ASEZ conducted a 'Mother’s Street' environmental cleanup campaign as part of the Crime Prevention Project 'Reduce Crime Together' in North Dunedin.
The 16th goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), jointly adopted by the United Nations and the international community, is 'peace and justice'. According to the 2018 Sustainable Development Goals report, the world is in fear of armed conflict and other forms of violence. The United Nations has set up a detailed plan to reduce crimes such as deaths related to violence, child abuse, and terrorism by 2030.
There has been a movement to prevent crime by passing new gun control laws after the shootings in a Muslim Mosque in Christchurch and placing police at Muslim places.
At this time, ASEZ, a university student volunteer group of The World Mission Society Church of God (Rev.Joo-cheol Kim,The Church of God) has been developing the global crime prevention project 'Reduce Crime Together'. The project consists of activities for promoting awareness through seminars and forums, environmental clean-up campaigns for Mother's Street, campaigns for basic order compliance, and global partnership activities for building crime prevention systems.
On the 5th of May, the "Mother's Street" environmental clean-up campaign was held at the North Ground in Dunedin. An ASEZ official said, "This cleanup movement means making the area a bright and pleasant environment and creating a safe street to thereby reduce crime. We encourage the participation of citizens as well as ASEZ members and seek to promote the awareness of the crime prevention for our neighbors."
About 20 ASEZ members, their families, seniors and juniors, gathered with their intention to protect and comfort the local environment. They cleared a distance of 1.5 km from the North Ground to Clyde Street where the Mosque was located. The volunteers picked up all kinds of garbage such as cigarette butts, straws, cans, plastic wrapping paper, boxes, glass bottles, etc all around the bus stop, bench and drainage plates. Those who came to the service in a bright manner consistently collected around 20 garbage bags.
Andrew Marshall (23), member, said " I’m sad hearing of the terror attack in Christchurch and frightened with the fact that many anonymous online users praised the shooting, showing the tragedy in Christchurch is likely not the last one in New Zealand, even the shooter lived in Anderson Bay, Dunedin, but I’m encouraged, seeing the volunteers of this event and warm sponsors from the local community.”
Tane Mclean, the member of ASEZ (19), said” members of ASEZ came up from Dunedin to Christchurch for a ‘Linwood park Cleanup’ on last Sunday and today I woke up 5am and drove down from Christchurch with members for this event, I feel strengthened and happy to see this cooperation and cares for making a safer city”
Since October last year, the "Mother's Street" environmental cleanup campaign has been actively conducted in the United States, Canada, Mexico, South Africa, Ethiopia, Ghana, Singapore, the Philippines, South Korea, Mongolia, Australia and the Netherlands.
ASEZ, a university volunteer group of Church of God, is an international service organization: "ASEZ" meaning "Save the Earth from A to Z". Its main activity is the "SAVE Movement". It is an acronym for Social service, Awareness raising, Victim relief, and Environmental protection. Environmental cleanup, disaster relief, blood donation relay, supporters, campaigns.
Dave Cull, Mayor of the City of Dunedin, encouraged ASEZ members from the 1st campaign last year by giving the Agreement on Support to “Reduce Crime Together”.
The Mother's Street cleanup campaign was also held in Grenada Village in Wellington. Vice Mayor of the City of Wellington and Peter Gilberg City Council member of the Environment Ministry encouraged ASEZ members.
The governments and institutions involved with ASEZ have expressed their willingness to cooperate and support each other. Last year, ASEZ members attended the "National Volunteer Day" held at the Presidential Palace by the invitation of President Michelle Teemer of Brazil. ASEZ was also invited to the UN-sponsored event on the occasion of "International Tolerance Day" and presented it as a subject of tolerance. Last year, ASEZ won the Gold Prize in the US Presidential Volunteer Award (Group Best Excellence Award) and the Green Apple Award in the international category.
- Scott Evangelou
