CARETAKERS OF THE ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL/CAMEROON
(CEI/CAM) P.O. Box 25284 Yaounde.
Fax: (237) 31 41 25
E-mail: ceicam@yahoo.com


A National Network of Secondary and High School Teachers and Students Active in Environmental education and Environmental Law.

"It is difficult to imagine any kind of environmental conservation, preservation, protection , management and promotion activity that will not be greatly improved by suitably adapted education and law." ( National Environmental Education Action Plan-Cameroon ).

"In order to realise the above, there is need to reaffirmed faith in the field of environmental education and environmental law through a network of secondary and high schools, associations and the general public in the country." ( Caretakers of the Environment International/Cameroon).

STATUS:
Caretakers of the Environment International/Cameroon ( CEICAM ) with headquarters in the Netherlands is a national branch of Caretakers of the Environment International which is an International not for profit Non-Governmental Organization that organises student and teacher conferences on environmental issues in the context of education.CEI/CAM is recognised under Law No. 90/053 of 19 December , 1990 governing freedom of Associations in Cameroon . Founded on the 20th of December , 1999 , and approved by the Ministry of Territorial Administration through Prefectorial order No. 17/DA/J05/BAPP of 22 February, 2000.

MISSION:
To alleviate poverty by promoting an environmentally sustainable world , via Environmental Education ( EE ) and Environmental Law ( EL ).CEI/CAM believes this can best occur through the active participation of environmental clubs in schools and colleges , and other interested groups of young persons.

GOAL:
To organise a systematic and orderly prosecution of environmental education activities in formal, non-formal and informal context within and out of institutions so as to bring about individual and collective awareness, understanding and consciousness in sustainable environmental management, care, promotion and use. We intend to influence decisions, policies, practices and pursuits which affect the environment. This will be attained amongst others through; advocacy, guidance, research and development, cultivation of values, knowledge and understanding of the environment.

OBJECTIVES:

  1. To develop a Nation-wide network of secondary and high school students and teachers who share environmental concerns .
  2. To develop new strategies that will meet up with the new environmental challenges.
  3. To share successful and innovative environmental education programs.
  4. To facilitate joint educational projects that encourage national data exchange and interdisciplinary activities.
  5. To develop strategies which enable delegates to act as ambassadors for CEI/CAM at their various provincial and regional levels.
  6. To promote environmental awareness and to develop provincial and regional environmental education networks.
  7. To encourage the building of trust , friendship and co-operation amongst people of different cultural backgrounds at both the national and international levels.
  8. To encourage the teaching of environmental law at the university level.

POSITION STATEMENT:
The ultimate purpose of education is to condition the beneficiary to adopt certain desirable habits and behaviours, promote easy understanding of complex issues and cultivate civilised development and values. This results in the enhancement of knowledge and skills as well as influencing or conditioning attitudes and practical conduct.

Caretakers of the Environment International/Cameroon regards EE as an instrument in cultivating habits, behaviour, attitudes, knowledge and skills that can promote rational changes in the management of natural and environmental resources.

CEI/CAM by adopting a holistic approach rooted in a broad disciplinary base believes we can (re)create an overall perspectives which acknowledges the fact that there are alternatives to actions and activities which have damaging effect on the environment, and that appropriate knowledge and skills can greatly reduce the impact of past and present damage as well as prevent future environmental injury.People should therefore develop new values, understanding, life-styles, attitudes and skills that will avoid waste and needless destruction, promote a conscious respect for all living things and protect the quality of the air, soil and water.

CEI/CAM believes that environmental conservation, protection, preservation, management and promotion activity without a suitably adapted education is empty and worthless.Therefore CEI/CAM is determined to;

CEI/CAM equally acknowledges the fact that since all human activity affects the conditions of our natural environment it will be a condition sine qua non to uplift the requisite principles and rules of environmental law (EL) which tend to protect the environment or which have significant incidental impacts on the environment.This can only be realised through public education at all levels on the interpretation and implementation of most of the international environmental legal instruments where Cameroon is a party.This will go a long way to educate the masses on their respective rights and obligations vis-a-vis the environment.

CEI/CAM realises that the importance and usefulness of EE is quite obvious though not often regarded as a priority in Environmental management.The reasons for such negligence are quite clear but could be an inadvertent oversight due to lack of well appropriate EE among those who decide on such policies and set priorities.CEI/CAM is therefore determined to encourage and promote the use of EE as a standard component of all environmental projects and programmes which require participation and co-operation of an informed community or public.

Finally, CEI/CAM realises that different cultures and communities have different approaches to educating young people, for this reason it will be necessary for us to rally both the old and the young, the poor and the rich, the educated and the uneducated, urban and rural dwellers of our society to dialogue and work together for the protection, conservation and management of our natural environment.Each and every Cameroonian, therefore has a shared responsibility vis-a-vis our environment.

