What you are helping to build

We recently started our crowdfunding campaign and we want you to know what you are helping to build when you donate and support us. Today we asked Porag, our Campaign Coordinator from Bangladesh, to talk about his work at Mock COP and how we are changing the world with your help.

“My name is Porag, I’m a climate justice activist from Dhaka, Bangladesh. I’m currently studying Environment and Development Studies at United International University. I’m fond of watching documentaries. I was a campaigner in MockCOP26 phase 2. I got to know about Teach the Teacher (TTT) from phase two when the project was initiated.”

You were a volunteer before being staff on TTT. How do you feel about it? Is there a difference in the process? Do you feel more confident or more passionate?

“Yes. When I was a volunteer campaigner, I had to conduct the session as it was. After I became a staff on TTT, I have been able to share my perspective on how I want to see the TTT. The process is also different. Before, I only conducted sessions, but after becoming a staff, I helped others conduct the sessions, I got the opportunity to provide my opinions on shaping TtT.”

Do you think that the Global South perspective about the climate and the climate perspective changed the way you conducted the section? How? 

“It definitely did. TTT is a global campaign, it focuses on the general issues everyone faced or would face. But when it comes to the Global South which mostly includes countries that are the most vulnerable towards climate change, I had to change my pattern of conducting TtT. I had to focus more on our local level and national level issues and solutions while talking about the climate crisis which might not have been similar to the original TtT. 

Another change in my perspective that came through conducting the sessions is that the education of Global South isn’t very coped us with climate change and climate crisis, this resulted in the teachers not feeling very connected.”

What was the reaction of the local community to the session? Did the students and teachers get excited?

“The schools and the teachers aren’t very happy at the beginning of the sessions, but if progress, they began feeling somewhat connected. In the beginning, the schools or teachers weren’t very supportive of permitting TtT. They were not particularly supportive of giving permission. But once they got to learn a thing or two, they started feeling connected and we got registration.”

Bangladesh’s climate education 

“Climate education in my country is close to non-existing. The amount of climate education provided in the schools is not adequate at all. Children don’t get to learn the basics of climate change. We don’t usually learn it at regular schools.

“To me, the climate emergency is like a question mark on my existence. It affects me big time, especially the mental stress it gives me is excruciating. It makes me rethink my lifestyle, day to day activities. I feel scared, I have this constant fear that whatever I do, isn’t enough to protect us from this crisis.”

Thank you Porag for your interview and thank you to all our supporters.

Via