Central and East European Network of Environmental NGOs

Greenway Newsletter

I. GREENWAY...GREENWAY?...GREENWAY!

Pupil and teacher groups are welcomed to Coastwatch Ecological Education Camp to be held near St. Petersburg, March 23 - April 5, 1996.

The ecological camp programme provides introduction to bio-politics and bio-legislations, historical review of interactions beetwen bio- environment and humanity. Approaches to ecological observations, practical experiences. Introduction to international programmes on democratic participation in planning, protection and management of the coastal zone, Coastwatch Europe, Coalition Clean Baltic, Bio- Syllabus, and different aspects of environmental problems at Baltic- Ladoga region.

In frameworks of the social programme students and schoolchildren from different countries will make acquaintance with bio-history, visit nature reserves, memorials, museums and theatres. Musical parties, ecological games, amateur performances, and also sports and health improving events and tournaments will be organized.

The organizers offer free of charge your staying in the camp (lodging, food, social event). Participants have to pay their travel to St. Petersburg and backward.

Applications for participation please send to:

• Alexander Shishkin
  Leader of Ecological Club
  of Students and Schoolchildren

  St. Petersburg State Technological
  University for Plant Polymers
  4, Ivana Chernykh st.
  St. Petersburg 198095
  RUSSIA

  E-mail: ais@upp.cit.spb.su
  Fax: (812) 186-86-00
  Tel: (812) 186-56-40, 186-86-05

The "Reviewing Belgrade Intergovernmental Workshop" was held in Bradford from 23 to 28 July 1995. Participants from over 20 European, African, Asian, Caribbean and Latin American countries discussed the status of environmental education in their regions, as well as the main issues that influence the execution of initiatives in this field.

Representatives from IUCN, UNEP and UNESCO provided background information on the work of their organisations and discussed with participants the various aspects related to their work. One of the highlights of the event was the working group session, which identified items that need to be considered when fostering environmental education.

The final report is available from ERTCEE. The accompanying book "Reviewing Belgrade" will also be available.

For details, please contact:

Zena Murphy
ERTCEE
Department of Environmental Science
University of Bradford
West Yorkshire
BD7 1DP
UNITED KINGDOM
Tel: +44.1274.385 391
Fax: +44.1274.385 691
E-mail: ertcee@bradford.ac.uk

This was the theme of a European workshop held in Bradford, UK from 4 to 6 October, 1995. The meeting was organised by ERTCEE in liaison with the Association of European Universities (CRE) and UNESCO. It was attended by representatives of over 20 European countries, as well as by guests from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

The items that need to be considered in making universities' activities more environmentally-friendly were discussed, with selected case studies from across Europe. The key note speech was given by Prof Hans van Ginkel, Rector of the University of Utrecht and the opening session, attended by Prof D J Johns, vice-chancellor, was chaired by Prof Jan Nilson, Chairman of the COPERNICUS' Programme Steering Committee.

A Civic Reception, held at City Hall and hosted by the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, provided delegetes with first-hand experience with Yorkshire hospitality.

For further information and copies of the workshop's report, please contact:

Frances MacDermott
European Research and Training Centre on Environmental Education (ERTCEE)
University of Bradford
Bradford BD7 1DP
UNITED KINGDOM
Tel: +44.1274.385 391
Fax: +44.1274.385 691
E-mail: ertcee@bradford.ac.uk

The report of the "EUROSURVEY: a study of schoolchildren's attitudes towards the environment in countries members of the Council of Europe" undertaken by the European Research and Training Centre on Environmental Education (ERTCEE) of the University of Bradford, is now available.

The report, which summarises the results of a survey involving over 20,000 schoolchildren from 16 European countries, provides a rough profile of the level of awareness of pupils on global and local environmental issues, as well as sources of information on environmental matters.

For further information and copies of the EUROSURVEY report, please contact:

Frances Mac Dermott
ERTCEE
University of Bradford
Bradford BD7 1DP
UNITED KINGDOM

Tel: +44.1274.385 391
Fax: +44.1274.385 691
E-mail: ertcee@bradford.ac.uk

The idea for Project River and Wetlands Network was formed in late 1994 through the collaboration of NGOs in the Ukraine, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Hungary, Romania, and the Czech Republic. The members met at a fellowship in the United States sponsored by the Environmental Partnership. The Partnership within each country selected what they considered to be the most proffesional individuals working on river basin issues on the NGO level.

