Call for Applications: LEAD Europe Programme 2008 (early bird application deadline: 23 March 2008)

Dear Equator Net members,

Applications are now open for the LEAD Europe Programme 2008 – a fellows training programme that aims to inspire participants with the latest sustainability thinking, sharpen their leadership skills and develop their personal awareness. LEAD fellows will join a network of high-level peers across Europe and the world. While gaining practical experience working with colleagues from diverse professional backgrounds they will analyze contemporary sustainability challenges and identify collaborative solutions to real world issues.

Who should apply?

The Fellows Training Programme is ideal for mid career professionals demonstrating outstanding leadership potential, those who would benefit from extensive contact with other leaders from across the world, and from a strong peer-learning experience.

The program seeks mid-career professionals with:

• Any sectoral background (e.g. academia, business, government, media, non-profit organisations etc.)


• Passion and vision for sustainable development


• Demonstrable leadership ability or potential


• Capacity for lifelong learning


• Enthusiasm for continued engagement with the LEAD network


• Proficient English


• Computer literacy


• Applicants need to be able to commit to a minimum of three separate 5-day residential training events in 2008 as well as take part in online learning sessions.

Programme Costs

Course fees vary, and while some scholarships are available for exceptional circumstances, LEAD recommends that those requiring additional assistance start fundraising early if they wish to secure the grants needed. LEAD looks favourably on those applicants who have demonstrated their leadership potential by showing success in fundraising.

Early bird discounts are available for applications received before 23 March 2008 (subject to acceptance). The final application deadline is 20 April 2008.

To download an application form click here. For full course details and additional information visit the LEAD website or contact Laura Hughes at europe2008@lead.org.

Warm regards,

Gaby

Proposal Solicitation for 2008 Friends of World Heritage Fund

Dear Equator Net Members and other friends and colleagues,

The United Nations Foundation is pleased to announce that Friends of World Heritage Fund is now accepting 2008 proposals for small grants to support UNESCO World Heritage site conservation and sustainable tourism projects.

Please refer to the attached document for applicant eligibility, application procedures and requirements, and timeline for grant review and award.

We are presently accepting proposals from qualified community based initiatives around the following World Heritage sites:

• Belize: Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System
• Costa Rica: Cocos Island National Park, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Salamanca-La Amistad Reserves
• Dominica: Morne Trois Pitons National Park
• Jordan: Petra, Quesir Amra, Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa'a)
• Mexico: Sian Ka'an, Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen Itza, Pre-Hispanic Town of Uxmal, Historic Fortified Town of Campeche, Ancient Maya City of Calakmul, Historic Centre of Puebla, Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino, Rock Paintings of the Sierra de San Francisco, Islands and Protected Areas of Gulf of California

Please feel free to circulate the attached solicitation through appropriate networks and contact us if you have further questions or inquiry.

Thank you.

Sustainable Development Team

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Estimados miembros de Equator Net, amigos y colegas:

La United Nations Foundation se complace en anunciar que el Fondo Friends of World Heritage está aceptando propuestas para financiación de pequeños montos para el año 2007, con el fin de apoyar proyectos de conservación y turismo sostenible en sitios de Patrimonio Mundial UNESCO.

Por favor verifique la elegibilidad, proceso, requisitos y cronograma de revisión y selección de propuestas en los documentos adjuntos.

Estamos recibiendo propuestas de iniciativas comunitarias alrededor de los siguientes sitios de Patrimonio Mundial:

• Belice: Sistema de Reservas de la Barrera del Arrecife de Belice
• Costa Rica: Parque Nacional de Isla del Coco, Área de Conservación de Guanacaste, Parque Internacional La Amistad
• Dominica: Parque Nacional de Morne Trois Pitons
• Jordania: Petra, Quesir Amra, Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa'a)
• México: Reserva de la Biosfera de Sian Ka'an, Ciudad Prehispánica de Chichén Itzá, Cuidad Prehispánica de Uxmal, Ciudad Histórica Fortificada de Campeche, Antigua Ciudad Maya de Calakmul, Centro Histórico de Puebla, Santuario de Ballenas El Vizcaíno, Pinturas Rupestres de la Sierra de San Francisco, Islas y Áreas Protegidas del Golfo de California.

Le agradecemos que circule esta convocatoria a quienes considere apropiado y quedamos a su disposición para resolver preguntas e inquietudes.

Gracias,

Grupo de Desarrollo Sostenible

Lulu Zhou

Coordinator, Friends of World Heritage Fund

United Nations Foundation
1800 Massachusetts Av. NW, Suite 400
Washington DC 20036

T. 1 202 8879040
F. 1 202 8879021
http://www.unfoundation.org/

http://www.friendsofworldheritage.org/

Call for Contributions: Good Practice Examples on the Topic "Water for Energy and Energy for Water" (deadline: 16 February 2008)

Dear Equator Net members,

WISIONS launched its new Promotion of Resource Efficiency Projects (PREP) call on the topic Water for Energy and Energy for Water, aiming to promote good practice examples dealing either with water as a driving agent for renewable energy (e.g. small hydro schemes, wave and tidal power plants) or with the provision of clean and safe drinking water by renewable energy (e.g. solar driven desalination, groundwater pumping or irrigation systems).

