ASEZ WAO (Church of God Young Adult Worker Volunteer Group)
| Website | ASEZWAO.ORG ASEZ WAO 공식 유튜브 |
|---|---|
ASEZ WAO is an international volunteer organization made up of young adult worker members from the 7,500 Church of God locations in 175 countries. Its official name is ASEZ WAO, the World Mission Society Church of God Young Adult Worker Volunteer Group. Young adults with knowledge, enthusiasm, positive energy, and action launched campaigns to contribute to the sustainable development of humanity and the earth by taking care of their communities and taking the lead in protecting the environment. Under the major themes “Campaigns for Us” (humanitarian campaigns) and “Campaigns for Earth” (environmental campaigns) they carry out various activities such as disaster relief, promoting well-being, responding to climate change, and reducing the use of plastic.
About ASEZ WAO
Meaning of the Name
ASEZ stands for “Save the Earth from A to Z,” which means “Save the world from the beginning to the end.” WAO stands for “We Are One Family.” When we put both terms together, ASEZ WAO means “Let us save the earth from the beginning to the end as one family.”[1]
Establishment and Vision
ASEZ WAO started with the enthusiasm of young adults, the protagonists of the present and future, to preserve the environment God created and promote peace and happiness among humanity. Young adult worker members from the Church of God make efforts to make the world a better and healthier place, based on God’s teachings they learn through the International Worker Bible Academy [IWBA] and professional knowledge from their respective careers. The mission of ASEZ WAO is as follows:
- To share love with all people of the world according to Christ’s teaching, “Love your neighbor.”
- To carry out sincere volunteer services to solve many problems that people face, with the belief that humanity is one.
- To practice love for humanity and the earth with the heart of a mother who is the foundation of life and love, and create a world where everyone is happy with no one left out.
The vision of ASEZ WAO is to create a happy future where young adult workers all over the world will be united with one mind, and where all global villagers will become one with a mother’s love. To accomplish this, ASEZ WAO made a roadmap with three steps. It aims to ① raise people’s awareness, ② carry out meaningful activities, ③ form partnerships and cooperate with the international community for the sustainable development of humanity and the earth.[2]
Major Activities
ASEZ WAO carries out various activities in eight fields under two main themes: Campaigns for Us (humanitarian campaigns) and Campaigns for Earth (environmental campaigns). In addition, ▶it holds forums and seminars to raise awareness, ▶holds conferences with young adults beyond nationalities, cultures, and religions, and with experts from various fields through partnership agreements, ▶and also works for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs], the common goals of the international community, leading many countries to participate. Support and encouragement from all walks of life are continuing for the progressive activities of the young adults who are making efforts to open a bright and hopeful future together with their communities.
| Campaigns For US | Campaigns For EARTH |
|---|---|
| Educational Support | Climate Action |
| Promoting Well-Being | Reducing Plastic Use |
| Disaster Relief | Terrestrial Ecosystem Protection |
| Cultural Exchange | Marine Ecosystem Protection |
ASEZ WAO Campaigns
There are six major campaigns.[1]
| Green Workplace | Mother's Forest | No More GPGP | Green Earth | Blue Ocean | Heart to Heart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eco-friendly Activity at Workplace | Planting Trees | Reducing Plastic Use | Urban and Forest Cleanup | Sea and River Cleanup | Cheering Activity |
ASEZ WAO members practice individual activities at their workplaces, and participate in group activities after work, gathering during their spare time or holiday breaks. They take the lead in saving water and power and make efforts to live a minimalistic lifestyle through the Green Workplace Campaign. The purpose of this campaign is to put into practice positive change in their workplaces and deliver the message about environmental protection to their coworkers. To combat climate change and prevent desertification, they actively participate in planting trees around the world through the Mother’s Forest Campaign, and carry out the No More GPGP Campaign that helps reduce the waste and use of plastics, which is one of the main causes of environmental pollution. In addition, they make efforts to clean forests along with cities where people live together through the Green Earth Campaign, and improve water quality and restore marine ecosystems through the Blue Ocean Campaign. They also carry out the Heart-to-Heart Campaign for medical staff and officials who are devoted to the health and safety of citizens amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this campaign, they encouraged the workers by giving them handwritten letters and snack packs.
