The Arrupe Jesuit Institute (AJI), Ghana’s premier Christian think tank, is partnering the Ghana chapter of the Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa (CYNESA), in the latter’s environmental campaign dubbed “Green Lent”.
The Green Lent initiative advances the objectives of Pope Francis outlined in his letters Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum concerning care for the earth, our common home, by employing the power of various social media to press home the ecological agenda.
It aims to harness the power of social media, education, and advocacy to promote the principles outlined in the two encyclicals.
The ‘Green Lent’ campaign will feature a series of themed activities, beginning with its launch on Sunday, February 11th, 2024, across parishes nationwide. Each subsequent Friday and Sunday will focus on specific themes such as ecological responsibility, solidarity with the poor, and the role of individuals in environmental protection, Country Director for CYNESA Ghana, Francisca Dommetieru Ziniel told Catholic Trends in an earlier report.
The collaborative move comes after a joint meeting between CYNESA and AJI executives held on February 18. Rev. Fr Kpanie Addy, S.J., AJI Executive Director, expressed that the collaboration between both organizations highlights the continuing synergy of the respective institutions.
As Fr Addy noted, CYNESA was inaugurated in Ghana under the auspices of the AJI and it was refreshing to see how it has grown into a fully-fledged organization that is strong in its advocacy for environmental issues.
Furthermore, given that one of the AJI’s 2024 thematic areas concerns growing Ghana’s green generation, the AJI management team thought it wise to engage CYNESA, whose own birth in Ghana the AJI had nurtured.
It is envisaged that this collaboration between CYNESA and AJI will witness the expansion of the Green Lent campaign, especially as AJI’s involvement will broaden the scope of the media coverage of the current initiative. A major takeaway from last Sunday’s meeting was the resolve by both institutions to leave a “Green Mark”, after ensuring a successful “Green Lent.
Related to this goal, CYNESA and AJI will collaborate in producing a toolkit/manual for basic schools in Ghana outlining ways to promote environmental awareness and sustainable actions by basic school children. Plans are also at an advanced stage to engage policymakers and stakeholders to consider such measures as introducing legislation for a ban on single-use plastics in Ghana.
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