GEORGIAN WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY ANNUAL LECTURE

	Second Georgian World Environment Day Annual Lecture
	In 2002 WomenAid International, sponsors of the Georgian Environment and Health Network, established the Georgian World Environment Day Annual Lecture.  This annual event is to mark the UN World Environment Day held every year on 5th June.  The Guest Presenter of the 2003 Georgian World Environment Day Annual Lecture will be announced shortly.

According to the Founder of WomenAid International, Pida Ripley, United Nations World Environment Day, celebrated on June 5 every year, has become one of the most important events on the global environment calendar with activities taking place in over 100 countries. The purpose of this ‘Special UN Day’ is to promote awareness of environmental issues and the urgent need to protect the planet. 

Pida Ripley stated that this new WomenAid International initiative supports the Georgian Environment & Health Network aim to increase public participation in environmental decision-making, promote public awareness of environmental issues and health linkages, thereby fostering more enlightened attitudes and encourage the public to contribute actively towards a better environment.

THEME OF WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2003

World Environment Day is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. The theme selected for World Environment Day 2003 is Water – Two Billion People are Dying for It!  This year’s theme is calls on each of us to help safeguard the most precious source of life on our planet - water. This theme has been chosen to support the United Nations International Year of Freshwater, 2003.

World Environment Day was created to promote environmental issues and empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development. It promotes an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues and advocates partnership that will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future.

THE GEORGIAN WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY ANNUAL LECTURE

The Georgian Minister of Environment & Protection of Natural Resources, Mrs. Nino Chkhobadze introduced the first Georgian World Environment Day Annual Lecture broadcast nationally as a radio programme.  The first Annual Lecture was given by the renown Georgian phyto-therapeutist, Dr. Rusudan Lomidze on Radio Green Wave 107,4 MHz FM, Wednesday 5 June 2002.

Dr Lomidze is a member-correspondent of the Academy of Ecological Sciences of Georgia, Academician of the Military Medical Academy of Georgia, Member of the International Association of Herbalists and Homeopathic (London), and an honorary member of the National Association of Struggle Against Cancer. Recently Dr Lomidze was awarded the Order of Honour by the President of Georgia.

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2002

Each year a special theme is adopted and in 2002 the theme was ‘Give Earth A Chance’.  It was a call upon each and every one of us to contribute to the healing of the ailing planet.

It took three billion years of evolution for the animals and plants that now inhabit the earth to come into existence. The resources contained within the world's ecosystems are vast and hold unimaginable value for human beings.  Ancient forests, free-flowing rivers, living oceans and the abundance of life they contain have evolved over millions of years. Yet they are now in danger of vanishing from the world within decades as wild lands and waters are being desecrated and species are becoming extinct at a rate that is unprecedented in history.  Every day, throughout the world, between one and 100 species of plants or animals become extinct. The double tragedy is that many of those plants were valuable beyond compare…because they were also life-giving to humans!

Because many traditional and indigenous societies live so closely with nature, they have gained exceptional insights into how best to preserve and develop sustainable use of the world's invaluable biological resources.  Traditional knowledge of indigenous and local communities has developed from experience gained over the centuries and has been passed on from generation to generation.  Through those centuries the knowledge of the healing powers of plants has been used to sustain the health of human beings.  In the 21st Century, there is now a growing respect for such knowledge, coupled with an increasing sense of urgency to protect these life giving and life enhancing plants. 

Scientists and environmentalists warn that over the next decade many environmental problems will worsen and the environment will continue to deteriorate.  The global community cannot be complacent.  Each and every one of us must take action to protect our environment.  For only if we humans ‘Give Earth a Chance’…. will the earth continue to give humans its life supporting and enriching properties!

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON World Environment Day VISIT:

World Environment Day 2002

Message from the UNEP Executive Director, Klaus Toepfer

Message from the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan: English, Russian

Georgian World Environment Day Annual Lecture - Press Release

For more information on the Georgian World Environment Day Annual Lecture please contact the

Georgian Environment & Health Network Team at:

WomenAid International-Caucasus

17 Khvichia Street, Tbilisi, Georgia

Tel/Fax: (995 32) 37 92 70

E-mail: waigeo@access.sanet.ge