TARGET GROUP:
Young people up to university level and the general public.

GEOGRAPHICAL ZONES OF ACTIVITY:

  1. Urban/Rural environment ;
  2. Coastal maritime zones ;
  3. Savannah/Grassland zones ;
  4. Forest zones.

TYPES OF SUPPORT AVAILABLE:

  1. Training ( workshops , seminars and conferences ) .
  2. Material and financial support on environmental education and environmental law projects within the ranks of CEI/CAM philosophy.

MAIN AREAS OF ACTIVITY:

  1. Environmental Education.
    • public education at all levels with the use of the audio-visual and print media.
    • promotion through performing arts and theatres ;
    • promotion of environmental clubs activities (projects ) in schools and colleges ;
    • exchange visits amongst various school clubs ;
    • the organisation of national conferences on environmental education which will go a long way to bring all the school clubs together ;
    • school clubs with the best environmental education projects exhibited during the national conference will be selected to represent the country on CEI international conferences.
  2. Environmental law.
    • environmental law to all and sundry as an instrument to educate the masses on their respective rights and obligations vis-à-vis the environment ;
    • public education at all levels on the interpretation and implementation of the most important international legal instruments relating to the environment where Cameroon is a party.Emphasies will be laid on environmental education priorities in Cameroon
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PRIORITIES IN CAMEROON:
  1. General lack of awareness ;
  2. The lack of knowledge and skills for sustainable development ;
  3. Unpredictable climate changes ;
  4. Insufficient , inappropriate or absence of policy and regulatory guidelines and enforcement procedures ;
  5. The destruction of biodiversity ;
  6. Degradation of environmental resources ;
  7. Desertification ;
  8. Deletion of natural resources ; and
  9. The lack of an articulated pro-active programme for safeguarding the future of the environment.
  10. Lack of awareness of the national and international legal instruments on the environment.

CONFERENCES:
CEI/CAM will be organising a national conference on environmental education for secondary and high schools each year.The provincial or regional branch incharge of the conference selects the conference theme , solicits the financial support for the conference and for the participants with financial hardship ,and puts together the program in accordance with the philosophy of CEI/CAM.

THE CAMEROON FORUM FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION:
This is the official periodical to support the network.The forum will provide a medium for teachers , students and other persons interested in environmental education to write about their own ideas and experiences.Participants of the national conferences automatically receives the Forum which appears twice a year upon paying their registration fee , but another person interested in environmental education can subscribe to the periodical. The editorial staff consists of several secondary and high school teachers complemented with members of the National Board of CEI/CAM.

ECO-TRIPS (Escorsions):
CEI/CAM believes that for environmental education to be successful , it is vital for young people to be actively involved at all levels. They can only be active in it if they know the value and this value can only be known if they make use of their environment.It is for this reason that one of the major activities of CEI/CAM is to organise eco-trips and to encourage environmentally sound projects in such localities.

PROVINCIAL AND REGIONAL CEI/CAM BRANCHES:
In order to facilitate the running of the network , CEI/CAM activities are divided into the following provincial and regional branches:

NATIONAL BOARD:
The organisation of CEI/CAM is the responsibility of a national board of directors consisting of a President , Vice-president , Executive Secretary , Treasurer , Officer/Policy and Communication , Officer/Networking , and Co-opted members. The board meets monthly. The board is responsible for the following tasks:

  1. The general management of CEI/CAM ;
  2. Selecting schools at the provincial and regional levels wishing to host the workshops
  3. Selecting schools to represent the country in CEI international conferences ;
  4. Advising and supporting the development of the annual conference ;
  5. Stimulation of co-operation of teachers and students from various schools and colleges by means of:
    • development of the national network ;
    • the production and distribution of newsletters ;
    • encourages the development of joint projects between conferences ;
    • facilitating eco-trips for schools ; and
    • evaluating the progress of CEI/CAM and its direction.

NATIONAL BOARD MEMBERS: President
Njamnshi Augustine Bantar (Founding member)
Ministry of National Education.
E-mail: abnjamnshi@yahoo.com

Vice-president
Dr. George Ndzi Ngala
Vice-principal , Government High School Nkambe
E-mail: gnngala@yahoo.com

Executive Secretary
Tacho Isaac Tabi (Founding member)
Ph.D. research student , University of Yaounde II Soa
CEI/CAM Secretariat Yaounde
E-mail: tachoisaac@yahoo.com

Treasurer
Konfor Confidence , University of Yaounde I
E-mail: munchep@yahoo.co.uk

Officer/Policy and communication
Mbella Esange Emmanuel
Director of Governmental Mails and Archives
Prime Minister`s Office Yaounde.
E-mail: emmambella@yahoo.com

Officer/Networking
Jinor Patience Ennih
ennih@yahoo.com

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