The British Council, with 72 years of service in Sri Lanka, is an indelible memory in all our childhoods, and we have found ourselves wandering its halls as students for one reason or another, even if it is just to make use of their extensive library.
The British Council recently welcomed a new Country Director, Maarya Rehman, who takes over the role mid-pandemic and at a crucial time in the world’s environmental journey. Climate change is one of the key issues humanity as a whole needs to work together to overcome. Yes, there is dispute as to the seriousness of climate change, and to the priority it needs to be given, but that doesn’t make it any less of a threat.
Rehman takes on the role of Country Director with extensive experience in knowledge-building in South Asia, previously serving as Area Director – Punjab leading a large office in this populous and strategically important region, and prior to that leading the re-opening of the British Council libraries in Lahore and Karachi as Director – Libraries and Outreach. She has over five years of experience working for the British Council in South Asia and a 15-year career in public libraries in the UK.
Rehman sat down with Brunch for an exclusive chat on climate change, the British Council’s Climate Change Agenda, and how Sri Lanka fits in.
[caption id="attachment_129540" align="alignright" width="344"]
"We want to engage youths in the issue of climate change, because...it’s something that’s going to impact them the most, with 62 million people at risk of falling below the extreme poverty line by 2030, and with the South Asian youth population (demographic) dividend, a large number of South Asian youths will feel it" British Council Country Director Maarya Rehman[/caption]
What is the British Council's overarching Climate Change Agenda?
I believe climate change to be one of the big global challenges facing us in the 21st Century, and that recouping our biodiversity is something that should be our number one priority. The British Council works across 100 countries around the world and recognises how important it is to provide the appropriate platforms to discuss and combat climate change, especially since the UK will be hosting the 26th United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, this November.
Working with the next generation of young leaders, the British Council globally is planning an ambitious programme for COP26 through its youth networks across the world to engage in discussions about sustainable climate change, leading up to COP26 and thereafter.
Our mission leading up to COP26 is to get young people involved as much as possible. One way we’re doing this is by providing opportunities for young people to contribute, and another is by working towards making COP26 the most diverse climate change conference to take place using our networks of young people from around the world, from alumni and academics in English, education, and arts and culture to make sure this becomes the most diverse conference ever.
Why is it so important to recognise climate change as a substantial threat to our future?
The UN has identified 2021 as the “make it or break it" year” for fighting climate change, which underlines its importance. The impact of climate change is vast. The World Bank estimates that unless we take action now, over 62 million people worldwide can fall below the extreme poverty line by 2030, and many of those communities who are at risk are in South Asia, including Sri Lanka, who is globally ranked the sixth most at-risk country to be impacted by climate change.
My own experience within South Asia makes climate change very relevant to me, having worked in Lahore for five years. Lahore and Delhi are among the most polluted cities in the world. We were wearing masks in Lahore before Covid-19 because of air pollution. What we do day to day, the way we commute, and the way we live can have a real impact on the world.
Linking back to South Asia as a whole, it has one of the youngest populations in the world. Half of the South Asian population is under 30, and these young people are going to be the most directly affected by the devastating impacts of climate change.
As an international relations organisation that focuses on English, education, and arts and culture, our primary audience is that very same population of Gen Z and Millennials, and part of the purpose of the British Council’s involvement in COP26 is to engage in conversation with this population and get their perceptions, attitudes, and responses to the question of climate change, how to fight it, and bring that dialogue to policymakers.
How can Sri Lanka get involved in the British Council’s Climate Change Agenda?
By acknowledging that climate change impacts young people, that young people are at the forefront of climate change’s devastating impact, and using initiatives like the British Council Active Citizens programme as vehicles of change.
Active Citizens is a socially active network of young leaders who lead social action projects that run the gamut from addressing gender-based violence (GBV) in communities to the real challenges of climate change. This year, Active Citizens is empowering 750 young people to become social action champions in their communities, enabling them to carry out social action projects addressing climate change.
Eight Social Action projects were successful in winning grants under the “Youth Engagement COP26: Challenge Fund” programme. The Sri Lanka grant recipients include, a waste disposal management based in Monaragala; “Youth for Maragala”, an environment conservation project located in Maragala; “Project Blue: The Next Generation”, on conserving marine life and beaches in Colombo and Matara; “Eco-optimism”, a tree-planting and social media awareness campaign; “Ninjas”, a waste management project; “Cholai”, building community resilience to adapt to environmental hazards; “Green World”, an organic farming project in Batticaloa; and “Conservation of Aberdeen Falls”.
