The ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) (co-organized by Hiroshima ASEAN Association and supported by Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education and Hiroshima City Board of Education) held “Marine Plastic Education Symposium: Nurturing Good Habits for Cleaner Oceans” on February 2, 2022. Students from elementary and high schools in Hiroshima Prefecture and ASEAN Member States exchanged opinions and solutions for solving the marine plastic waste problem. The Symposium was conducted online (around 820 viewers).
In this symposium, representatives of elementary schools and high schools from Hiroshima and ASEAN(*), who participated in the online lecture through “ASEAN-Hiroshima Eco-School” by the fellows (who participated in the “Future Leaders’ Declaration on ASEAN-Japan Cooperation for International Marine Plastic Waste” in March 2021), made presentations for future solutions on marine plastic waste issues.
(*) Hiroshima Nagisa Kouen Elementary School (Japan); Bishop Sofio Balce Memorial School ＆ St. Francis of Assisi Diocesan School (Philippines); Nakamura School (Indonesia); Hiroshima Nagisa Senior High School, Mr. Takanari Morioka (Japan); St. Nicholas Senior High School of Cabanatuan, Inc. (Philippines); Hiroshima Gion Kita Senior High School, Mr. Daichi Kurahashi (Japan); Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science (Philippines); MRSM, Ms. Nur Munira Shafwana Pidy (Malaysia); Hiroshima Jogakuin Senior High School, Ms. Maoka Kawanishi (Japan)
Welcome Remarks through video-recordings were delivered by H.E. Ekkaphab Phanthavon, Deputy Secretary-General for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community of the ASEAN Secretariat and Mr. Hidehiko Yuzaki, the Governor of the Prefecture of Hiroshima.
In response to the presentations “Learnings and Way Forward” by representatives of elementary and high school students, ” Inspiring Messages from the Mentors” were given by Dr. Motoyuki Suzuki, President of the Japan Association for UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), Professor Atsuhiko Isobe, the Center for Atmospheric and Oceanic Environment, Kyushu University and Professor Naoki Hosaka, the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, the University of Tokyo.
Comments from the educators(**) from Hiroshima and ASEAN who supported this project were presented.
(**) Ms. Carmela Garma, teacher and Mr. Ian Radge Melad, Principal, St. Nicholas Senior High School of Cabanatuan, Inc. (Philippines); Mr. Rey Sison, School Director, Bishop Sofio Balce Memorial School ＆ St. Francis of Assisi Diocesan School (Philippines); Ms. Yasuyo Hanano, teacher, Hiroshima Nagisa Senior High School (Japan); Ms. April Ann Salutan, teacher and YES-O Club adviser, Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science (Philippines); Ms. Syarimasni Shamsuddin, teacher, MRSM (Malaysia); Mr. Takehiro Nishi, teacher, Hiroshima Gion Kita High School (Japan); Mr. Shinichiro Tanaka, Vice Principal, Hiroshima Nagisa Koen Elementary School (Japan); Mr. Khairun Ar Rasyid, Head of Japanese Department and Ms. Yuniarti Kristiany, Principal of Primary School, Nakamura School (Indonesia); Mr. Hiroaki Kato, teacher, Hiroshima Jogakuin Senior High School (Japan)
Furthermore, messages from the fellows(***) (who provides lectures through “ASEAN-Hiroshima Eco-School”) were delivered.
(***) Ms. Thuy Tien TRAN, (Viet Nam), Master, Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies at Kyoto University; Ms. Haruna MASUDA (Japan), Master, Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies at Kyoto University (presented the pre- and post-questionnaire results for “Hiroshima ASEAN Eco School”); Ms. Machiko FUJIKAWA (Japan), Master, Department of resources and environmental engineering, Graduate School of Creative Science and Engineering, Waseda University; Ms. Valerie CORALES (Philippines), PhD in Agriculture, Kyushu University; Ms. Yasmin Fauzee (Malaysia), PhD in Applied Stress / Microbiology, Graduate School, Nara Institute of Science and Technology; Ms. Nurlatifah (Indonesia), PhD, Chemistry Department, Kumamoto University; Ms. Shelvy SANTOSO (Indonesia), NiX Co. LTd., Master, Environment and Civil Engineering, gr aduated from the Graduate School of Toyama Prefectural University
Secretary-General Kunihiko Hirabayashi from the AJC gave the closing remarks.