Kaliningrad NGO honoured with award

Russian NGO ECODEFENSE! in Kaliningrad was awarded with the “ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE” Prize for the protection of the Baltic environment and environmental education of students, teachers and politicians.
On the 8th of June letter from International Department of the City of Kalmar (Sweden) has reached the office of environmental NGO Ecodefense! In Kaliningrad. “We are very glad to inform you that the City of Kalmar has decided to give you the environmental prize “Environment for people”, - writes its author, Anders Engstrom, International Department official. As it is stated in motivation part of the prize’s evaluation committee, Ecodefense! was awarded with this honorary prize for its directed actions carried out with the aim to reduce pollution in the Baltic Sea. Also committee members specially note Ecodefense! environmental training activities for teachers, pupils, politicians and the public.
“The comprehensive training and campaign work has become a model method in encouraging people to become active in environmental matters for sustainable development on local, regional and international levels”, - says evaluation committee in the awarding decision. Significant factor for the final decision of the committee was active cooperation of Ecodefense! with different structures, state and private, municipal and public in most countries around Baltic Sea.
Such campaigns as “Clean river – clean Baltic”, that has resulted in starting of wastewaters treatment facilities construction on pulp-and-paper enterprises of Kaliningrad region of Russia and “Stop D6!” that has united environmentalists from Kaliningrad, Lithuania and Poland in the effort to prevent oil pollution of the Baltic Sea through oil drilling; support of the Svetly town citizens in their struggle to prevent construction of the oil terminal nearby by means of first environmental referendum in Kaliningrad region;
environmental information agency that includes press-service and publication environmental magazine; legal rights’ protection campaign; environmental education projects and other Ecodefense! activities were truly appreciated by Council of City of Kalmar.

The prize will be graced to Ecodefense! representatives during celebration of Hanseatic Days in Tartu, Estonia on July 2nd. “Environment for people” awards are made by DIE HANSE network to individuals or organizations that have contributed in some way to improving the environment of the Baltic Sea and the shipping waters of the Hansa League. DIE HANSE is an active network of towns and cities that historically belonged to the association of merchant towns known as the Hanseatic League, or had lively trading exchanges with it. The new HANSE (www.hanse.org) was founded in 1980 in the Dutch town of Zwolle and since then it has become the world's largest voluntary association of towns and cities.

For additional information, and direct contact: Ecodefense! phone +7 911 4520412, +7 0112 580286; ecodefense@ecodefense.ru