In addressing the challenges of rapid urbanization, faster depletion of natural resources and increasing pollution, the Clean-India programme has adopted an innovative approach of involving children as the prime harbingers of change. Environmental leadership comes from children who motivate their friends, families and communities to take action in their homes, schools, towns and cities.

A nationwide network of 30 NGO partners, 300 schools, thousands of core students and teachers across 78 towns and cities and a million trained students and communities has been formed. The huge brigade of committed and inspired children, our network with communities, NGOs, government and research institutions combined with the expertise of Development Alternatives are strong foundations for the CLEAN-India programme.

The CLEAN-India Programme in the first decade has equipped and empowered children to address various environmental issues, initiate community level improvement actions and influence some policy changes. The stage is set for an impressive leap into the next decade.

From a nationwide programme to a national movement, it will encompass:

Concentrating on emerging issues (global warming, climate change mitigation and abatement of carbon emissions, managing e-waste), people have to think out of the box to generate new ideas and innovations.

Based on our experiences and successful waste management initiatives in schools and housing colonies, we will work on ‘Go Zero’—zero waste cities and start work on two more CLEAN-India towns.

Large-scale tree plantations and after care in Delhi and some other cities and towns have inspired us to go for a Green Billion—planting and caring for a billion trees across the country by the CLEAN-India students and communities. The CLEAN-Delhi students have already committed a million trees.

Clean-India students and the team are concerned about the lack of availability of clean drinking water and sanitation facilities in slums. During the water quality monitoring exercises we have wanted to do something constructive about it. WATSAN (Water and Sanitation Programme) in slums is being initiated to deal with water quality monitoring and purification, water conservation measures, and sanitation improvement initiatives.

Urban Interpretation centres will be set up at locations that have significant landmarks or areas of public interest such as parks, museums, public libraries, lakes, etc., and they will be supported by in-depth educational exhibits and artifact displays. Films or other media will be used to make the centre interactive in nature so that it can enhance the learning and thought process about the significance of the natural and other urban resources to a larger audience.

4. Enhancing visibility and outreach will be carried out by:

CLEAN-India Jhansi has initiated partnership with Radio -FM 92.7. The radio partner is broadcasting all the CLEAN-India activities for one and half months (from 17th May to 30th June). The motive behind this broadcasting will be to develop awareness among the communities for their environment, addressing the concerns of water quality and air quality of specific different sites of the city and information about trainings on possible improvement actions such as training on paper products, water purification systems, water conservation techniques, importance of planting trees and planting herbs, celebration of eco-festivals, etc.

The Earth Charter is a declaration of fundamental principles for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society in the 21st century based on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice and a culture of peace. It challenges us to examine our values, search for common grounds in the midst of our diversity and to embrace a new vision that will be shared by people in many nations and cultures throughout the world.

Development Alternatives has been designated as India Affiliate by the Earth Charter Commission. The CLEAN-India programme of Development Alternatives has adopted the principles in the programme. With the objective of expanding the Earth Charter to millions of children across the country, we have developed a ‘Children’s Earth Charter’. The adapted version has been translated into Hindi and as also seven regional languages.

In Delhi schools, the Earth Charter has been launched by CLEAN-India in partnership with the Department of Environment and Forests, Government of Delhi.

This initiative will be the first step in taking the Earth Charter to the schools across India

The concept of ‘zero waste and zero emissions’ evolved along the five design principles of nature will be our guiding principle. This will help in a better understanding of how natural systems work, learn from nature and to actually follow the same. For e.g., using water hyacinth, the weed that is choking water bodies for handicrafts, as a substrate for growing mushrooms, as cattle feed, and as compost.

ZERI stories: Fables are so much more effective than spinning an abstract concept or a theory. During the pilot project we observed that the stories strike a sensitive cord and stimulate a creative and imaginative response in the students. We will be using the ZERI stories to:

(1) Strengthen academic learning, providing access to an incredible 1,000 scientific subjects from hard to soft sciences;

(2) Build up the emotional intelligence of children by exposing them to many characters and situations with evolving experiences that are quickly imagined in real life situations;

(3) Enhance the capacity to express one’s self through arts, both classical and experimental, including music, dance, painting;

(4) Support our children to dream, envision, think and act in systems, connecting so many dispersed facts and elements; and

(5) Reinforce the children’s capacity to implement, converting all the possibilities offered by gaining these new insights into initiatives which are all undertaken in co-evolution with nature.

Installing mini waste paper recycling units in schools, involving students in making paper and paper products, and installing a paper-making plant at the Delhi Secretariat that will convert the waste paper generated in the government offices into files and stationery have been some of our initial steps in this direction.

To overcome the impact of climate change in their own way, CLEAN-India will inspire and equip the young energy auditors to assess the energy consumption in their schools and suggest the various means and methods of optimum energy use and conservation. The measures would include changing to CFL bulbs, electronic regulators, use of solar water heaters, etc. These young auditors shall further inspire other school children to adopt energy friendly alternatives in their homes as also communities.