KUALA LUMPUR, January 24 2002 – Yayasan Anak Warisan Alam (YAWA) launches the E-Book of Acknowledgement project in partnership with Global 500 Forum and in commemoration with their induction into the prestigious United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Global 500 Roll of Honour.
YAWA, a youth environmental group, initiates the E-Book of Acknowledgement in appreciation of the support that it received in the last decade of its existence, with the encouragement and support given by the President of the Global 500 Forum, Mrs. Marilyn Mosley.

The launch takes place on Jan 26 2002, at the Ballroom, Hyatt Regency Saujana Hotel, Subang, with Dato' Dr. Anwar Fazal, Senior Regional Advisor, The Urban Governance Initiative, United Nations Development Programme. Dato' Anwar Fazal who is a Global 500 Laureate, nominated YAWA to the UNEP Global 500 Roll of Honour in 2001.

As a member of the Global 500 Forum, YAWA is working together with the Global 500 Forum to extend the E-Book of Acknowledgement into the Forum web-site, which is sponsored by Alcoa of Australia.
The Global 500 Forum invites all G500 laureates, within Malaysia and abroad, to be incorporated into the Global 500 Forum website, thus providing the Laureates and their sponsors with a platform for recognition, and an opportunity to reach out to people across the globe. Ultimately the 'E-Book of Acknowledgement’ will be published by the Forum.

Meanwhile, YAWA celebrates over a decade of environmental awareness.
Established in 1990, as the Junior Environmental Group of Malaysia (JEGOM), it has since become a foundation dedicated to instilling environmental awareness in young people through thought-provoking and fun-filled activities.

YAWA provides a wide range of environmental education projects and activities for young people, via the JEGOM for six to 14-year-olds, and the Eco-Youth Challenge and Adventure Programme (EYC) for those above 14, and abides by the belief that every young person has a right to a healthy environment.
It networks with many organizations, locally and internationally, including the 'Millennium Kids’, of Perth, Western Australia and the Malaysian Nature Society. To date, it has organised almost 100 projects, both local and overseas, involving more than 1000 children.

YAWA has also participated in UNEP international children’s conferences in the United Kingdom, Kenya and Australia, and was the first local NGO to organise a conference on the environment for young people in Malaysia, held in 1996 at the Forestry Institute in Kuala Lumpur. Since then, biennially, YAWA has organised two international children's conferences on the environment attended by about 400 children from local and abroad.

This year, 3 children has been selected to attend the next UNEP International Children's Conference to be held in Victoria, Canada, in May, sponsored by Tetra Pak (Malaysia).
On the local front, YAWA has undertaken lake and beach clean up exercises, tree planting and helps children express their environmental concerns through various mediums such art, creative writing and presentations.

YAWA expresses its concerns for the environment through C.A.R.E.S., which stands for Challenges, Action, Reaching-out, Environmental Education and Sustainability. Hence, its motto is, YAWA CARES.
In June 2001, in recognition of its efforts, YAWA was inducted into the UNEP 'Global 500 Roll of Honour for Environmental Achievement in 2001' under the Youth Category, becoming the first Malaysian youth organisation to receive this award.

The Global 500 award was presented to YAWA in Torino, Italy at the World Environment Day ceremonies. YAWA was one of the 18 individuals and organisations to receive this honour in 2001. The laureates include Dr.Chan and Mr.Liew of SEATRU.

"The winners of UNEP's Global 500 Roll of Honour are members of a broad and growing environmental movement that is flourishing around the world. They have taken the path that most of us hesitate to take for want of time or caring", said UNEP’s Executive Director, Dr. Klaus Toepfer. He also said that UNEP hopes that in honouring the Global 500 laureates, others will be inspired by their extraordinary deeds.