To foster, promote and implement sustainable development in County Cork with Local Agenda 21
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To foster, promote and implement sustainable development in County Cork with Local Agenda 21 |
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Global Action Plan
In recognition of the contribution that GAP is making, GAP programmes are now licensed to use the highly prestigious United Nations Decade for Education for Sustainable Development logo as featured above. Global Action Plan workshops resume in Cork (This page last updated on 30 September 2009) Cork Environmental Forum will deliver 7 separate Global Action Plan courses throughout County Cork between now and the end of the year. The forum’s new Education and Community Project Officer Éanna Dowling is currently organising the courses. He is keen to hear from you if you or your group would like to participate. Over 670 people throughout Cork have already completed the enjoyable and effective course and they have made significant changes to their household habits, saving money and reducing their environmental impact. Global Action Plan is a 6 workshop course for householders designed to reduce your impact on the environment and reduce your bills. It covers Waste, Energy, Transport, Water, Consumerism and Community. Participants are asked to complete a lifestyle assessment form before and after the course, thereby noting the changes they have made in their own homes. By the end of the 6 workshops, participants reflect on their experiences and are often impressed by their achievements. Sorting out the household’s energy, waste and consumerism practices has a long lasting effect on the household’s budget and on its environmental impact. SECAD (South and East Cork Area Development) and WCDP (West Cork Development Partnership) are supporting the delivery of the courses in their areas. You can contact Éanna Dowling on eanna@cef.ie if you would like to participate or if you require further information on Global Action Plan courses happening in your area. Participants worldwide in the Household EcoSaver Programme achieved on average the following resource savings per year:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the earth: indeed it is the only thing that ever has” What is the EcoSaver programme and how does it work? The Global Action Plan (GAP) EcoSaver Programme helps householders investigate and implement changes to their lives that will save them money and reduce some of the negative effects that a modern lifestyle can have upon the environment. The programme consists of 6 meetings that cover the topics of waste, water, energy, transport, consumerism and community. During the course of the programme participants identify money saving, eco friendly actions and try the actions out at home. Typical actions taken might be to purchase a compost bin, not flush the toilet if only tissue paper has gone into it and to turn appliances off rather than leaving them on standby. The team leader contacts the participants by telephone between meetings to encourage and support them with the actions they have decided to take. This formula of giving information during the meetings and encouraging participants to take relevant actions between the meetings has proved a very successful way of initiating long-term lifestyle changes. The supportive team atmosphere created at the meetings is undoubtedly a large factor in this success. The fact that GAP facilitates permanent changes in the attitudes and actions of the participants coupled with the encouragement for participants to become programme facilitators has been shown to make GAP a highly cost effective programme. During the meetings paticpants consistantly report that they have passed the information onto friends and neighbours indicating that the programme has a positive effect on the wider community. Global Action Plan in the Cork region Cork Environmental Forum has contracted an Education and Community Project Officer to coordinate GAP in Cork City and County. Since the launch of the programme in the autumn of 2003 the programme has been delivered in over 20 towns in the County and seven programmes have run in Mayfield, Mahon and Knocknaheeny in the City. Over 670 people have completed the programme. Participants on the initial programmes in some of these areas have stepped forward as team leaders and run secondary programmes within their communities. Facilitators' training days have been organised to give potential team leaders the skills and confidence they need and more training events are planned for the future. In addition to this there is a growing list of environmental and community projects and actions that have come about from partipants meeting eachother on the programme. The project has proved to be highly effective and popular with participants, local hosting organisations, local authorities and other funding bodies. GAP is expanding rapidly and any individuals or groups who would like to see GAP come to their area/group/workplace are encouraged to get in contact. The GAP eco team programme has been gaining worldwide momentum over the last 15 years and is currently running in at least 17 countries. If the projected growth for GAP in the Cork region can be realised it will make Cork one of the most active GAP regions in Europe.
Former GAP Coordinator Mike Holden being filmed with GAP participants in Youghal for Duncan Stewart's Eco Eye programme. We got our 7 minutes of stardom during episode 4 which was broadcast by RTE on 22nd February 2006. The feature focused on a group who were inspired by GAP to get a farmers’ market together in Youghal. It was a fantastic bit of exposure for GAP and CEF and has significantly raised the profile of the programme.
http://www.globalactionplan.ie http://www.globalactionplan.org.uk/ http://www.toolsofchange.com/English/FirstSplit.asp http://www.compass.ie/gap/ www.globalactionplan.com http://www.bestfootforward.com/ http://www.empowermentinstitute.net |
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Cork Environmental Forum,
c/o P. Treacy, Development Officer, Ballyduff, Cloyne, Co. Cork. |