Project River and Wetlands Network is currently working on setting up communication lines between NGOs within this region and is establishing its home base in Brno, Czech Republic. The activities performed by the Network will be the establishement of a library devoted to river basin and water protection issues, (also to be located in Brno), coordination of seminars and workshops for both NGOs and the general public, and the use of its office as a clearing house for NGOs is devoted to water protection issues. Other priorities of the network will include acting as a forum for exchanging information on water protection, to provide strength to NGOs through serving as a coalition.

PRWN welcomes any input or contact with organisations interested in the network.

Zuzana Stroufova
Project River and Wetlands Network (PRWN)
Jakubske nam. 7
602 00 Brno
CZECH REPUBLIC


Fax: +42.5.4221 0347
E-mail: zuzana.stroufova@enc.cz

The Danube Environmental Forum is the successor of NGO Danube Forum, a project of the Regional Environmental Center - Budapest. NGO Danube Forum had been organized in 1992 by REC officer Ms. Irene Murphy and leaders of the nongovernmental organisations Ecologist Youth of Romania and Ekoglasnost - Sofia, Mr.Bogdan Paranici and Dr.Atanas Paskalev. Its goals were to promote public participation and information sharing within the Danube Environmental Programme.

During the first phase of NGO Danube Forum, organizing national meetings of environmental organizations and creating an information database of experts in the Danube basin were top priorities. Participation in the Danube Programme, it was hoped, would also help nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) get much needed resources: computers, scientific equipment and financial support.

Eventually NGO Danube Forum sought to become the official representative of a large coalition of NGOs working to improve public participation, information sharing and the distribution of resources within the Danube Programme. National Forum coordinators were grassroots (local) NGOs and the Forum's central directors.

At the "Public Participation and Information Workshop" held in Sinaia, Romania, in February 1994, 24 NGOs representatives from eight countries discussed representation on the Danube Task Force and the future of NGO information centers. It was agreed to elect interim NGO representatives to the Task Force from the upper, middle and lower Danube basins. Mr Paranici, Mr Boris Traunsek (Slovenian Ecological Movement), and Mrs Jana Hajduchova (Union for the Morava River) were chosen to represent CEE NGOs at the upcoming 4th Danube Task Force Meeting, where major decisions affecting NGO funding and participation in the Programme would be made.

The Czech NGO Union for the Morava River hosted the 4th Regional Meeting of Danube Basin NGOs, in Mikulov, in October 1994. At this 1st General Assembly, 32 NGO representatives from nine countries agreed "to form and expand a network of non-governmental organisations operating within the Danube River basin area to be called the DANUBE ENVIRONMENTAL FORUM" .

The 2nd General Assembly of the Danube Environmental Forum marks a new phase in the development of the NGO network. Meeting in Budapest in December 1995, the DEF Board decided the agenda of the Assembly should focus on concrete transboundary campaigns, dealing with such topics as phosphate reduction, protection of watersheds and rural communities, and creation of international nature reserves. A second goal of the Assembly is to encourage wider public awareness and participation in Danube national action planning and implementation.

The Forum is further commited to extending the activities of the Danube Programme to regions within the basin where opportunities for participation have in the past been limited, for example, in the Transcarpathian region and the republics of the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The transfer of our knowledge and experiences gained in the Danube Programme to neighboring NGOs in the Volga river basin may be considered in the future.

Through information-sharing, highlighting of model grassroot projects and advocacy of common ecological principles, the Danube Environmental Forum is continuing to work for policies to protect Central and Eastern Europe's rivers, catchments and communities.

(From: Michael Stanley-Jones, Union for the Morava River, at the 2nd DEF General Assembly, Kosice, Slovakia, 15-18 February 1996)

In accordance with UNEP Program, one of the most important program is programe "Green Lung of Europe". Important part of this program is state of woode in Belarus. With the aim of acquaintance with program we would like to held an international conference "Green Lung of Europe" and to invite representatives of foreign organizations. There will discuss problems of state of wood in Republic of Belarus and global ecology of Europe. We plan to publish a report from the conference. The Chernobyl problems, and the associate economic crisis, has caused stagnation of most environmental activities in Belarus. We hope to interact with your organisations.

