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World
Environment Day - 5 June 2002
GEORGIAN WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY ANNUAL LECTURE PRESS
RELEASE
To
mark World Environment Day 2002, WomenAid International, sponsor
of the Georgian Environment and Health Network, is pleased to
establish the ‘Georgian World Environment Day Annual
Lecture.’
The Minister of Environment & Protection of Natural
Resources, Mrs. Nino Chkhobadze will introduce this World
Environment Day special radio programme. The
first Guest Lecturer is Dr Rusudan
Lomidze, the renown Georgian
phyto-therapeutist.
Dr Lomidze is Corresponding Member 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 a
honorary member of the National Association of Struggle Against
Cancer. Dr Lomidze was recently awarded Order of Honour by the
President of Georgia. 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.
Each year a special theme is adopted and this year the
theme is Give Earth A Chance’.
It is 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 sustainably
use 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 will ‘Give Earth a Chance’…. will the
earth continue to give humans its life supporting and enriching
properties! Pida
Ripley stated that this new WomenAid International initiative
supports the Georgian Environment & Health Network aims 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. For more information please contact the Georgian Environment & Health Network Team at: WomenAid International-Caucasus 17
Khvichia Street, Tbilisi, Georgia Tel/Fax:
(995 32) 37 92 70 or
E-mail: waigeo@access.sanet.ge Message from the UNEP Executive Director, Klaus Toepfer Message from the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan: English, Russian |
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