CENN – March 17, 2005 Daily Digest
Table of Contents:
1. Baku – Tbilisi – Ceyhan Oil Pipeline Will Ease Traffic In Turkish
Straits
2. Chief of Forestry Department Flees Georgia, Citing Intimidation
3. US Pushes for Kazakh Exports Via BTC
4. CEPF project Newsletter
5. Let’s change the European Investment Bank actively and artfully!
6. Small grants available from the Global Transparency Initiative
7. Tenth International Journalism Summer School on “Working of
Journalists in the Situations of Crisis”
8. conference related to Public Health
9. NGO Strategy Meeting on The EU Environment and Health Action Plan:
Final Report
1. Baku – Tbilisi – Ceyhan Oil Pipeline Will Ease Traffic In Turkish
Straits
Source: TurkishPress, March 16, 2005
Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline will lower the traffic in Turkish straits,
said a Turkish source.
”Aside from its economic benefits to Turkey, the oil pipeline will
help ease traffic in the Turkish straits of Bosphorus and
Canakkale. We estimate that at least 333 giant tankers will be
eliminated per year thanks to the (Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan) pipeline.”
According to information obtained by the A.A, the number of oil
tankers passing through the Turkish straits has dramatically increased
in the past decade. ”While the amount of oil carried by ships was
approximately 60 million tons in 1996, this amount jumped to 143,5
million tons in 2004.”
Turkish energy officials expect a rapid increase in the amount of oil
carried from Russia through the straits. ”When oil is transferred
from the Caspian region to Russia and then to Turkey, the tanker
traffic will likely show an increase. Each day at least 15 large oil
tanker pass through the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul.”
The Turkish straits have become an economic haven for thousands of
ships from Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria.
One Turkish official told the A.A that on the average one ship
carrying a foreign flag passes through the Turkish straits every 7
minutes. ”Every 50 minutes, a large oil carrier passes through the
Turkish straits.”
Asked about the importance of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, a
Turkish Ministry of Energy official indicated that there are some
economic benefits for the people of the region. ”However, the BTC oil
pipeline will help bring the risk of accidents in Turkish straits to a
minimum level possible. We are more interested in the safety of
Turkish cities than the economic benefits the BTC may bring to us.”
The BTC oil pipeline is approximately 1774 kilometers long. The
portion of the oil pipeline in Turkey is about 1074 kilometers.
2. Chief of Forestry Department Flees Georgia, Citing Intimidation
Source: Civil Georgia, March 17, 2005
Chairman of the Forestry Department of Georgia Bidzina Giorgobiani
fled Georgia citing pressure from the authorities, particularly from
the officials of the Security Service, which is currently under the
subordination of the Interior Ministry.
Before his departure Mr. Giorgobiani recorded a short video tape and
distributed it to the Georgian television stations. In the tape, which
was broadcasted by the leading Georgian televisions on March 16,
Bidzina Giorgobiani claims that officials from the Security Service
fabricated a criminal case against him after he unveiled a scheme of
appropriation of funds by the Security Service officials from the
illegal trade of logs.
“Controversy [with the Security Service] started after I have cut all
the channels of illegal distribution of shares [from trade of logs],”
Mr. Giorgobiani said.
Reports say that Mr. Giorgobiani was convened in the General
Prosecutor’s Office a month ago for interrogation. The law enforcers
suspected him for alleged “negligence” while selling logs. He was
released after handing over to the General Prosecutor’s Office a
written pledge not to leave the city.
Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili declined to comment on this case
and only said that the General Prosecutor’s Office is in charge of
investigation.
In a video tape Mr. Giorgobiani said that he is going to Germany,
“where I lived for 9 years.”
Mr. Giorgobiani fled Georgia first time in early 90s after ouster of
late Georgian President Zviad Gamsakhurdia in 1992. Georgian daily
Rezonansi reported on March 17, that Mr. Giorgobiani returned to
Georgia after the request of late Georgian Prime Minister Zurab
Zhvania who offered him a position of Chief of Forestry Department
last year
3. US Pushes for Kazakh Exports Via BTC
Source: The Messenger, March 17, 2005
The United States would support a Chinese plan to build a major new
pipeline to export natural gas from Kazakhstan, said the State
Department’s point man on Caspian energy issues.
