PadmaVibhushan and Chess Grandmaster, Viswanathan Anand joins WWF India as its ambassador for Environment Education
New Delhi: WWF India is celebrating its 50 years of conservation in India and there can be no better occasion to have Padma Vibhushan Viswanathan Anand join the WWF India family to lend his support to conservation and protection of the environment. A five-time world champion and known popularly as the ‘Lightning Kid’, Anand will be the torch bearer for WWF India’s young environment champions, inspiring them to become champions of conservation.
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic governments, development organisations, corporates and individuals around the world are doing their part to prevent the spread of the disease. Our children are the future and imparting the importance of conservation at a young age will ensure a healthy and vibrant world for them. It is necessary that young people develop a firm ecological mindset and use it to overcome today’s environmental challenges with a proactive attitude and a strong commitment.
Talking about his association with WWF India, Viswanathan Anand, said, “Our children deserve a better, greener and more sustainable world than the one we are living in today and it is our responsibility as parents and elders to show them the way. I am very excited and happy to join WWF India and work together with them to enthuse more and more children and youth about the need to protect our natural world. I look forward to an enriching and progressive association with WWF India.”
WWF India’s Environment Education programme is as old as the organization itself, starting way back in 1976 with the Nature Clubs of India (NCI) initiative. The NCI is one of India’s most popular, and oldest environmental education programme. Currently the Environment Education initiative undertakes five large programme initiatives that reach out to school children, youth and citizens across the country and aim to create a generation of critical thinkers, problem solvers and environmentally conscious individuals. The Environment Education programme currently reaches out to over 5,00,000 children across 2000 schools in the country.
Ms.Radhika Suri, Director Environment Education, speaking about the association, said, “It is our privilege to associate with the Indian sports icon, Viswanathan Anand and I would like to extend our deep appreciation for his commitment towards inspiring young minds across the country to create a brigade of young environment wardens. We welcome him to the WWF India family and look forward to a fruitful association.”