Joburg celebrates environment month

07 June 2016

 

The City of Johannesburg, in partnership with Constitution Hill, will this year host the third annual ConHill Green Festival.

 

In line with youth month, and the commemoration of 40 years of the 1976 Student’s Uprisings, the theme for this year is, “The Role of the Youth in Environmental Sustainability”.

 

The festival will be taking place at Constitution Hill, and primarily aims to create awareness and educate the youth about environmental sustainability. Coinciding with Environmental Month, the ConHill Green Festival will feature various activities including a panel discussion, an art exhibition, and learner and youth environmental seminars.

Section 24 of the Constitution of South Africa states the right to a healthy and safe environment. With the current environmental issues that have been arising, this constitutional right of every citizen seems to be under threat due to daily practices which harm the environment. South Africa and other parts of the world have experienced the various environmental changes, ranging from floods to the more recent heat waves.

A panel discussion and environmental seminars will feature government entities, the private sector, environmental society representatives and field experts. These engaging discussions will inspire young people to play a role in environmental sustainability, and will engage young people on the opportunities of tapping into the green economy.

The festival will also feature a schools essay-writing competition which was launched at the beginning of environmental month. This competition has called on schools to write assays on different topics, with the winning schools receiving prizes related to environmental maintenance.