But Ambassador Steven Mann told a forum of regional business
representatives last week that the United States has deep reservations
about the sale of neighboring Georgia’s main gas pipelines to Russia’s
state-controlled monopoly Gazprom, saying the deal could jeopardize
Georgia’s energy independence.
US officials have been pushing for Kazakhstan to ship more of its
energy reserves through the highly touted new pipeline that bypasses
Russia by going through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. The
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline is expected to begin operations May 25.
4. CEPF project Newsletter
Dear Readers,
February Newsletter of Strengthening Conservation Alliances through
CEPF Coordination in Caucasus project is available on the following
site:
(There are available English and Russian versions of the Newsletter)
Lana Ghvinjilia
Communications Officer
WWF Caucasus PO
CEPF project
11 Alexidze St.
Tbilisi 0193 Georgia
Tel.: + 995 32 330155/54
Fax: + 995 32 330190
E-mail: lghvinjilia@wwfcaucasus.
5. Let’s change the European Investment Bank actively and artfully!
Every year the European Investment Bank (EIB) lends more than any
other international financial institution. It lends primarily to
European Union states but overall it has a current portfolio of
investments in more than 120 countries, with roughly 17% of these
investments going to new EU Member States and places such as South
Africa, Asia, the Balkans, the Middle East, and Latin America.
In view of the importance of the EIB’s financial role we are
challenging the ‘house Bank’ of the EU to become a positive European
source for the public funding of public benefits worldwide. We would
like to see an EIB which is fully accountable to the public and
transparent in all of its operations. We envision the EIB lending only
for environmentally and socially sustainable projects, based on clear
policies, standards and rules, both inside and outside the EU, which
can proudly state that it supports only projects that enjoy the
consent of all affected communities.
As a part of civil society’s call to concerned citizens and European
policy-makers to join efforts to make the EIB an institution that
supports people and the environment, we invite artists from Central
and Eastern European countries to participate in a social poster
design contest entitled “Public Funds for Public Benefits”.
Awards – Awards – Awards – Awards
There will be one first prize award of 1000 Euros and two runners-up
awards of 200 Euros. An international jury will decide the
prize-winners. The jury is composed of Professor Piotr Kunce,
professional artist and the Head of Poster Art Studio at Jan Matejko
Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow, representing the media, Jane MacKenzie
of the UK’s renowned satirical magazine Private Eye, and Tomasz
Terlecki, the Executive Director of CEE Bankwatch Network.
You can also vote for the best project
We would also like to give internet users the opportunity to vote for
the best project. Thus there will be a gallery featuring all submitted
projects on our website to allow the public to vote for their
favourite entry. The most popular design as voted publicly and
transparently by our web audience will also receive a prize worth 200
Euros.
Victory will establish you as a real bankwatcher
Not only is there the promise of financial reward by participating in
the contest, but you could also be the creator of the posters
promoting our campaign. Our intention is also to prepare a
street-exhibition featuring some of the submitted projects, which
would be shown in Brussels and Luxembourg around the time of the EIB’s
Annual Meeting in June later this year. So the projects will very much
stay alive after the contest and help to make the campaign visible.
The statute of the contest
The aim and the topic of the contest:
To gather original poster designs in A1 format (594mmx841mm) promoting
the EIB reform campaign of CEE Bankwatch Network. The contest serves
to widen the public’s knowledge about a public financial institution,
the EIB, and its imperfect way of functioning and also to encourage
civil society to participate in the process of monitoring the EIB’s
activities.