Valery Grytsouk
Belarus Democratic Reforms Support Foundation,
L. Sapiega Foundation
P.B. 93
220141 Minsk
BELARUS

Fax: (0375) 343791

Planning Workshop in Vienna, 4-8 March, 1996

In March,1996, national project teams from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovenia will meet together with Austrian eco-counsellors at a joint workshop in Vienna in order to plan the World Environment Day 1996. The work-shop will be organised and coordinated by Eco Counselling Europe. Here, experiences should be exchanged, a concept for the cooperation should be laid down and the national World Environment Days will be planned.

World Environment Day 5th June

UNEP (The United Nations Environment Programme) was founded on 5th June in Stockholm within the framework of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment. Since then the 5th June is celebrated as the World Environment Day. 20 years later: June 1992 - Rio de Janeiro - United Nations Conference on Environment and Development - the largest meeting of world leaders in history. Endorsing Agenda 21, they adopted the principles of sustainable development and an action plan for implementing these principles.

From Rio to Europe Now we are living in a new epoch: The after Rio period. Sustainability is the theme for the World Environment Day, 5th June 1996, under the motto "from Rio to Europe", "from Rio to my country", "from Rio to my town/city", "from Rio to the housing complex, school, the local administration, the work place.."

Everybody can contribute Eco Counselling Austria first took up the idea of the World Environment Day in 1993. Instead of a centralised public holiday with "much noise about nothing!" the succesful and attractive concept of an active decentralized "Day of Action" was introduced into Austria.

In this sense the organisers could get local support for the preparation and development of their local World Environment Day initiatives. So far the World Environment Day in Austria has succeeded in getting between 300,000 and 500,000 people actively involved and in informing over one million people on various environmental protection issues.

Through Eco Counselling Europe news of these activities was readily available to other European countries. Many eco-counselling organisations had thus shown the interest to set up the World Environment Day in their own countries too, aiming to prove it equally effective in increasing environmental awareness and in informing the public on the major problems facing our environment today. There too, it should also be of considerable use in inducing a responsible behaviour and attitude towards the environment.

The World Environment Day overcomes national borders With the financial support of the European Union (DG XI) it will in 1996 be possible for the first time to plan, organise and carry out the World Environment Day together with environmental organisations in Central and Eastern European countries. Eco Counselling Europe (Vienna office) will so act as the driving wheel for these activities. Its aim is to assist and to lessen the burden the partner countries in the realisation of their World Environment Days by offering planning workshops, event planning kits, an information network, printed materials (posters, etc.), and to provide basic budgets for the national project teams.

If your organisation is interested to take part in the World Environment Day 1996, please, contact:

Eco Counselling Europe
Mariahilfer Strasse 89/29
A-1060 Vienna
AUSTRIA

Fax: +43.1.587 73 93 18

The European Research and Training Centre on Environmental Education in liaison with UNESCO, the Italian Government and the European Commission, is organising a Symposium which will be held in Rome in conjuction with International Congress on Environment and Climate 4 - 8 March 1996.

The Symposium, which is titled Environmental Education and Climate Change: Addressing the Challenge, will take place on 5 March 1996 and will discuss specific aspects of education, awareness and training related to climate change.

Themes upon which the Symposium will centre include:

• The impact of climate change in the global environment
• Global environmental change: science, education and training
• Climate change in the Arctic environment
• Challenges of using environmental education for dealing with climate change.

Dr. W. Leal Filho
ERTCEE
University of Bradford
Bradford BD77 1DP
UNITED KINGDOM

Tel: +44.1274.385 391
Fax: +44.1274.385 691
E-mail: ertcee@bradford.ac.uk

The European Research and Training Centre on Environmental Education based at the University of Bradford, UK, is pleased to announce the organisation of a short course on

to be held from 25 March until the 4 April 1996.

This course builds on the success of two similar events held in 1994 and 1995, and aims to build on current attempts in promoting the systematic development of environmental education throughout the world through enhancing information exchange between practitioners and developing the skills necessary to carry out successful long-term project in environmental education. The course is designed using presentations, workshops and field visits to enable participants to-date their knowledge, discuss experiences and assimilate ideas in order to furthe develop projects in their own countries.

