i) International Conference: «Environment and Society: Education and Public Awareness for Sustainability», organised by UNESCO and the Government of Greece (Thessaloniki, Greece, 8-12 December 1997)

Despite the fact that the Conference was organized in a very difficult period (in parallel to the Kyoto meeting and other major events) and in ‘record time’, it succeeded in accomplishing all its major aims. More than 1000 persons representing governmental, intergovernmental institutions and educators from all backgrounds participated actively and were given the opportunity to inform and be informed on a lot of interesting and innovative projects, and to hear and discuss, formally and informally, about principles, actions and projects during the various sessions. As the UNESCO Director General, Dr Federico Mayor, acknowledged during his speech the Conference was of major international importance, the legitimate follow-up in the area of Education for Environment and Education for Sustainability of the major Conferences of Tbilisi (1997), Moscow (1987) and Rio (1992).

Amongst the most important outcomes was the fact that the role of Education was raised as equally important for Sustainability to that of Economy, Legislation and Technology and indeed as the prerequisite for all of them. Moreover, the diversion between the two prevailing tendencies, if not ‘schools’ of thought, which address matters of educating for Environment and those of Sustainability as separate issues, was largely resolved; these tendencies seem to be now united under one single label ‘the Education for Environment and Sustainability’, since in effect the content of their message is the same and the two approaches are complementary, not antagonistic, and therefore cannot be separated. Furthermore, it was recognized that the present level of allocated funds and resources is totally inadequate and concrete support should be provided to train educators with regard to the principles of environmental protection and sustainability, as well as equip and modernize schools and school curricula appropriately in order to induce the sustainability principle in every aspect of Education.

Perhaps the most visible outcome of the Conference was the drafting and the unanimous acceptance of the ‘Thessaloniki Declaration’, a fundamental text containing both principles and proposals and through which the follow up process is secured.

The Conference has called upon Greece to formally present the Declaration and the results to the Commission of Sustainable Development at the Sixth Session in April 1998. An international award was also established for important contributions in the field of Education for Environment and Sustainability.

During the last months of 1997, MIO-ECSDE’s Secretariat, being also the Conference’s Secretariat, devoted most of its time to the organisation of the International Conference. The Secretariat would like to thank all the MIO-ECSDE Members who actively helped during the Conference in many ways, i.e. presentations, chairing, co-chairing, reporting, commenting on documents, enriching the MIO-ECSDE stand with interesting and attractive posters, leaflets and documents, making contacts with other organisations and networks etc. and by providing their support to the Secretariat.

The «Twin» Mediterranean NGO Workshop on ‘Public Awareness and Environmental Education: A Tool Leading to Sustainability’ and on ‘Religion, Values and the Environment: Consideration from the Point of View of the Environmental NGOs’ was held in Hotel Sithonia, Potro Carras, Halkidiki, Greece, on the 6th and 7th December 1997. More than 60 participants, representing 50 NGOs from 20 countries, mainly, registered.

The results of the Roundtables that were organised in different countries of the Mediterranean (namely in Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Lebanon, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia and on for Mediterranean islands in Mallorca, Spain) with the support of MIO-ECSDE concerning the issue of ‘Public Awareness and Environmental Education: A Tool Leading to Participation’, were presented, during the first part of the Workshop. Posters of the Roundtables and other activities of the organisations were hung in panels. The discussion was enriched by the intervention of many participants, referring to the experience of their organisations.

The second part of the Workshop, ‘Religion, Values and the Environment: Consideration from the Point of View of the Environmental NGOs’, concluded that the conditions for an extensive “institutionalised” collaboration of MIO-ECSDE with Religious Organisations is not yet mature. Of course MIO-ECSDE Members could take initiatives, as the case might be at national or local level.

The most important output of the ‘Twin’ Workshop was the ‘Thessaloniki NGO Declaration on Environmental Education for a Sustainable Future’ in which, amongst others, the NGOs urge Governments to put emphasis on Environmental Education / Sustainable Development (through action plans and resources for programmes, national strategies etc.), they recommend that emphasis should be given in educating - training of crucial target groups (youth, mothers, teachers, decision/ opinion makers etc.) by using all appropriate channels. They also recommend that NGOs and the civil society should actively participate in the aforementioned activities.

The Declaration was submitted to the International UNESCO Conference of Thessaloniki and contributed considerably to the formulation of the «Declaration of Thessaloniki», the major out-put of the Conference.

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Member Organisations of MIO-ECSDE is the highest decision body of the Federation. The 2^nd AGM was highly attended by representatives of Member Organisations. The main reports presented were the Report of Activities and Budget for 1996 and the Progress Report and Budget for 1997, while the Work Plan and Provisional Budget for 1998 and issues related to the priorities and the overall functioning of MIO-ECSDE were discussed in a positive atmosphere. 22 new applications of Mediterranean NGOs were evaluated and the AGM approved and welcomed 17 Full and 5 Corresponding organisations. According to the By-Laws elections took place where half of the Members of the Executive Bureau were renewed or re-elected. The new Executive Bureau is the following: Chairman: Prof. Michael Scoullos (Greece), Co-Chairman: Dr Emad Adly (Egypt) and Members: Mr Jean Doucet (France), Mr Bruno Neri (Italy), Prof. Mohammed Ftouhi (Morocco), Mr Pepe Abeledo (Spain), Dr Youssef Nouri (Tunisia), Ms Emel Anil (Turkey), Mr Jose Ribas Ridas (EEB) and Mr Evangelos Constantianos (Elliniki Etairia). The results of the AGM will be distributed to the Member Organisations in due time.

Following the decision of the Annual General Meeting of the 5^th of December 1997, during this year the Secretariat will focus on providing information to the Member Organisations about Fund - Raising opportunities. Herewith we are starting this attempt, by diffusing relevant information that has reached us:

1. «Across the Waters» Grants and Mediterranean Training Courses 1998, WWF

Deadline for applications: 28 February 1998

«Across the Waters» offers 3 types of grants:

Project Grants: with priority to issues such as:

• Forests
• Freshwater and Wetlands
• Sea and Coasts
• Urban issues

Maximum amount: CHF 10,000 (approx. 7,500 US$), for partial or total coverage of the project’s budget (project period 12-18 months).

Eligible for: NGOs and Institutions operating in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus, Turkey, Albania, Former Yugoslavian Republic Of Macedonia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Montenegro), Croatia, Slovenia and Malta. (Applicants from Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Greece can only present projects based on cooperation with the rest of the Mediterranean countries.

For the purchase or production of resources (i.e. purchase of office equipment, printing of publications etc.)

Maximum amount CHF 5,000 (approx. US$ 3,700)

Project period: no more than 6/8 months

• Targeted at providing training to individuals from NGOs and Institutions of the area, in the field of Environmental Education.
• Training required could be either the participation at WWF’s Mediterranean Schools or the participation at specific courses etc. already organised by other institutions.

Eligible for all the Mediterranean countries except those within the European Union.

More information: