Plastic and Solid Waste Pollution Among the Topics Discussed at Funglode

More than 100 teachers had the opportunity to exchange ideas and share opinions about changes implemented at their schools to reduce plastic and solid waste.

As part of the ongoing events for the 2019 version of Geography Week, Listín Diario’s Plan LEA held a conference entitled “Plastic and Other Solid Wastes Are Harming the Environment and Biodiversity” at the auditorium of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development’s (GFDD) sister organization in the Dominican Republic, la Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (Funglode). The workshop took place on Wednesday, January 23 and featured the participation of Grupo Jaragua’s Executive Director, Yvonne Arias, as well as teachers from the 10th, 14th and 18th regions of the Dominican Republic.

The opening remarks at the conference were given by Yamile Eusebio Paulino, Director of Funglode’s Educational Activities Program and Director of the New York Office of GFDD. Eusebio highlighted that “Funglode is very committed to supporting Plan LEA as well as the Listín Diario in their efforts to raise awareness about environmental issues through initiatives such as the pre-Geography Week discussions.”

Then the Plan LEA Director, Rosario Vásquez, opened up the workshop, which focused on solid waste pollution.

The workshop was attended by nearly 125 educators who had the opportunity to exchange ideas and share opinions about changes implemented in their respective schools to reduce plastic and solid waste.

At the conference Arias stated that “According to the World Bank the global level of urban solid waste was about 1,300 million tons in 2012 and for 2025 will be around 2,200 million. On June 5, 2018 National Geographic released the article “Planet or Plastic?” by the author Laura Parker. The essay explains that each year about 8 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean. It can take centuries for plastic to degrade at the molecular level.”

The meeting was supported by the Ministry of Education, Propagas, Funglode, the Dean of the Geography and History Department at the University of Central Michigan and Grupo Jaragua.

About Geography Week 2019
For the 26th occasion, Plan LEA, the educational initiative of the Listín Diario, is celebrating Geography Week. The celebration’s main objective is to raise awareness amongst schools, families and entire communities about the importance of taking care of our environment through the elimination of plastics and solid waste in streets and coastal areas. The event is an annual celebration that takes place in Santo Domingo and includes many activities and workshops.

About Geography Week Educational Materials
The topics that will be covered in Geography Week 2019 will be included in a workbook.

The texts will be used to provide the educational community with updated and useful materials to share and incorporate fundamental concepts and attitudes on the importance of understanding geography.