For further information, please contact:

Ms Jenny Padgham,
ERTCEE, Dept. of Environmental Science,
University of Bradford,
Bradford, BD7 1DP,
UNITED KINGDOM.

Tel: +44.1274.385391
Fax: +44.1274.385691
E-mail: ertcee@bradford.ac.uk

As announced earlier, an International Congress entitled zStrategies and Practices in Environmental EducationZ will be hosted in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, from 27-30 June 1996. The event is being jointly organised by the Universidade de Santiago and ERTCEE.

The congress intends to provide an opportunity for constructive and critical review of international, national, regional and local strategies in environmental education. One of the main objectives is to highlight successful programmes of environmental education in both formal education and more generally in the field of environmental action. The congress will be conducted through a series of lectures, round-table, group and video-sessions. The following topics will be included:

  Environmental problems and educational solutions
  Social groups and environmental education
  Environmental education, curriculum and education reforms
  Training of teachers for environmental education
  Evaluation design for environmental education
  Social communication and environmental education
  Interdisciplinarity and environmenatal education
  Institutional support and financing in environmental education
  Education recources for environmental education

For further information, please contact:

Carmen Moran
Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
I.C.E Taller de Education Ambiental
Departamento Teoria e Historia da Education
Praza de Fuenterrabia 3
15702 Santiago de Compostela
SPAIN

Tel: +34.81.585899
Fax: +34.81.561951

In 1990, the Secretary of State for Scotland set up a Working Group to prepare recommendations for a National Strategy for Environmental Education in Scotland. The Report "Learning for Life" was presented in 1993, and action in response to it has been developing ever since. The Government published its response "A Scottish Strategy for Environmental Education" in June 1995.

In 1992 the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro adopted Agenda 21, which called upon every government to prepare such a strategy. The Scottish experience provides a case study of the formulation and implementation of environmental education strategies.

Aims and objectives

The seminar aims to encourage, assist,enrich and enhance the further development of national strategies as a framework within which Learning for Sustainable Lifestyles can be effectively accomplished. It offers participants the chance to examine and discuss the process of developing and implementing national strategies for environmental education, and compare the Scottish experience with processes and opportunities in their own countries.

Experience will also be drawn from the series of meetings held over the last two years under the auspices of IUCN. The seminar will make use of presentations, discussions, workshops and on-site visits.

Topics will include

• The process of developing and implementing national environmen- tal education strategies
• Environmental education in the home and community
• Environmental education in schools
• Environmental education in Further and Higher Edocation
• The Business Sector: environmental policies, education and training
• The role of government and government agencies
• The role of non-governmental organisations
• Establishing and managing resources databases
• Scotland's role in the international exchange of good practice, expertise and information

The seminar will commence with an opening dinner on Sunday 28 July 1996 and will finish after lunch on Saturday 3 August 1996.

Applications

Application forms may be obtained from your nearest British Council office or from

International Seminars Department
The British Council
10 Spring Gardens
London SW1A 2BN, UK
Tel: +44.171.389 4264/4252/4266
Fax: +44.171.389 4154
telex:8952201 BRICON G
email 81:BCOO22 /BT Gold/Dialcom/

With the completion of the Strategic Action Plan of the Danube River Basin Environmental Programme, policy makers and environ- mentalists are now turning their attention to implementing the Plan.

We believe the Strategic Action Plan can succeed only if it is widely understood and has the support of the public and state implementing agencies. Danube NGOs have a special responsibility to inform their local public about this international environmental initiative. At the same time, we should keep up pressure on national governments to fulfil their promises "to protect and enhance" the Danube region environment.

To inform the public about Danube Programme initiatives, Union for the Morava Rivers, Danube NGO Information Center has proposed creating:

A Popular Version of the Strategic Action Plan a concise, introductory statement of the Plan written for policy makers, environmental activists and members of the general public.

The Commission of the European Communities (EU PHARE) has agreed to fund preparation of a model version of the "Popular Strategic Action Plan" to be shared throughout the region. The document will be drafted to the needs of each Danube country, translated into local languages, and distributed through NGO networks.

