OSCE Office promotes environmental education in Armenia

YEREVAN, 23 September 2005 - A new range of publications dedicated to environmental problems was launched today in the Museum of Nature with the support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan by the environmental non-governmental organization (NGO), 'Khazer'.

The publications, entitled 'We and Our Planet', form a set consisting of 14 brochures with 11 posters, and are part of a project implemented by the NGO, supported also by Armenia's Aarhus Centre.

"Environmental education is one of the priorities of the OSCE - it is a commitment which all participating states made in the Helsinki Final Act," said Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, the Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan. "We hope that this initiative will increase environmental awareness among the Armenian population and create a safe and secure environment for the people".

The brochures describe a specific environmental problem, the current situation in Armenia, methods of solving that problem on local and international levels, as well as, international conventions or agreements on that particular topic. Their colourful covers, also printed as posters, provide a clear picture of different environmental problems of Armenia, such as tree felling, extinction of rare plants and animals, accumulation of chemicals and its liquidation, water, specially protected natural areas, earthquakes, etc.

Amalia Hambartsumyan, the Head of 'Khazer', said: "It is very important to educate children about the environment, to make them feel responsible for its protection. We tried to select crucial environmental problems for Armenia and present them in a simplified and friendly way."

The materials will be widely distributed to schools and universities, and local communities across Armenia. In addition, a series of seminars to discuss the published environmental topics will be held throughout the country.