KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 25): Corporate leaders, together with non-governmental organisations, influencers and over 20,000 students from all across the Klang Valley gathered at Sunway University, Sunway City, last week, for a five-day festival of events and activities in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG).
The Sept 19-23 (Monday-Friday) festival also celebrated the UNSDG’s worldwide initiative of Local Action for Global Goals 2022 that emphasises the need for the world to work together to deliver the Global Goals by 2030, through a range of special events and inspiring activities for all ages and interests.
Opened by Swedish Ambassador to Malaysia, Dr Joachim Bergström, the unique event — the first of its kind in Asia — was also joined by Ambassador of Finland to Malaysia and Brunei, Sami Leino; German Ambassador to Malaysia, Dr Peter Blomeyer; and Deputy Head of Mission at Embassy of Hungary in Malaysia, Anikó Farkas.
Representing the local community was Subang Jaya assemblywoman Michelle Ng, who said, “Slowing climate change requires behavioural change, and it is the duty of governments to facilitate this for its citizens,” according to Sunway University in a statement.
The occasion was also graced by Selangor Princess Tengku Zatashah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who spoke up about the need for action for the betterment of the planet. “It is truly important how we treat planet earth, other fellow citizens of this planet, and every living being here. With the recent climate change we have been experiencing, we must be very concerned about the state of our planet,” she said.
Besides featured talks, performances, interactive workshops, and corporate displays on sustainability from Volvo, Uniqlo, The Body Shop and Huawei, there were daily flag parades, on-stage demonstrations, a sustainable marketplace and a space to connect with leaders, changemakers, activists and the private sector, according to Sunway University.
A live musical performance, including a heartwarming rendition by the children from the Spastic Children’s Association of Selangor and Federal Territory, also captured the hearts of those who were lucky enough to catch the concert. “A splendid and memorable adaptive fashion show by Dawn Adaptive also ensured the occasion was a truly inclusive event at Sunway University,” the statement read.
There was also an e-waste collection initiative, where staff and students were able to environmentally dispose of their unwanted electrical items. Since the start of the initiative, over 34,000kg of electrical waste had been collected.
This is on top of daily on-stage demonstrations that included soap making from used cooking oil by Pusat Wanita Berdaya, cooking demonstration of edible vegetable scraps by Professional Culinaire Association Malaysia, and a creative upcycling demonstration by Maslisa Zainuddin from Sunway University.
“The week-long event was an overwhelming success and a great advertisement for Malaysia in the global world of sustainability," said Professor Elizabeth Lee, Chief Executive Officer of the Sunway Education Group. “This is our aim with the Local Action Global Goals 2022 — to educate and re-educate and also to remind everyone that we need to work collectively to bring about sustainable and meaningful change.”
President of Sunway University Professor Sibrandes Poppema was very pleased that the event was hosted at Sunway University and said the institution had worked tirelessly to merit its growing reputation as a “Campus With A Conscience”.
“#CampusWithAConscience is an underlying principle that embraces everything students will experience during their time at Sunway College and Sunway University. This is the fundamental spirit at the heart of Sunway Campus Life; educating, encouraging and engaging students in all aspects of a diverse and inclusive community, to support them in adopting a lifestyle and lifestyle habits that truly reflect a society determined to create a better living environment for this generation and generations to come,” the statement read.