In the period, November 24 -26, 2011, the members of the BSCSIF project team, Julia Akhunova and Roxana Raceu, took part in the International Camp of Ecologists, that was held in a picturesque Azerbaijani town, Gabala, under the moto “Role of young people in the ecological governance. Today and tomorrow”. The Conference was organized in the frame of the IDEA Environmental Campaign that was founded by Mrs. Leyla Aliyeva, in cooperation with the UN Development Program (UNDP). The opening ceremony was attended by high-ranking officials from Azerbaijan: the Vice –president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation – Mrs. Leyla Aliyeva, the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources – Mr. Huseyngulu Baghirov, the Minister of Youth and Sports – Azad Rahimov, the UN Resident Coordinator – Mr. Fikret Akcura, the Vice-president of Oil State Company “Socar” – Mrs. Rafiga Huseynzade and others.
During two days the members of the BSCSIF project team actively participated in the following discussion panels: “Ecological education for sustainable development”, “Green economy and youth entrepreneurship”, “Impact of climate change on youth”, “Research and development of innovation technologies” etc. The representatives of our Fund also coordinated one of the panel discussions and the elaboration of Gabala Declaration of Young Environmentalists, which was adopted at the end of the Conference. The Declaration reunited 5 messages from young people to the population and heads of all countries of the world about their right on a harmonious and secure future in a healthy environment. This Declaration will be presented by Azerbaijani delegation at Rio+20 Earth Summit, to be held in Rio de Janeiro, in 2012.
Thus, the main objective of the Camp of Young Environmentalists – that gathered together more than 100 young ecologists from 35 countries of the world – is to contribute to the establishment of cooperation and tight relations between different ecological movements and organizations in the region and all over the world, to provide an active participation of young ecologists in social life of the regions, to strengthen their role and activity in their communities and stimulate their desire to be ambassadors of environmental education.