People Don’t Know What to Do or Who Will Help if a Major Disaster Happens, Claims a Twelve Year Old Australian Student
BRISBANE, Sept 17/Medianet International-AsiaNet/ --
Press Alert
This is the response that twelve year old Chiara gave to the question ``Tell us something that you think is being
neglected but is of immense importance’’ that was asked on the Charles Wooley Across Australia program this morning.
Chiara claims that, despite the Governments saying that there are plans in place to deal with disasters, the Governments
around the world appears to have neglected to communicate these plans to the community in a way that the normal everyday
person can understand.
Jackson, also twelve years old, was asked ``What are your thoughts on global warming and climate change’’. His response
was simple: ``Everybody, including the governments of the world, should get it through their heads that global warming
and climate change is actually happening, and is going to change the way we live. Many governments have stuck their
heads in the sand, and don’t want to know about it. Members of parliament should listen to children because we are
concerned about things that can and will affect us now and in the future, but it seems that our governments only think
about things in the short term, ignoring the future that I have to live in. That is why, Disaster Risk Reduction
Education begins in school, and Chiara and I are holding the Youth Summit on Disaster Risk Reduction Education in April
next year, so that children of the world can come up with answers that the governments don’t want to know about.’’
The final question asked of Jackson was ``Lastly you’re standing in front of all the politicians in Canberra, Australia
and you have one minute to tell them what you think…what do you say?’’
The response was ``Ok, I have one minute to tell the politicians what I think. I would ask all members of parliament, TO
SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE. My name is Jackson Kennedy and I am here to educate you for my future. It appears that for 30
years, governments have known about global warming, but you have done nothing about it. Why have no actions been taken
until now, and why have you left it all to the last minute to deal with? I am the person that cannot vote, and you are
the people that are employed to look after me now, and you have failed. It is from this lack of education that we are in
this position today with global warming. I have been told, that for every dollar spent on risk prevention and education,
we can save seven dollars in relief and recovery cost when responding to disasters. Is it not good business practice to
invest in such education then? It should be clear to you that Disaster Risk Reduction Education should begin at school,
so that we can save our own lives, help reduce the impact of global warming, and also save our governments some money
too. This will also help our Public Safety Professionals.’’
Chiara and Jackson are both passionate about global climate change, global warming, and what to do when disasters
happen. It is quite clear from these comments they made today, that all governments around the world are GUILTY of
failing children. This is demonstrated daily by the lack of education that is being made available to the children so
that they can help save their own lives.
ends