In Malaysia, youth involvement in environmental sustainability is lacking especially in areas of policy development and decision making. Although their involvement has tended to be advocacy and as they possess the highest generational capacity in internet connectivity and technology, they are still faced with barriers preventing them to further contributions.

The aim of this proposal is to address these problems by i) increase knowledge and awareness on key environmental issues, ii) training and capacity building programs that will facilitate the development of independent and capable leaders. iii) Increase of opportunities for youth participation and points of interaction with key stakeholders. This is further enhanced through the inclusion of important policy and decision-makers and the establishment of recognized communication channels. iv) Documentation and analysis of data to identify trends in environmental concerns and v) media advocacy to shape public perception of youth engagement.

This proposal aligns with GEF/SGP Country Programme Strategy primarily on areas of biodiversity, climate change, land degradation, and international waters. The themes are addressed through the development of three main segments. a) Compilation of books highlighting values on environmental issues. This encourages youth participation and skills development in areas of writing, art, and photography. b) Increasing base knowledge and concern through workshops, field trips, and visual art. It further reaches to decrease the distance from youths and decision-makers through forums and the development of communication channels. c) Opportunities that directly benefit environmental sustainability. This includes gateway activities such as tree planting and beach clean-ups to encourage participation. Then proceeds with further empowering and supporting youth leaders to champion their own environmental projects.

KBC and SEW intend to increase the integration of roles of youth in the decision-making process through several elements namely Education, Training and Capacity Building, Provision of Opportunities, Data Management and Media Advocacy. In relation to the GEF SGP, this will also reinforce SGP OP6 through the contribution of Global Knowledge Management Platforms. This adds to the incorporation of shared responsibility through the increase of communication, education, and awareness programmes.

1. Education
Workshops and interactive programs are an effective way to directly connect and develop an understanding on the importance of our environment with youth. The activities proposed will include the use of science-based knowledge sharing and mentorship or involvement of environmental experts. Lessons and deliverables will be carefully selected and tailored based on the demographics of participants. For example, programs schools closer to coastal areas will focus on key themes such as marine biodiversity, plastic pollution, importance of our ocean, etc. Programs will also incorporate innovative and modern teaching techniques such as innovation and technology, experiential learning, and gamification. The end motive of this segment is to increase base knowledge and understanding of youths and communities which feed to increasing appreciation and concern for environmental conservation.

2. Training and Capacity Building
In this segment, KBC and SEW will mentor, collaborate and provide opportunities for youth to develop as independent and capable leaders to champion environmental conservation efforts. In addition to development of core skills, the training and capacity building programs will also focus on streamlining ideas to strategic goals. By doing so, it increases the value of engagement within the community and enables higher creation of interlinkages between grassroot level initiatives and decision making. Additionally, the attributes of training will also provide a base for individuals to develop more prominent skills to undertake roles in environmental conservation. Part of the hands-on training for these potential leaders include opportunities for them to engage with high-ranking corporate partners during beach clean-ups, developing schedules for the corporate partners as well as showing them negotiation skills which are extremely useful tools in their careers.

3. Provision of Opportunities
Diversifying opportunities in conservation will lead to the inclusion of a bigger range of youth from larger demographics. KBC and SEW will create a forum for the youth to discuss, debate and exchange ideas and opportunities. Important policy and decision-makers will also be invited to grace the forum and take part in the discussions. The forum would be akin to the ?Voices of Youth for Conservation? workshop in Kuching (https://www.swinburne.edu.my/faculty/voices-youth-conservation.php). The creation of engagement points of different types of activities and people encourage connectivity between different youth of differentiated strengths, backgrounds and expertise. This will also greatly increase their overall development through their engagement with decision-makers. Through such interaction in a forum, the youth and the decision-makers could network and see how each can independently champion conservation values within their respective communities. By creating linkages with local and government-led programs, KBC and SEW hope to increase awareness and need for youth inclusion in the decision-making process. The end goal of this is to integrate a strong self-sustainable youth-led community that is able to support each other and represent the community in decision making negotiations.

4. Data Management
Adding value through standardized collection of quantitative and qualitative data streamlined to local, national and global goals/strategies. This data will then be potentially analyzed and fed into publications and notes for considerations during negotiations. By compiling and analyzing recorded data, trends and issues are identifiable and this provides a better ability to identify and address root problems with sustainable solutions.

5. Media Advocacy
The role of utilizing media is essential to shaping public perception on youth engagement. The program will target (but not limit to) three main media elements namely printed media, radio and social media. The combination of these three forms of media is vital as each element targets different audiences and results. Printed media such as newspapers, magazines and newsletters are an effective way to increase reach and awareness of past programs and future opportunities. Radio broadcasts provide real-time information and are able to effectively target audiences within the rural as well as part of the urban communities. Lastly, social media engagement is vital as it allows for instantaneous broadcast of information. It also creates an opportunity to measure public responses and reach of certain topics. By effectively utilizing social media analytics, we are also able to pinpoint key areas of communal interest and make effective Call-to-Actions.