environnement...raison d’être, trying always to be useful...this blog was created! It was originally launched (2006) for sharing info about YOUTH strongly supporting the motto 'When you don't want you can, when you want you can't' RE-ACT NOW! Years passed and the blog is now used mainly for information regarding environment. Although English is the communicating language throughout this blog, LINKS to publications in Hellenic language are added on the right bottom side.
“Balkanvision” - a training course on Intercultural Dialogue (Action 3 - Youth in the world / 3.1 - Cooperation with Neighbouring Partner Countries / Training and Networking / GR-31-38-2008-R3 & 3.1.2/R3/2008/7)
Participants
Ivana Vitovskiv & Matija Polančec / Croatia - Croatian Youth Hostel Association (info: http://www.hfhs.hr/)
‘ In the frame of the three-year ‘Action plan on management issues of Natural Environment’ and more specifically in the frame of Action ‘Training Program’ of the Ministry of Environment, Planning & Public Works, the realization of which has been undertaken by the Greek Biotope / Wetland Centre (Goulandris Natural History Museum), the seminar ‘Environmental Licensing in Protected Areas’ was held on the 30th of October 2008 in the building of the Greek Biotope / Wetland Centre in Thessaloniki. The aim of the seminar is the briefing of executives of services of administration in subjects that concern the environmental licensing in protected areas, aiming at the formulation of in common criteria to encounter. Participants would be executives of administration of whom the work is related directly or indirectly with the environmental licensing. ’ The programme:
- Environmental Licensing in Natura 2000 areas /Stavroula Vanikioti, Management of Natural Environment Department - Ministry of Environment, Planning & Public Works
Specifications and processes for the approval of Environmental Impact Assessments & Estimation of impacts for tourism installations / Rebeka Mpatmanogloy, General Environmental Issues Department - Ministry of Environment, Planning & Public Works
Special Spatial Planning for Industry / Lena Karka, Spatial Planning Department - Ministry of Environment, Planning & Public Works
Estimate of impacts from hydroelectric dams / M. Koutrakis, Fisheries Research Institute - National Agricultural Research Foundation Estimate of impacts in the environment from road works and compensatory measures & Protection of the wild fauna in the frame of manufacture and operation of road works / Thalia Valkoyma, EGNATIA ROAD S.A. My question had to do with the SPA ‘DELTA AXIOU-LOUDIA-ALIAKMONA-ALYKI KITROUS’ that includes the wetland of Kalochori, a region in the Prefecture of Thessaloniki.
a) Stavroula Vanikioti said that the Ministry has sent the list of the Hellenic SPA’s to the European Union and that there will be an adoption of them as has already happened with the Commission’s Decision of 19 July 2006 adopting, pursuant to Council Directive 92/43/EEC, the list of sites of Community importance for the Mediterranean biogeographical region [Official Journal of the European Union L 259/1, 21.9.2006, pp.1–104]
b) As a reply to my saying that at this time the region is planned to be part of the General Town Planning both Rebeka Mpatmanogloy & Lena Karka said that this can happen.
After all it was just a training programme ... to formulate common criteria for the encounter of problems related to environmental licencing in protected areas ... * more info: http://www.ekby.gr/ekby/el/EKBY_News_Announcements_el.html
Arrive late Monday evening to contribute in what was formally called: ‘LEARNING PARTNERSHIP – FROM REGION TO REGION – PART II’. A visit to the neighbouring country after an invitation from BIOSFERA BITOLA (info: http://www.biosfera.org.mk) and my friend Neshad.
My stay there had everything: small sightseeing in Bitola, Meeting with Emilia Dimitrovska, PR of the Municipality of Bitola (info: http://www.bitola.gov.mk), visit to Prespa and have lunch in Professor’s house, go along the west side of the big lake Prespa, visit St. Naum, visit the Ohrid region and lake, walk around Volvox and speak about many wonderful ideas for cooperation along with the German colleagues, Ludmila Wieczorek (http://www.loki-schmidt-stiftung.de/), Heike Markus Michalczyk (http://www.naturundumwelt.info/) and Silvia Schubert (www.anu-hamburg.de/).
