Children learn about environmental protection of Caspian Sea at summer camp organized by OSCE Centre in Ashgabad

ASHGABAD, 11 August 2006 - More than 30 school children are participating in classes, training sessions and debates about environmental protection at an OSCE-supported summer camp aiming to raise awareness about Caspian Sea protection.

The OSCE Centre in Ashgabad and the municipality of Khazar are co-organizing the 10-day camp, which ends on 20 August.

"It is very important to teach the children to be environmentally aware and to encourage them to take the initiative to protect the Caspian Sea", said Inessa Perminova, the local co-ordinator of the project. "We are confident that the environmental knowledge the children absorb at this camp will not be something abstract and distant, but will become part of their lives."

The camp also features music, sports, and arts and crafts competitions. The OSCE Centre provided equipment and materials for the summer camp. After the camp has ended, the materials will be donated to the children's sanatorium Zolotaya Rybka.

The OSCE Centre in Ashgabad supports a variety of camps and youth development projects throughout the year.