Organizer:
CEE Bankwatch Network
Jicinska 8
130 00 Prague 3
Czech Republic
Duration of the contest: March 1, 2005 – May 30, 2005
The deadline for sending competitive works: April 25, 2005 (on this
day we stop accepting works sent by mail or submitted by person)
The address for sending competitive works:
CEE Bankwatch Network
Czackiego 3A
r. 29, 70-216 Szczecin
Poland
With the sub-heading Contest
The founder of the prize:
CEE Bankwatch Network
The territory of the contest:
Belorussia, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia,
Georgia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Macedonia, Poland, Romania,
Serbia and Montenegro, Slovak Republic, Ukraine.
Requirements of the application and participation:
a.. A competitive project entry can be sent by individuals;
b.. Every participant can make a maximum of three variations on the theme;
c.. Printouts in A3 format should be glued to stiff board. On the board’s reverse in the upper right-hand corner, there should be an original password;
d.. Projects have to be sent in two printed specimens with an electronic CD version ( 1:1 size, 300 dpi resolution, TIFF);
e.. Submitted projects have to be under the ownership of the senders, must not have been publicized previously and must not infringe upon another author’s rights;
f.. Submitted projects will not be returned and fall under the ownership of the organizers;
g.. Senders pay shipping costs;
h.. It is necessary for the projects to be accompanied by a completed application from the website in an enclosed envelope;
i.. It is necessary to put an original password on the envelope, the CD and the reverse of every project speciment;
j.. It is not permitted for the organizers and all persons engaged in preparing the contest to take part in the contest;
k.. Incomplete applications will not be taken into account;
l.. Participation in the contest indicates acceptance of the statute and agreement on free project exposure after the contest;
m.. The first-prize winner will also be obliged to make possible minor changes suggested by the jury.
Jury:
a.. Jane MacKenzie, London, Private Eye;
b.. Professor Piotr Kunce, Cracow the Head of Poster Art Studio at Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow;
c.. Tomasz Terlecki, Executive Director, CEE Bankwatch Network;
The jury will convene in order to choose the best project in April
2005 in Cracow. Following this meeting, an announcement will be
made. The decision of the jury is final. The first prize is
anticipated to be EUR 1000. There are also two second prizes equaling
EUR 200 and a so called audience prize, which is also for EUR 200.
We would also like to give our web audience the opportunity to vote
for the best project. That is why we are going to establish a gallery
of all sent projects on the webpage to allow visitors to choose their
favourite. The best project, chosen publicly and transparently, will
be awarded with the audience price of EUR 200.
6. Small grants available from the Global Transparency Initiative
Dear friends,
The Global Transparency Initiative (GTI), a network of civil society
organizations promoting transparency at the international financial
institutions (IFIs), announces a Request for Proposals for small
grants in the following categories:
a.. Case studies/Audits regarding access to information and the
IFIs: Small grants of US$500 to US$3,000 will be made to research
and write case studies about the negative consequences of a lack of
transparency by IFIs or the positive effects of transparency by such
institutions, in specific instances. b.. Advocacy: up to US$5,000,
will be available for key advocacy activities which promote broader
issues of disclosure by the IFIs or are linked to other activities
of the GTI. The GTI seeks to improve the transparency of IFI’s by
influencing the disclosure policies and standards of these
institutions. This grant is available to individuals and civil
society organizations involved in precedent setting transparency
issues within the context of specific campaigns. c.. Translations:
up to US$1,000, will be made to translate case studies, transparency
audits and other relevant documents produced by civil society that
discuss issues dealing with transparency within a country context or
within the operations of the International Financial Institutions
(IFIs).
Organizations and individuals are eligible to apply. Only complete
proposals will be considered. Proposals for case studies/audits and
advocacy will be reviewed on a quarterly basis, while proposals for
translations will be reviewed on a more expedited basis, wherever
possible within two weeks after they have been received.