How is the British Council engaging Sri Lanka's youths in fighting climate change?
We want to engage youths in the issue of climate change, because, as I said before, it’s something that’s going to impact them the most, with 62 million people at risk of falling below the extreme poverty line by 2030, and with the South Asian youth population (demographic) dividend, a large number of South Asian youths will feel it.
One of the things we fail to do as institutions and leaders is engage young people sufficiently. One of the things the British Council is doing is the “Youth Perception Survey on Climate Change”, which engages young people and finds out what they think. The survey covers their perceptions of climate change, the challenges they think we face, their readiness to fight climate change, and their attitudes toward climate change. The survey is being conducted by one of our partners who is engaging with people to get feedback through a variety of methodologies like surveys, focus groups, and various other means to to find out what youths are thinking and to find data that can be analysed.
We aim to disseminate this information to policy leaders as part of our response to COP26, hopefully bringing young people’s voices to the table underpinned by data.
The British Council is uniquely placed around the globe for the kind of reach needed to create grassroots level awareness and advocacy – be it amongst youths, women, or any other cross-section of our community through all our work.
How does Sri Lanka compare in terms of climate change to other South Asian countries?
The British Council is not an expert on climate change; we see ourselves as a convenor and a connector, and one of the things I think we can meaningfully do is create connections between experts, educational institutions, and organisations and build mutual understandings of trust between us and other countries.
In context of where I think Sri Lanka is in terms of climate change, I can only call on some very sobering facts. As I said, Sri Lanka has been identified as the sixth most at-risk country to the dangers of climate change, and we can see some evidence of this on the ground already, whether its devastating floods, or equally devastating droughts. The danger is real, and it is continuing and growing. The Sri Lankan Government acknowledges this danger and there is a national action plan in place. Through our work engaging with young people and finding out their perceptions and challenges, we hope to contribute to that national action plan.
What is the first big step you plan to take as Country Director with regard to climate change?
As Country Director, my first big step would be to ensure that climate change, climate action, and a response to climate change is mainstreamed in all our activities, be they in English, education, or arts and culture. The most meaningful way to effect change is through awareness raising, which creates a ripple effect. Take our Active Citizens programme for example, we have had 5,000 Active Citizens to date who have impacted over 250,000 people through empowering their communities and other individuals.
Collaboration to build and exchange knowledge, ways of doing business, and bring in technology are also very meaningful ways to drive change, which is why it is important for youths to engage ahead of COP26 and bring young voices to the table. We really want to make COP26 the most inclusive conference to date, including youth voices from around the world bringing in much-needed diversity and insight to foster a generational change on how we think and act.
PHOTOS Eshan Dasanayaka
"We want to engage youths in the issue of climate change, because...it’s something that’s going to impact them the most, with 62 million people at risk of falling below the extreme poverty line by 2030, and with the South Asian youth population (demographic) dividend, a large number of South Asian youths will feel it" British Council Country Director Maarya Rehman[/caption]
What is the British Council's overarching Climate Change Agenda?
I believe climate change to be one of the big global challenges facing us in the 21st Century, and that recouping our biodiversity is something that should be our number one priority. The British Council works across 100 countries around the world and recognises how important it is to provide the appropriate platforms to discuss and combat climate change, especially since the UK will be hosting the 26th United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, this November.
Working with the next generation of young leaders, the British Council globally is planning an ambitious programme for COP26 through its youth networks across the world to engage in discussions about sustainable climate change, leading up to COP26 and thereafter.
Our mission leading up to COP26 is to get young people involved as much as possible. One way we’re doing this is by providing opportunities for young people to contribute, and another is by working towards making COP26 the most diverse climate change conference to take place using our networks of young people from around the world, from alumni and academics in English, education, and arts and culture to make sure this becomes the most diverse conference ever.
Why is it so important to recognise climate change as a substantial threat to our future?
The UN has identified 2021 as the “make it or break it" year” for fighting climate change, which underlines its importance. The impact of climate change is vast. The World Bank estimates that unless we take action now, over 62 million people worldwide can fall below the extreme poverty line by 2030, and many of those communities who are at risk are in South Asia, including Sri Lanka, who is globally ranked the sixth most at-risk country to be impacted by climate change.