ASEZ WAO Academy
.jpg)
ASEZ WAO Academy is an education program that helps talented young adult workers understand international issues and share simple tasks that can help solve them. It aims to strengthen personnel and institutional capabilities and produce global professional activists through special lectures by experts and online education. The curriculum consists of 12 lectures in three stages. The young professionals who complete the education support ASEZ WAO’s official volunteer activities, lead ASEZ WAO campaigns and seminars in their workplaces, and display their talents in various fields such as conferences, MOU development, and creating volunteer service content. A total of 1,922 volunteers completed the education course as of October 2021.[3]
Media Campaign
ASEZ WAO conducts various online campaigns through its YouTube channel, capturing the attention of viewers living in various cities and countries. As a way to prevent wasting resources and reduce plastic use, ASEZ WAO produces videos about making a recycled notebook, using a personal cup, and making a handkerchief. The official channels are provided in various languages, including English, Spanish, Japanese, Hindi, Cambodian as well as Korean.
COVID-19 Response
As the whole world is suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic, the activities of ASEZ WAO are even more necessary. In particular, the Heart-to-Heart Campaign impressed medical staff and officials who were working at the forefront of the pandemic. At the end of 2020, ASEZ WAO members in 13 countries, including the U.S., India, Japan, the Philippines, Mexico, and Argentina, prepared encouraging gifts containing handwritten letters and snacks and delivered them to COVID-19 response agencies.[4] In June 2021, they carried out a global campaign to express gratitude and support to 92 COVID-19 response agencies worldwide.[5] After planning the campaign through an online conference, they packed encouraging gifts and delivered them, following the safety guidelines for the pandemic such as wearing face masks and measuring their body temperature.
An official from Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, said to ASEZ WAO, “As the number of confirmed cases increased again, the medical staff needed to cheer up. You have encouraged them at the right time.”[6] The Director of the Hospital Manuel Belgrano in Buenos Aires, Argentina, presented a certificate of appreciation to ASEZ WAO and said, “Thank you for writing letters of encouragement to the medical staff who have made so much effort during a very difficult year. This campaign will remain as a good memory in us for a long time.”[7]
International Solidarity Activities
ASEZ WAO members around the world participate in activities for humanity and the environment with one mind, even though they have different nationalities, languages, and cultures. The members are actively carrying out campaigns such as the No More GPGP Campaign and the Heart-to-Heart Campaign in their countries.[8][9]
Korean members participate in the Overseas Culture Experience Group program during their vacations. In this program, they fly to different continents to experience diverse cultures and carry out activities tailored to the needs of the local community by working in solidarity with young adults in each country. They also hold campaigns, seminars, and forums where they introduce the international community’s concerns and ASEZ WAO activities. They share how they lead and participate in meaningful activities, and they also sign MOUs with local agencies and organizations for sustainable cooperation.[10] In the summer of 2019, over 540 members visited 84 cities in each country, including the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, and carried out a campaign to reduce plastic waste. In Mexico and Argentina, ASEZ WAO held seminars on action against climate change in the presence of officials of city hall and the Ministry of Environment.[11][12] In Malaysia and Mexico, members visited elementary schools and provided dental hygiene education for children’s health and well-being, which was mostly led by members who are in those specific professional occupations.[13]
At the beginning of 2020, before the spread of COVID-19, they held the No More GPGP Seminar in Mongolia where garbage separation was not common. They promoted the positive effects of separating garbage and suggested ways to reduce plastic use.[14] Also, a member of the House of Representatives of the State of New York participated in the forum as a presenter and talked about laws to reduce plastic use. ASEZ WAO members in the region visited the UN Headquarters and made known the No More GPGP Campaign.[15][16]
ASEZ WAO establishes partnerships with governments, public institutions, and people from all walks of life to find creative methods and systematic practices to realize a bright future for people around the world. ASEZ WAO signed MOUs with 15 institutions in 12 countries, including the Los Angeles City Hall in the U.S., the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Toluca, Mexico, the Department of Environmental Protection in Taipei, Taiwan, and ECCI University in Colombia.[17][18] In addition, to discuss the direction of their activities, they held conferences with experts, public institutions in each country, and international organizations including the officer in charge of Africa in the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, City Council of Glendale in Phoenix, AZ, U.S., the Minister of Environment of Gustavo A. Madero in Mexico, Undersecretary for Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Manila, the Philippines, and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific [UNESCAP] in Bangkok, Thailand. The Chicago Defender, an American newspaper, commented on ASEZ WAO, which delivers positive energy to the whole world. “Their positive energy makes our neighbors and communities happy, and they ultimately contribute to saving the earth and mankind from environmental risks.”[19]
Awards Received
ASEZ WAO was awarded The U.S. President’s Volunteer Service Award, Gold and Bronze at the same time on March 11, 2020. This award is known to be the most honorable one given to an individual or group who has served their neighbors and society.[20] In the Philippines, they received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Department of Environment and National Resources on January 27, 2019, and the Manila Bay-ani Award on January 12, 2020, in recognition of the young adults’ enthusiasm for environmental protection.[21][22] Furthermore, they received citations, certificates of appreciation, and plaques of appreciation from the Mayor of Salt Lake City, UT, in the U.S., the Mayor of Huancayo in Peru, and the Mayor of Buenos Aires in Argentina.[23][24] As of January 2022, ASEZ WAO has received 92 awards in 16 countries.