Work on the Popular SAP series has already begun. A "Popular Strategic Action Plan for Slovakia" is now being prepared. 500 booklets, to be published by the NGO Information Center in Uherske Hradiste, should be ready for circulation among Slovak government agencies, NGOs and the general public early in 1996.

The framework set out in the Danube Strategic Action Plan will be filled out by National Action Plans. The Slovak Ministry of the Environment is preparing a National Action Plan to meet its commitments to the Danube River basin environment. Slovak NGOs - through Slovak Rivers Network - have been discussing environmental priorities for the National Action Plan with Ministry officials in formal and informal meetings.

The Slovak "Popular Strategic Action Plan" will give Slovak NGOs another tool for presenting their views on the environment to the Ministry, other state implementing agencies, and the general public. It will help build a national consensus for environmental action through promoting public awareness of the Strategic Action Plan and other Danube Environmental Program initiatives.

The Popular Strategic Action Plan (Popular SAP) is designed to address specific national audiences in each Danubian country. The structure and text of the model Popular SAP will be modified to feature country-based materials at designated points in the text.

Specifically, the Slovak Popular SAP will include discussion of national HOT SPOTS and priority WETLANDS which need priority actions for their clean-up, protection or revitalization.

The Popular SAP will cover

• General and Common Aspects
• Backround on the Danube Environmental Program and related international environmental conventions
• A brief description of the main threats to the Basin
• Danube Strategic Action Plan (SAP) goals
• Principles guiding Danube region policy
• Explanation of how the principles affect individuals and the public
• Strategic directions recommended in the SAP
• Common questions about environmental issues and terms Aspects specific to Slovakia
• Strategic directions proposed for the National Action Plan by NGOs
• Main environmental problems affecting Slovakia, including listed SAP "hot spots".
• List of national wetlands addressed in the SAP with recommended actions for their protection
• Information on involvement in the national action planning (implementation process)
• Institutions and persons involved in action planning
• Contacts in the environmental community

Jana Hajduchova, acting director of the Upper Danube Basin NGO Information Center (SRIC), will serve as Project Manager. She can be contacted at the main Union office:

Unie projektu Moravy
Panska 9
602 00 Brno
Tel./Fax: +42.5.422 105 61

5-6 February
Geneva, Switzerland
Eighth Session of the INCD
Contact: UN Interim Secretariat of the
Convention to Combat Desertification,
Geneva Executive Center
Tel: (41-22) 979 9111; Fax: 979
9031/31

11-22 March
Geneva, Switzerland
Intergovernmental Panel on Forests

19-22 May
Beltsville, Maryland, USA
Global Genetic Resources: Access,
Ownership and Intellectual Property
Rights
Contact: Blanca Leon Systematic
Botany & Mycology Lab. U.S. Dept. of
Agriculture, Agriculture Research
Service, Room 304, Bldg. 011-A,
BARC-W, 10300 Baltimore Ave.
Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
Tel: (1-301) 504-8895; Fax: 504-5810
E-mail: sbmlbl@ars-grin.gov

3-14 June
Istanbul, Turkey
UN Conference on Human Settlements
(Habitat II) Habitat II Secretariat
Contact: UN Centre for Human
Settlements, P.O. Box 30030, Nairobi,
Kenya
Tel: (254-2) 621-234; Fax: 623-080

19-23 Aug.
Helsinki, Finland
Intergovernmental Seminar of Experts
on Criteria and Indicators for sus
tainable Forest Management
Contact: Ministry of Agriculture and
Forestry of Finland
Tel: (358-0) 160 2405; Fax: 160 2400

3-13 Sept.
New York, USA
9th Session of the INCD
Contact: UN Interim Secretariat of the
Convention to Combat Deser
tification, Geneva Executive Center
Tel: (41-22) 979 9111; Fax: 979
9030/31

5-23 Oct.
Montreal, Canada
First World Conservation Congress
(IUCN-General Assembly)
Contact: John Burke, Director of
Communications, IUNC -The World
Conservation Union, 28 rue
Mauverney,
1196 Gland, Switzerland
Tel: (41-22) 9990 0123; Fax: 999
0002

13-17 Nov.
Rome, Italy
World Food Summit
Contact: Fao, Rome, Italy
Tel: (39-6) 579 73117; Fax: 522
56501