Please find more information at:
7. TENTH INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISM SUMMER SCHOOL ON “WORKING OF
JOURNALISTS IN THE SITUATIONS OF CRISIS”
Mass Media Center School of Journalism, St.Petersburg State University
St.Petersburg, Russia
28 June – 6 July 2005
St.Petersburg, Russia
The Mass Media Center of the School (Faculty) of Journalism at
St. Petersburg State University (SPbGU) is inviting journalists,
scholars, educators, students, and communication specialists from
around the world to take part in the Tenth Annual International
Journalism Summer School, beginning June 28, 2005. This is the
excellent opportunity to widen the view on media studies studying
Russian media and journalism in the political, social, economic,
legal, ethnic, environmental and cultural perspective.
Leading university professors and professional journalists will lead
this course, which will include lectures and practical workshops
devoted to several issues, questions and problems related to the
development of the Mass Media. The main subject of the Tenth Summer
course will be “Working of Journalists in the Situations of
Crisises”. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss this
topic with professional journalists during the site visits to media
outlets as well as during a roundtable scheduled for July 6. Courses
are given by the best faculty and staff of the School of Journalism at
St.Petersburg State University and experienced professionals from a
wide variety of St.Petersburg Media.
The course also includes a cultural program, with sightseeing city bus
tour, excursion to the State Hermitage Museum, and performance at the
famous Marinsky (Kirov’s) Theater.
Working languages: English and Russian. The programme will be
conducted in Russian, with English interpretation.
Registration until: June 1, 2005.
Participants are responsible for the trip to St.Petersburg and for
getting of the Russian visas. Visa support is not included to the
tuition fee.
For more information, including application materials, contact the
Mass Media Center of the School of Journalism at
St.Petersburg State University: 1-aya Liniya V.O. Building 26, Office
602. 199004. St. Petersburg, Russia.
Telephone / Fax: (7-812) 323-00-67, 321-01-72.
E-Mail: [email protected]
Web sites: and
Contact person: Dmitry A. Ruschin, Ph.D., Associate Professor,
Director of the International Journalism Summer School and Winter
School on Public Relations at St.Petersburg State University. E-Mail:
[email protected] (main address) and [email protected] (additional
address).
MASS MEDIA CENTER
School of Journalism, St.Petersburg State University
1-aya Liniya V.O., # 26, office 606. St.Petersburg. 199004. Russia
Tel/Fax: (7-812) 323-00-67, 321-01-72.
E-mail: [email protected]
8. conference related to Public Health
Dear colleagues,
I am sharing with you this information about the conference related to
Public Health that will be organized in Armenia on September 17-20,
2005.
This is the Regional Public Health Conference and we expect to have
lots of local and international public health specialists as
participants. Your participation as well as sharing with this info
with your colleagues and friends would be appreciated. For more info
you are welcome to contact me.
Please visit the website, where you can find all info about the
conference
Best Regards,
Naira Gharakhanyan, MD, MPH
Health Program Coordinator
COAF Armenia
13 Yervand Kochar, Yerevan
Tel: (+374 1) 57 52 54
Tel/fax: (+3741) 57 53 55
Website:
9. NGO strategy meeting on the EU Environment and Health Action Plan:
final report
Dear Readers,
We would like to draw your attention to the final report of the NGO
strategy meeting on the EU Environment and Health Action Plan which
took place in Egmond aan Zee (The Netherlands) on 1 December 2004 and
was co-organized by the European Public Health Alliance Environment
Network (EEN) and the Dutch Platform for Environment and Health. The
report is now available both in English and in Russian, please find
both versions enclosed.
The meeting aimed to identify key actions proposed by WHO’s Children’s
Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE) and to
recommend that they be taken forward within the EU Action Plan
framework. It also looked at how the EU’s Action Plan can be
implemented by examining areas such as biomonitoring, indicators, risk
communication and indoor air quality. The results were presented to
the EU member states and institutions at the Dutch Presidency
conference on December 2-3.
For further information please see our website at:
EPHA Environment Network
39-41 rue d’Arlon
B-1000 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 233 3875
Fax: +32 2 233 3880
E-mail: [email protected]
Please visit our new website:
*******************************************
CENN INFO
Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)
Tel: ++995 32 75 19 03/04
Fax: ++995 32 75 19 05
E-mail: [email protected]
URL:
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress