SUN CHILD: FIRST REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL FESTIVAL IN ARMENIA
Support A1+!From April 1 to 12 and October 6 to 10 in Armenia, the First Regional Environmental Festival Sun Child will take place. The festival is organized by the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets in the Republic of Armenia (FPWC) and Sun Child NGO.
The aim of the festival is to raise public awareness of the environmental problems existing in the region and to establish a neutral field for cooperation, thus promoting the search of new, efficient solutions.
In the framework of the festival in April a number of environmental activities: tree planting, greening, scavenging (garbage collecting) in 7 regions of Armenia, an environmental march from regions to Yerevan and an open-air concert with the participation of the best bands of Armenia are planned.
The major part of the festival will take place in Dilijan, from October 6 to 10. Film screenings in competitive and non–competitive sections, photo exhibitions, workshops, environmental tours are some of the numerous activities that will be organized. Environmental film competition includes two main sections: Regional Environmental Film Program and Children Film Program. In the first section films from 6 countries of the region will be included: Georgia, Iran, Turkey, Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. There will also be an international informational program with a wider geography of participants.
Great importance is attached to environmental workshops since they are an excellent opportunity for the exchange of the international experience. Experts, ecologists and eco-journalists from the region and abroad will take part in them. In the framework of the workshops such acute issues as advocacy coalition building, networking and eco-tourism will be discussed and an exhibition of advocacy campaigns and tools will be held.
Sun Child enjoys the slogan For Children with Children’s Active Participation. The festival puts a special emphasis on the youth and children participation as the new generation of the region constitutes a strong whole able to overstep boundaries. To bring children closer to nature, to make them appreciate the treasures of their motherland and finally to arise interest towards environmental issues FPWC implements environmental-educational program for schools since autumn 2006. In the framework of this program eco-clubs are established, environmental film screenings, discussions on environmental issues, courses on environmental study, camera work and photography are organized. As a result, children are given opportunity to feature their own environmental films, the best of which will be included in the Children Film Program of the festival.
Sun Child appeals for collaboration to people and organizations who realize that only thanks to joint efforts and conscious struggle it is possible to preserve nature and secure welfare of the coming generations.
