Global U-Grad and PUAN alumnus Noman Sajjad recently conducted his Community Development Initiative project by hosting a 2 day ‘Climate Action Conference’ in Lahore, in association with the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network. The conference engaged over 100 participants who worked together in a series of activities to promote better practices for a safe environment.

The youth-led initiative inspired students to raise awareness about global warming and its challenges, while engaging participants in planet-friendly activities that resulted in a tree plantation drive of 1000 trees around the city and the transformation of a waste dump into a peace garden.

The conference featured renowned industry leaders who delivered informational talks about protecting the earth and conserving it’s natural resources through the process of recycle, reuse and reduce. The event was sponsored by Lahore Waste Management, WWF, Master Paints and Wheels of Change. Noman remarked:

“I would like to give credit to the U.S. Embassy and the Peace Building Department for providing me with hands on training on managing climate change and enabling me in creating the ripple effect by sending the message across”.

The event held several activities that promoted the cause while keeping students actively engaged. This included the following:

They also showed their amazing transformation skills by utilizing a garbage dumping mound and making it a heavenly peace garden! Not only this, but collectively they planted over 1,000 trees all over the city. This was all done while raising climate literacy among the youth.

Currently, Noman is working as the Program Coordinator at Shaoor Foundation for Education and Awareness, Islamabad, which strives for larger social peace-building, promotion of education as a universal right, and advocates the cause of environmental preservation and its improvement, both on a national and regional level. Kudos to their effort! We wish Noman and the exceptional participants more success ahead.