GLS Students in Cyprus found society to help the environment
Four Global Learning Semesters students studying at the University of Nicosia in Cyprus this Spring have founded the Gaia T.E.A.M., a society which focuses on helping the environment through actions such as recycling, maintaining green areas and installing a nature park at the University of Nicosia.
Jason Budahazy, Jacob Donahue-Grossman, Jon Schmidt and Anthony Atanasio, the executive chairmen of Gaia, came to Cyprus to study abroad in late January and immediately felt that an effort was needed in order to get more people in Cyprus involved in improving the environment. During the past 4 weeks they have been collecting recyclable items such as aluminum cans, bottles and paper from students and installing their own recycling containers in several areas around the University of Nicosia campus. They have also been attending several university events where they distributed leaflets about Gaia in order to increase awareness.
Today, the Gaia T.E.A.M. (The Environment Always Matters) held a presentation at the university’s main amphitheater where they described the society’s purpose and what they plan to do until the end of the semester. Several individuals from the university’s administration attended the presentation. including the Executive and Academic Deans, as well as Cypriot politicians such as the local Mayor and the Cypriot Commissioner for the Environment. The students’ passion for the environment was evident, their arguments were strong, their research was solid and at the end of the presentation they received a warm round of applause and congratulations from everyone. During the presentation a petition was passed around for the attendees to sign in support of the Talloires Declaration, a ten-point action plan for incorporating sustainability and environmental literacy in teaching, research, operations and outreach at colleges and universities. It has been signed by over 350 university presidents and chancellors in over 40 countries.
The Gaia T.E.A.M. is also constructing a website at www.GaiaTEAM.org.
The University of Nicosia administrators were very impressed with the Gaia T.E.A.M.’s eye-opening presentation and stated that they will hold a Senate meeting to discuss changes that need to be made regarding recycling and environmental preservation at the university.
Global Learning Semesters, in cooperation with the University of Nicosia Student Affairs Department, also committed to creating an internship program where GLS and U-Nic students can lead the Gaia T.E.A.M. in the semesters to come.
We would like to thank Anthony, Jon, Jacob and Jason for this wonderful initiative and for caring so much about Cyprus and its environment. Using a quote from Mahatma Gandhi, that Jason also used in his speech, “Be the change you want to see in the World”. Well done guys!
