Workshop to raise environmental awareness held at City Law College

DIMAPUR — AIDA-Child Friendly Dimapur (CFD), in collaboration with the Nagaland Pollution Control Board (NPCB), organised a workshop on Wednesday at City Law College, Burma Camp, Dimapur, themed “Right to life, survival, and development”.

According to a press release, the workshop aimed to raise awareness of a clean environment, mobilise networking across different sections of society, and cultivate empathy and a sense of responsible citizenship towards creating a clean and safe environment for children.

A total of 34 students and faculty members from the college attended the workshop.

The workshop featured resource persons Olivi G Chophy, Senior Scientific Assistant at NPCB; Yanathung Kithan, Scientist ‘B’ at NPCB; and Rongsenben Longkumer, Junior Scientific Assistant at NPCB. They talked about topics such as ambient air quality, solid waste management, and Mission Life.

During the sessions, participants were educated on various types of air pollution, their causes, effects on human life, and methods to reduce air pollution, as well as sustainable development goals (SDGs) 12, 13, 14, and 15.

Waste segregation, strategies for managing food and solid waste, the National Green Tribunal Order, the waste management situation in Nagaland, and Mission Life—a global initiative aimed at protecting the environment from the impacts of climate change—were also discussed.

Mission Life emphasises seven key themes: saving energy, conserving water, rejecting single-use plastics, minimising e-waste, embracing sustainable food systems, reducing waste, and adopting healthy lifestyles.

Earlier, Elizabeth Thungchanbeni E Ezung, assistant professor at City Law College, delivered the welcome address, providing insights into the history and objectives behind commemorating International Labour Day.

Stressing on this year’s theme “Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate,” she encouraged aspiring lawyers to educate themselves and become familiar with labour law. This, she highlighted, would enable them to advocate for workers’ rights and promote social justice.

Mechietonü Agnes, Civil Society Mobilisation Officer at Child Friendly Dimapur (CFD), moderated the workshop, while Carol Lotha, Project Coordinator at CFD, elaborated on the concept of Child Friendly Dimapur.

Carol emphasised the workshop’s theme, with particular focus on the four guiding principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: non-discrimination, right to life, survival and development, best interest of the child, and respect for the views of the child.