My own experience within South Asia makes climate change very relevant to me, having worked in Lahore for five years. Lahore and Delhi are among the most polluted cities in the world. We were wearing masks in Lahore before Covid-19 because of air pollution. What we do day to day, the way we commute, and the way we live can have a real impact on the world.
Linking back to South Asia as a whole, it has one of the youngest populations in the world. Half of the South Asian population is under 30, and these young people are going to be the most directly affected by the devastating impacts of climate change.
As an international relations organisation that focuses on English, education, and arts and culture, our primary audience is that very same population of Gen Z and Millennials, and part of the purpose of the British Council’s involvement in COP26 is to engage in conversation with this population and get their perceptions, attitudes, and responses to the question of climate change, how to fight it, and bring that dialogue to policymakers.
How can Sri Lanka get involved in the British Council’s Climate Change Agenda?
By acknowledging that climate change impacts young people, that young people are at the forefront of climate change’s devastating impact, and using initiatives like the British Council Active Citizens programme as vehicles of change.
Active Citizens is a socially active network of young leaders who lead social action projects that run the gamut from addressing gender-based violence (GBV) in communities to the real challenges of climate change. This year, Active Citizens is empowering 750 young people to become social action champions in their communities, enabling them to carry out social action projects addressing climate change.
Eight Social Action projects were successful in winning grants under the “Youth Engagement COP26: Challenge Fund” programme. The Sri Lanka grant recipients include, a waste disposal management based in Monaragala; “Youth for Maragala”, an environment conservation project located in Maragala; “Project Blue: The Next Generation”, on conserving marine life and beaches in Colombo and Matara; “Eco-optimism”, a tree-planting and social media awareness campaign; “Ninjas”, a waste management project; “Cholai”, building community resilience to adapt to environmental hazards; “Green World”, an organic farming project in Batticaloa; and “Conservation of Aberdeen Falls”.
How is the British Council engaging Sri Lanka's youths in fighting climate change?
We want to engage youths in the issue of climate change, because, as I said before, it’s something that’s going to impact them the most, with 62 million people at risk of falling below the extreme poverty line by 2030, and with the South Asian youth population (demographic) dividend, a large number of South Asian youths will feel it.
One of the things we fail to do as institutions and leaders is engage young people sufficiently. One of the things the British Council is doing is the “Youth Perception Survey on Climate Change”, which engages young people and finds out what they think. The survey covers their perceptions of climate change, the challenges they think we face, their readiness to fight climate change, and their attitudes toward climate change. The survey is being conducted by one of our partners who is engaging with people to get feedback through a variety of methodologies like surveys, focus groups, and various other means to to find out what youths are thinking and to find data that can be analysed.
We aim to disseminate this information to policy leaders as part of our response to COP26, hopefully bringing young people’s voices to the table underpinned by data.
The British Council is uniquely placed around the globe for the kind of reach needed to create grassroots level awareness and advocacy – be it amongst youths, women, or any other cross-section of our community through all our work.
How does Sri Lanka compare in terms of climate change to other South Asian countries?
The British Council is not an expert on climate change; we see ourselves as a convenor and a connector, and one of the things I think we can meaningfully do is create connections between experts, educational institutions, and organisations and build mutual understandings of trust between us and other countries.
In context of where I think Sri Lanka is in terms of climate change, I can only call on some very sobering facts. As I said, Sri Lanka has been identified as the sixth most at-risk country to the dangers of climate change, and we can see some evidence of this on the ground already, whether its devastating floods, or equally devastating droughts. The danger is real, and it is continuing and growing. The Sri Lankan Government acknowledges this danger and there is a national action plan in place. Through our work engaging with young people and finding out their perceptions and challenges, we hope to contribute to that national action plan.
What is the first big step you plan to take as Country Director with regard to climate change?
As Country Director, my first big step would be to ensure that climate change, climate action, and a response to climate change is mainstreamed in all our activities, be they in English, education, or arts and culture. The most meaningful way to effect change is through awareness raising, which creates a ripple effect. Take our Active Citizens programme for example, we have had 5,000 Active Citizens to date who have impacted over 250,000 people through empowering their communities and other individuals.
Collaboration to build and exchange knowledge, ways of doing business, and bring in technology are also very meaningful ways to drive change, which is why it is important for youths to engage ahead of COP26 and bring young voices to the table. We really want to make COP26 the most inclusive conference to date, including youth voices from around the world bringing in much-needed diversity and insight to foster a generational change on how we think and act.
PHOTOS Eshan Dasanayaka