<B>Michael ATCHIA</B>

Environmental citizenship requires commitment. It is important, however to plan actions which would be relevant to the particular reality and needs of the community. The only constraint is the imagination of the people involved. The reason why environmental citizenship can achieve significant results is that it draws upon the creativity and energy of society as a whole. Here are some general actions that can be done:set up environmental learning programmes for staff at the office; link as many community activities as possible to the environmental citizenship theme ; support the environmentally friendly initiatives of others, such as those of the CEB to save electricity, of the CWA to report water leaks, of the ministry of Environment to reduce the number of plastic bags in nature.

Environmental citizenship for everyone

Let us recognize some of the different levels or groups for which separate environmental citizenship programmes should be developed :journalists and media people, local authority workers,businessmen and industrialists, parents, homemakers,transportation and building workers, architects, planners and other professionals,all categories of workers including trade unionists,mayors, ministers and other decision-makers, school pupils at all levels, technical and vocational students, university students, staff and researchers, senior citizens and retired people, clergy and other religious leaders.

As an example, the necessary rationale for the pre-primary sector will be discussed:The name of ?play school? is highly appropriate for this level. Play, music, movement, art, involvement with animals, plants and other people have a determining role in the personal development of children, centred around their natural environment and leading to the caring behaviour being sought after. A child who learns at this early age to deal with nature is made to see and feel that he/she is part of nature.

Education outdoors, as well as a permanent nature corner in the classroom and a school environment, which is clean, green, and embellished, all contribute to successful inculcation of the basis for environmental citizenship in the future.

What you can do. Each parent can do his/her bit. Visit a playschool to learn for yourself how our toddlers live in community. If you have young children at home, visibly change one of your careless habits for an environmentally friendly one: go to buy bread or to the supermarket with one/more old plastic bag(s). Show re-use instead of throwing away: nothing succeeds better than clear parental example.