Over nine months, twenty-five Thai Buddhist monks and nuns who are culturally influential in Thai society will be trained to empower youth and villagers to be aware of the causes, impacts and solutions to climate change and related spiritual, cultural, political and economic issues. The first training of twenty days will be in Sukothai, Northern Thailand in December 2008 after which the monks and nuns will organise at least six youth environmental leadership workshops in monasteries and local schools during the Thai school holidays in April and May. In June 2009 there will be a further fifteen-day workshop in Burirum, N.E. Thailand for the monks and nuns to share experiences, review activities, access further training and make concrete plans to continue youth environmental leadership training and complete the eco-monasteries.
It is hoped that the funding for this project will start the process of redesigning monasteries to be spiritually-based eco-learning centres transitioning to renewable energy.