We: Jay Anand, Sajmir Beqiraj, Jan Busch, Sami Domisch, Daniela Henkel, Magdalene Kempa, Roberta Malavenda, Nima Moin, Christina Müller, Corneila Plagge, Rajesh Kumar Ranjan, Cem Senduran, Alessio Soria, Nadeshda Tondorova, Ingo Weinberg, Christina Kontaxi
Abbreviations:
GKSS - GKSS Research Centre (info: http://www.gkss.de)
2nd Encounter of Euro-Mediterranean Youth in Lebanon “Environment in a Global Frameset” The Encounter was organized by the Euro-Mediterranean Platform – Lebanon (info: www.euromedplatform.org ), the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) – Lebanon (info: http://www.feslb.org/ ) and the Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO – ECSDE) (info: http://www.mio-ecsde.org/ )
In brief:
- - - Wednesday, 10 September 2008
Mr. Georges Abi Saleh, Representative of Euro-Med Platform – Lebanon Mr. Samir Farah, Representative of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung – Lebanon Mr. Patrick Laurent, EU Ambassador in Lebanon Mr. Antoine Karam, Minister of Environment – Lebanon Keynote Presentations ‘The Mediterranean Environment: Status and Challenges” Mrs. Barbara Tomassini, Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO – ECSDE) Mr. Habib Maalouf, Lebanese Association for Environment and Development (LAED)
- - - Thursday, 11 September 2008
Mr. Joe Haddad - Presentation of participants and ice breaking games Dr. Chafic Choueib, Lebanese University - Concepts and frameworks of sustainable development Mrs. Carol Chouchany Cherfane, Economic and Social Commission of West Asia (ESCWA) - Promotion of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Euro-Med region: policies and institutions (info: http://www.escwa.un.org/) Mrs. Morgan Strecker, UNEP/DTIE - Youth Training Kit by UNEP/DTIE: YouthXchange (focus on energy, waste, water, and fair trade) (info: http://www.youthxchange.net/) Mr. Salman Abbas, NGO advocacy and lobbying on environmental issues
- - - Friday, 12 September 2008 Dr. Nicolas Efstathiadis, SENSE - Forest fires and sustainable forest management (info: http://www.sense.org.gr/) Mrs. Kinda Mohamadieh, Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND) - Trade and environment (info: http://www.annd.org/) Mr. Hassan Jaber, NGO - ALMEE - Climate change and renewable energies Mr. Habib Maalouf, LAED & Mrs. Christina Kontaxi, MIO-ECSDE - The Mediterranean Sea; preservation of the marine and coastal environment
Role Play (1): Mrs. Iro Alampei, Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO – ECSDE) Role Play (2): Mrs. Kinda Mohammadieh, Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND)
- - - Saturday, 13 September 2008
Visit to Eco-village (info: http://www.ecoecovillage.com/) At National Public Library in Baakleen: Mr. Pascal Abdallah, Responsible Mobility - Eco-tourism project/ campaign (info: search up on facebook…) Mr. Nizar Hani, LMT Association - Lebanon Mountain Trail (LMT) project (info: http://www.lebanontrail.org/)
- - - Sunday, 14 September 2008
Mr. Samir Farah, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) & Mr. Ziad Abdel Samad, Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND), Evaluation and Recommendations for follow-up activities
In total 41 youth from 11 Mediterranean countries and 29 organizations, NGO’s etc. participated:
1. Lebanese Association for Human Rights, Lebanon (info:
http://www.aldhom.org/ ) 2. Lebanese Family Planning Association, Lebanon (info: http://www.lfpa.org.lb/ ) 3. Lebyouth, Lebanon (info: http://www.lebyouth.net/ ) 4. Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering, Lebanon 5. Amel Association, Lebanon (info: http://www.amel.org.lb/ ) 6. Progressive Youth Organization, Lebanon 7. Lebanese association for democratic election (LADE), Lebanon (info: http://www.ladeleb.org/) 8. Lebanese Red Cross/Youth Department/Environmental Program Lebanon (info: http://www.redcross.org.lb/) 9. Cultural Movement Antelias, Lebanon (info: http://www.mcaleb.org/ ) 10. Association Libanaise pour l'Education et la Formation (ALEF), Lebanon 11. Lebanese Committee for Environment and Development, Lebanon 12. Union of Progressive Women, Lebanon 13. Norwegian People’s Aid, Lebanon (info: http://www.npalebanon.org/) 14. Health Work Committees, Palestine (info: http://www.hwc-pal.org/) 15. Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO), Palestine (info: http://www.pngo.net/) 16. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), Egypt (info: http://www.cihrs.org/) 17. Moroccan Association for Youth and Development, Morocco 18. Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Morocco (info: http://www.isesco.org.ma/)
International Youth Day 2008: - YOUTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE: TIME FOR ACTION
12th of August is considered an International Youth Day since 2000. On 17 December 1999 the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth (Lisbon, 8-12 August 1998) that 12 August be declared International Youth Day.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon closes his message for the International Youth Day with the following: “On this International Youth Day, I urge young people around the world to invest their energies and bright ideas into shaping a safer, more sustainable planet”.
Todays, European Youth Forum (YFJ) press release was entitled: ‘International Youth Day Climate change: the clock is ticking’. Bettina Schwarzmayr, President of the European Youth Forum noted – among others - that “Climate change is a clear example of how the well-being of younger generations is being compromised by the lifestyles of prior generations”.
Summer volunteer program 2008 in Northern Karpathos & Saria Island.
Following the volunteer program in 2007, MEDITERRANEAN SOS Network (info: http://www.medsos.gr/ ) renewed the cooperation with the Management Agency of Karpathos & Saria* for the 2nd summer program.
For 8 day in total, two groups of volunteers [A΄ group (18/7/08 – 24/7/08): Victoria, Lia, Rika & Katerina / B΄ group (22/7/08 - 27/7/07): Theofilos (group leader), Valia, Chryssoula, Maria, Alkistis, Nikolaos, Klairi & Maria] worked in the pathways, cleaned beaches and organized on their own games in the afternoon for the children in the Management Agency Office in Diafani. The C΄ group has now taken over.
The A΄group had the chance to participate in the local fair of Saint Elias (20/7), with acknowledgements to Mr. George Zografidis, responsible for the small church on the top of Profitis Elias Mountain (719 m).
Both groups participated in the 1st workshop “The development prospects of the protected area of Karpathos – Saria and the significance of the Management Agency” (23/7), where MEDITERRANEAN SOS Network was invited to present last year’s volunteer work program.
I must thank the - partly new - human chain responsible for the protection of the area Eirini – Sisi – Thodoris & George – Ntinos – Manolis. People in Diafani were again more that great to us! Girls where dressed in traditional costumes with the precious help of Mrs Anna Nioti. Many thanks to Yiannis V. Hatzivassilis (
http://www.hatzivasili.gr) for giving us the opportunity to learn more about Olympos tradition through his freshly opened museum. This year’s program was the reason I was looking for to go back… What’s next? * (Management Agency of the Northern Karpathos, Saria and the surrounding marine area / NATURA 2000 Network – code GR4210003)
Marine scientist (Univ. Aegean), MSc in Water Resources Science & Technology (N.T.U.A.), Master in EU studies (C.I.F.E.), Certificate of Pedagogical & Teaching Competence (School of Pedagogical and Technological Education) - Youth worker
Participants
