Students lead plastic-free schools, faith leaders join social awareness drive
HYDERABAD: Students participating in the Compassionate Citizenship Programme of the COVA Peace Network have secured commitments from schools and religious leaders to support campaigns on plastic-free campuses, climate action and care for elders.
According to COVA, students working on climate crises and elder care identified key concerns linked to the two issues and developed 12 actionable points aimed at mitigation and public awareness.
As part of the initiative, students from three schools approached their managements and urged them to declare their campuses plastic free. The school managements agreed and informed students and parents that the campuses would become plastic free from June 2026.
Encouraged by the response, nearly 50 more schools in Hyderabad resolved to become plastic free by mid-May 2026, COVA said. The organisation added that more schools were likely to join the campaign in the coming weeks.
The second phase of the initiative involved students meeting faith leaders from different religions and requesting them to spread awareness on the 12 actionable points through weekly sermons and community gatherings.
According to the organisation, the Archbishop of Shamshabad, whose outreach extends across 16 states, the president of Arya Samaj Telangana, and the president of Jamaat-e-Islami Telangana issued circulars to clergy members, heads of institutions and community leaders to promote the awareness campaign through sermons and community interactions.
Mazher Hussain of the COVA Peace Network said the initiative demonstrated how sensitised and motivated students could contribute to social transformation when provided proper guidance and platforms for action.
The detailed report of the initiative has been published by COVA on its official website. COVA Peace Network report
