Written by Albert Xiong, Cici Wang, Martina Huang, and Sarah Liu.
It’s widely acknowledged that our environmental and societal challenges are pressing. While these issues can be mitigated by mankind joining hands, taking small steps, and continuing forward together, the reality is that too few people have taken the practical first step. One major reason for this predicament isn’t a lack of desire for a better world, but the fact that these issues appear dauntingly insurmountable, making solving them seem impossible. Besides, it’s not feasible for one to make changes while others don’t, is it? After all, one’s efforts seem quite futile when the problems one intends to fix are worldwide. Consequently, many wait for others to take the initiative, only to realize later that if everyone thinks the same way, then very few will actually do anything.
Though the Tsinghua International School (THIS) Model United Nations (MUN) Sustainability Team is too small to influence the world, we decided to start with ourselves and our immediate community. As a team, we wanted to break free from the predicament with our actions, inspiring our community to take the first step and join us in effecting change. The Sustainability Team wanted to inspire everyone to take practical action, and that’s what we did.
In the previous school year, the Sustainability Team committed to various types of activities aimed at fulfilling the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. There was a radio station focused on student well-being (Goal 3), interactive posters to amplify student voices on gender equality (Goal 5), a Take-One-Leave-One table to encourage responsibility in consumption and production (Goal 12), primary after-school activities sessions that planted a seed of sustainability, and so many more.
Out of all the different activities, one major goal that the Sustainability Team focused on last year was that of responsible consumption and production. The team put this into action by making videos about the use of toilet paper in an attempt to spread awareness on the use of paper. It also set up wastepaper recycling boxes within math and science classrooms, where huge amounts of scratch paper are produced. Moreover, the team also brought the influence down to the primary section, enhancing primary school students’ knowledge of recycling and why these actions contribute to helping Earth become a greener place. Toward the end of the semester, the team also attempted to collaborate with the ELA department in reducing the use of single-sided paper while printing.
In this current school year, the Sustainability Team kicked off the year with an extended version of the paper recycling bins from last year. During the designated month focused on “climate action” and “responsible consumption and production,” a series of activities were organized to instill and promote these concepts within the THIS community. One of the activities was the Sketch Paper Contest. This engaging competition involved all secondary homerooms at THIS, with each group striving to collect the highest number of sketch papers in order to earn a reward for their efforts. This in turn motivated the recycling of sketch papers. You might be curious as to why this activity is specifically called the Sketch Paper Contest and why we place such emphasis on the word “sketch” rather than the word “scratch.” The reason behind this choice lies in our definition of sketch paper, which refers to reusable paper that is freely available for individuals to sketch or write on. By focusing on the term “sketch,” we highlight the sustainable and effective usage of these papers, steering away from the connotations of wastefulness associated with “scratch” paper. A notable contribution resulting from this activity was the significant support it provided to teachers during their classes. As one of our primary objectives was to supply the science and math departments with sketch papers for drafting and calculations, this initiative aligned perfectly with the UN’s sustainability goals of “climate action” and “responsible consumption and production” within our THIS community. One teacher stated that they typically provided students with new A4 papers for calculations and found this process burdensome. Fortunately, with the provision of sketch papers for the science and math departments, we were able to reinforce the importance of sustainable practices and responsible resource utilization within the THIS community.
The Sustainability Team then turned to promoting awareness of gender inequality, creating videos and hosting activities before morning homeroom to enhance students’ understanding of the current issue. The video was also played at an assembly, gathering responses and interviews of students across grade levels and responding to their impressions about gender inequality. The team wanted to spread the idea that individuals should not be defined by their gender, but rather defined by who they are. The team organized this activity hoping that students at THIS can rip off gender labels and be who they want to be. We created two cardboard figures and attached pieces of sketch paper with various gender labels onto them. These included labels such as “blue for boys,” “pink for girls,” “power for men,” “softness for women,” and “logic for males” and “emotions for females.” A WeChat moment was also posted, asking students to contribute their observations of gender labels. Then, as the two figures were placed in the lobby, students and teachers ripped off labels and shared the reasons why. The responses and ideas of students were then edited into a video and showcased to the secondary school during the assembly. We hope to make THIS a more inclusive and open-minded school, where everyone can express themselves freely!
Every one of us wants to leave the world a little better than we found it. Over the past year, through various engaging activities focused on issues like consumption, gender inequality, and climate action, our Sustainability Team has helped raise important discussions and has promoted more sustainable practices within our school community. While more progress is still needed, seeing recycling bins filled with sketch paper and students reflecting thoughtfully on gender stereotypes gives hope that small actions can culminate in positive change. As we look to new initiatives addressing water conservation, sustainable agriculture, and partnerships within our city, we’re confident this teamwork will continue to build awareness and inspire action toward the UN’s vision of a just and livable planet for all. The Sustainability Team wants to be the bridge within the THIS community, as we want to hold the hands of all and walk down the road of sustainability step by step.