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Earth
Charter Youth Contest
Water
for All
1997-1998
Results
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September
21, 1998
The Earth Charter Youth Contest has been realized with several grades
of success and slight differences in Argentina, Burkina Faso, Sweden,
Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Czech Republic, Hungary, Russia, Korea
and USA.
There have been some problems with the US: the works of the Earth
Charter Youth Contest U.S.A. winners could not reach the coordination
center in Italy. Anyway we appreciated their perseverance.
A different situation occurred with Global Green Germany: after
a very interesting arrangement with the X-Mag magazine, which published
a wide interview with Gorbachev and several informations on the
contest, we have not received any news regarding the redemption
or a possible involvement in the contest. We do not know if anybody
participated in the contest, and if anybody won. |
Argentina
is an exception as the initiative involved only chorus groups of
some schools. We know that it has been extremely successful and
satisfying for Green Cross Argentina but, unfortunately, no material
examinable by the jury could be sent.
It is very important that Green Cross Sweden managed to bring the
initiative to an end despite all the difficulties and the sorrow.
Even though just a few schools were involved, Green Cross Sweden
carried out the Earth Charter Youth Contest and sent the local winners
works that have cut a good figure in the international contest.
A significant and encouraging quality success for Green Cross Switzerland
(36 schools), where a small number of schools produced wonderful
evidence of quality and participation.
Green Cross Czech has done a very good job managing to involve a
high number of schools (600 schools) with high quality material
and kept relations with the authority of the Republic that led to
a significant prize giving ceremony.
Green Cross Hungary pleasantly surprised us by bringing the initiative
to an end, despite the lack of means, contacting a high number of
schools (300) that produced a beautiful selection for the national
contest. |
The
Italian work, that could count on a five years experience and on
important local funds, significantly succeeded in participation
(1.200 schools, 35.000 students), in communication means presence
(press, radio, TV), in institutional recognition.
Green Cross Korea proved also its ability and refined experience
reaching a wide participation (500 schools) and standing out for
the quality of the works that were evidence for the jury of a joint
visual language, symbol of cultural identity and communicative ability.
Another exception is Green Cross Burkina Faso where the widespread
distribution in the whole country of the initiative brought in huge
success (10 regions and 1.000 schools). This took to a real educational
campaign, to a distribution of the Earth Charter principles, to
a reinforcement of the relationships with the government that helps
the spreading of the organization.
Green Cross Russia also completely succeeded in organizing its own
contest by introducing regional selections (15 regions) that led
to a considerable distribution of the initiative and to a wider
chance of communication. Institutional relationships were increased
in value and an extremely involving initiative took place in Moscow.
Beautiful works reached the final selection.
In the end the international final jury declared the following winners: |
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Age
group 6-10:
1st
prize, Tao Salfo, Galongotitao
school, province of Lorum (Burkina Faso)
 The
project of the Burkina Faso team is the implementation of a well,
nearby a school. This well will allow for the watering of trees
in the neighborhood.
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2nd
prize, Ronnaskolan, 2nd grade,
Södertälje (Sweden)
 The
Swedish school has decided to build a water dam in the court yard
close to the classroom. Irregular water edge and varied water
depths will be created. On the Northern edge, large stones will
collect solar heating. Plants, newts, diving beetles, water striders,
corixas, dragon flies, frogs will be placed into the dam and other
small animals should colonize spontaneously.
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3rd
prize ex-aequo,
Jirice,
3rd grade, Humpolec (Czech Republic),
 With
their winning prize, the Czech decided to join an existing project
of restoration of a pond. The pond will be named "Green Cross
Pond". The pupils will plant trees on the bank of the pond.
Uliana
Chaban, Vladivostok (Russia)
 The
Russians decided to combine the two winning prize to implement
an assessment of the environmental situation of the river thanks
to an indicator system. The result will be the environmental assessment
of small rivers of the Volga basin, assessments of the bank of
these rivers, and an increase in public awareness.
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Age
group 11-13:
1st
prize, Katinka Nagy, Szeged Juhast
(Hungary)
 The
Hungarian decided to contribute to the elaboration of a nation-wide
contest on the major flood that occured in Hungary in 1998. They
also decided to carry out an environmental study tour in the South
of Europe.
2nd
prize, Olesya Sinkevich, Tula (Russia)
See Age group 6-10 3rd prize ex-aequo Uliana Chaban
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Age
group 14-18:
1st
prize, Hee Kim, Chumbook Arts
High School (Korea)
2nd prize,
Emanuela Di Sanza, Avezzano (Italia)
 The
Italian pupils decided to implement in their school a garden park
by planting evergreen, caducous leaves and fruit bearing plants.
The idea is to transform the actual parking lots in "green
lung" watered by a fountain. The fountain, designed by the
pupils under the supervision of the teachers, will be carried
out in the "plastic subject" course, with the collaboration
of the sculpture teacher. The water supply will not be continuous
and will become the patrimony of the pupils who will "adopt"
the plants and will be responsible for the water use.
3rd prize,
1sb grade, Obestufe Necker (Switzerland)
The Swiss team decided to use the prize to carry out an environmental
study tour in FrieslandThe class will be on the way with a traditional
sailing-boat on "Ijsselmeer" and "Wattenmeer".
They'll make an excursion to the west-frisian island "Boschplaat"
to get to know the flora and the bird-world, and another one to
the "Abschlussdeich der alten Zuidersee"/ closing-dike
of the old Zuidersea; there they want to learn more about the dutchs
old struggle against the sea. In the open-air museum at Enkhuisen
they'll get informations about the history of the fishery. |
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On
the Texel-island the class will visit the centre for nature and
landscape and the organisation ECOMARE. There, the pupils can
apply and deepen their knowledge of the region and work more practically
and concretely in and around the estuary.
After
the journey, the objective is to present the perceptions and realizations
and the work they'll have done at ECOMARE at home in the school,
the village and other places. The pupils will create a lantern-slide
lecture and a photo-exhibition, that links up with the idea of
their contest-work: pictures that show opposite aspects of how
to deal with environment (positive-negative). The exhibition and
the lantern-slide lecture are to contribute to the sensibilization
on the different meaning of water in the world.
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