The Swiss government is always lead to doing things differently in larger public interest globally. In this regard, The ‘Swiss It On Wheels’ (SIOW) bus arrived in Mumbai. This bus is dedicated to local sustainability and will is travelling through various parts of India.
The SIOW plan is to showcase Switzerland’s commitment to sustainability and innovation. This initiative is a part of the Swiss diplomatic network in India. The Swiss it bus is traveling across 28 cities in India. The Swiss bus arrived in Mumbai at the Jamnabai Narsee School at Juhu and after visiting Shishuvan School at Matunga, left for other cities in Maharashtra.
The SIOW initiative consists of several workshops with school students on topics aligned with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate change are part of the SIOW initiative.
In Mumbai, the bus was welcomed by the His Excellency Othmar Hardegger, Swiss Consul General (CG) in Mumbai. The students of Shishuvan School participated in welcoming the bus to Mumbai. A program was arranged by the management and the Principal of Shishuvan School at their school hall. Several students spoke about climate change and also sang a song that was appreciated by the audience and Consul General. CG
Othmar Hardegger also interacted with students who took part in the SIOW workshops at Shishuvan School.
H. E. Othmar Hardegger, Swiss CG in Mumbai with students and others at Shishuvan School Mumbai (Photo @Mewati Sitaram MM)
It may be noted that ‘The Swiss it initiative” covers topics and activities linked to science and technology, innovation, education, skills, business, economics, artificial intelligence, governance, arts, environment, transport, and connectivity.
H.E. Othmar Hardegger, Swiss Consulate General in Mumbai said “The aim is to encourage young adults in the age group of 13-18 years to engage on the topic of sustainability and as well as to bring low tech and cleantech solutions countering indoor air and water pollution as well as waste segregation and recycling to everyone’s backyard through workshops, activities, films and more”.
CG Hardegger adds, “We have achieved a great goal, if you keep thinking about what you have learned and if you inspire others in your family and community to act in an eco-friendly way, I am sure that you will find many more ways to engage for a cleaner, greener and sustainable world. So let us invest in our planet and make every day an earth day”.
In a statement, it was mentioned that “Simple ideas adaptable to the average Indian household will be presented through interactive, fun workshops such as water footprint calculator upcycling cardboard boxes & old t-shirts, quizzes, and so on. Simultaneously health hazards from pollution and improper waste disposal will be highlighted. Further, the topic of climate change will be discussed with the young adults so they can be a vector of ecological transition, climate change, and environmental challenges”.
Editor in Chief : Mewati SItaram