For more information, please visit ASEZ WAO's website.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Introduction". ASEZ WAO Official Website.
- ↑ "ASEZ WAO Support Signature for Achieving the SDGs". ASEZ WAO Official Website.
- ↑ "ASEZ WAO Activity". ASEZ WAO Official Website.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|쪽=(help) - ↑ "ASEZ WAO Carried Out Regular Volunteer Services". WATV.org. December 18, 2020.
- ↑ "Young Adult Worker Volunteer Group [ASEZ WAO] Carried Out Volunteer Services in the First Half of 2021". WATV.org.
- ↑ "Church of God Supports and Gives Hope for "Global Family" in Africa". Monthly Chosun. April 14, 2021.
- ↑ "ASEZ WAO Held Worldwide "Heart to Heart" Campaign". The Shina Ilbo. December 20, 2020.
- ↑ "Warm Support to Overcome COVID-19, Making Brighter Future in Global Community". Woman DongA. February 1, 2021.
- ↑ "Worldwide ASEZ WAO Members Organize Environmental Cleanup, Plant Trees, and Support Medical Staff". The Incheon Ilbo. June 14, 2021.
- ↑ "2019 ASEZ and ASEZ WAO Summer International Volunteer Service and Cultural". WATV.org. July 31, 2019.
- ↑ "Church of God ASEZ WAO, Workers "Take Lead" to Reduce Plastic". The Shina Ilbo. August 5, 2019.
- ↑ "ASEZ WAO Climate Change Response Seminar: Mexico, Argentina". ASEZ WAO Official Website. July 11, 2019.
- ↑ "Taking the Lead in International Cooperation to Solve Joint Global Challenges". The DongA Ilbo. August 28, 2019.
- ↑ "ASEZ WAO in Mongolia Carries Out Environmental Seminar and Street Cleanup in Bayanzurkh". ASEZ WAO Official Website. January 12, 2020.
- ↑ ASEZ WAO Syracuse chapter pushes to say ‘goodbye to plastic’ at environmental forum, LOCALSYR.com, January 12, 2020
- ↑ "ASEZ WAO in New York Holds "No More GPGP" Forum and Conference with UN". ASEZ WAO Official Website. January 19, 2020.
- ↑ "MOUs". ASEZ WAO Official Website.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|쪽=(help) - ↑ "Conferences". ASEZ WAO Official Website.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|쪽=(help) - ↑ 2019 ASEZ WAO Worldwide Volunteer CleanupSave the Earth from A to Z, Community, CHICAGO DEFENDER, August 7, 2019
- ↑ "Donald Trump, President of the U.S." ASEZ WAO Official Website. March 11, 2020.
- ↑ "Benny D. Antiporda, Undersecretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources [DENR]". ASEZ WAO Official Website. January 27, 2019.
- ↑ ASEZ WAO Receives Manila Bay-ani Award, NGO, ASIA TODAY, September 22, 2020
- ↑ "Henry Fernando López Cantorin, Mayor of Huancayo". ASEZ WAO Official Website. January 28, 2019.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|쪽=(help) - ↑ "Nicolás Ducoté, Mayor of Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina". ASEZ WAO Official Website. January 31, 2019.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|쪽=(help)