last ten months of fun and work flashed in front of our eyes. The grand finale was the traditional Swedish Midsummer Night party, which was held in the Kulturen, a cultural museum in Lund. There was also a dance session and an open-air rock concert by one of the local bands. Delegates and teachers were seen running around trying to get everyone’s contact numbers and each one clicking photographs to keep the memories of the five days that they were never ever going to forget in their lifetime. In the end, as all the delegates held hands and sang "We are the World" in unison, one could see in their eyes, the sadness of leaving the friends they had made over the past few days, but with that there was the look of determination on their faces that said that "We make a difference because we want to make a difference". q