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OSCE Centre supports festival of environmental journalism in Central Asia
ALMATY 15 November 2005
ALMATY, 15 November 2005 - The 5th Festival of Environmental Journalism ended yesterday in Almaty with an award ceremony for the best TV, radio programmes and printed materials focusing on environmental problems in Central Asia.
The event was organized by environmental non-governmental organizations from the region and supported by the OSCE Centre in Almaty, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
During the four-day event, journalists from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan discussed the challenges and the role of media in covering environmental problems, regional co-operation, and also shared their professional experience.
Around 40 journalists were nominated in various fields. Kazakhstani journalists Irina Pritula, Irina Kalina, Igor Lunin and Aidar Isakov; and Turkmen journalists Begench Abaev and Muradberdy Annangeldyev received the first prize.
Representatives of the OSCE, UNDP and UNEP presented their joint Environment and Security Initiative (www.ENVSEC.org) and gave an overview of the activities of the international community in the field of protection of the environment in Central Asia.
"Environmental issues are becoming increasingly important for security," said Ms Larissa Neufeld, Economic and Environmental Officer of the OSCE Centre in Almaty. "Without journalists informing us about relevant problems we would still be ignorant of many threats to the environment."
The organizers hope to turn the festival into a regular event with even broader participation by media groups from the Central Asian region.
The event was organized by environmental non-governmental organizations from the region and supported by the OSCE Centre in Almaty, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
During the four-day event, journalists from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan discussed the challenges and the role of media in covering environmental problems, regional co-operation, and also shared their professional experience.
Around 40 journalists were nominated in various fields. Kazakhstani journalists Irina Pritula, Irina Kalina, Igor Lunin and Aidar Isakov; and Turkmen journalists Begench Abaev and Muradberdy Annangeldyev received the first prize.
Representatives of the OSCE, UNDP and UNEP presented their joint Environment and Security Initiative (www.ENVSEC.org) and gave an overview of the activities of the international community in the field of protection of the environment in Central Asia.
"Environmental issues are becoming increasingly important for security," said Ms Larissa Neufeld, Economic and Environmental Officer of the OSCE Centre in Almaty. "Without journalists informing us about relevant problems we would still be ignorant of many threats to the environment."
The organizers hope to turn the festival into a regular event with even broader participation by media groups from the Central Asian region.