Up to 5 good practice projects will be chosen for publication and will receive a grant of 500 Euros. WISIONS is an initiative of the German Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, on behalf of the Swiss Foundation ProEvolution. One action field is called PREP, the Promotion of Resource Efficiency Projects. PREP’s key objectives are publishing and promoting good practice in energy and resource efficiency. People around the world are asked to present their good practice examples.

The application deadline is February 16th, 2008. For more information, please click here.

For questions, please contact:

Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy
Doeppersberg 19
42103 Wuppertal
Germany
e-mail: info@wisions.net
Phone: + 49 (0) 202. 2492 252
Telefax: + 49 (0) 202. 2492 198
URL: http://www.wisions.net/

Warm regards,

Gaby

Call for Entries: Online Competitions on Social Innovation with Ashoka's Changemakers

Dear Equator Net members,

You are invited to participate in the following online competitions on social innovation with Ashoka’s Changemakers:

1. The Geotourism Challenge: Celebrating Places - Changing Lives (Jan - Jun 2008)

2. Tapping Local Innovation: Unclogging the Water and Sanitation Crisis (Jan - May 2008)

3. Young Men at Risk: Transforming the Power of a Generation (Nov - Mar 2008)

4. Sport for a Better World (Sep - Mar 2008)

Ashoka is a global association of leading social entrepreneurs with system changing solutions for the world’s most urgent social problems. Ashoka’s Changemakers online collaborative competitions seek “open source” innovative, workable solutions to the world’s most entrenched social problems. Competition entries are posted transparently online and available for anyone to view and collaborate with by providing new ideas, asking insightful questions, and providing connections to new resources. The collaboration provides the competitor information to be used in refining their entry until the entry deadline, meaning the earlier you apply the more you gain.

Ashoka's Changemakers accepts entries in English or Spanish. Deadlines vary. For more information on current competitions, click here.

For questions, please contact:

Ashoka Global Headquarters
1700 North Moore Street,
Suite 2000 (20th Floor)
Arlington, VA 22209 USA
Tel: 703-527-8300
Fax: 703-527-8383

To contact the staff of Changemakers electronically, click here.

Warm regards,

Gaby

Call for Applications: 2008 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation (deadline: 31 March 2008)

Dear Equator Net members,

Entries are now being accepted for the 2008 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation. The awards programme, now in its ninth year, recognizes the achievement of individuals, public-private initiatives and private sector organizations in successfully restoring structures of heritage value in the Asia-Pacific region.

Projects involving buildings more than fifty years old and which were completed within the last ten years are eligible for consideration. Houses, commercial, cultural, religious, industrial or institutional buildings, gardens and bridges are all eligible. Public-private partnership projects such as historic towns, urban quarters and rural settlements where the essential elements are more than 50 years old are all also eligible.

In addition to these awards, entries are also accepted for the Jury Prize for Innovation to recognize newly-built structures that demonstrate outstanding standards for contemporary architectural design that are well-integrated into historic contexts.

Entries for the 2008 awards programme must include an official entry form, drawings, photographs and a project description to the UNESCO Office of the Regional Advisor for Culture in Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok. Contact information is below.

Winners will be announced in September 2008, with a selected number of entries receiving the "Award of Excellence", "Award of Distinction", "Award of Merit", "Honourable Mention" and "Jury Commendation".

Complete programme information, including an entry form and information on past winners, is available here.

Application deadline: 31 March 2008.

For questions or further information, or to request hard copies of forms or brochures, please contact:

Montira H. Unakul
Office of the UNESCO Regional Advisor for Culture in Asia and the Pacific
UNESCO Bangkok Office
Tel: (66-2) 391-0577 ext. 509
Fax: (66-2) 391-0866

Email: h.montira@unescobkk.org

or culture@unescobkk.org

Website: http://www.unescobkk.org/

Warm regards,

Gaby

Pre-registration to the Seventh Session of the Permanent Forum is now open (April 21 - May 2, 2008)

Dear Equator Net members,

Pre-registration to the Seventh Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (April 21 - May 2) and for the organization of side events is now open: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/session_seventh.html

The Special theme of the Seventh Session will be climate change, bio-cultural diversity, and livelihoods: the stewardship role of indigenous peoples and new challenges. A provisional agenda can be found via the following link: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/session_seventh.html#Agenda

Please note that NGOs, IPOs, and academic institutions that would like to attend the Forum are responsible for their own travel costs, accommodation, daily subsistence and other arrangements such as visa applications.

For additional information, please visit the UNPFII website or contact:

Mr. Yao Ngoran
Chief NGO Unit
Division for Social Policy and Development
2 United Nations Plaza
Room DC2-1324
New York, NY 10017
Tel.: (212) 963 3175
Fax: (212) 963 3062
Email: ngoran@un.org

Warm regards,

Gaby

Call for Nominations: 2008 SEED Awards for Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Development (deadline: 16 March, 2008)

Dear Equator Net members,

The SEED Initiative is launching its SEED Awards 2008. The SEED Awards for Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Development is an annual international competition, designed to support locally-led, innovative, entrepreneurial partnerships in developing countries, which have the potential to make real improvements in poverty eradication and environmental sustainability.

The SEED Initiative assists young and promising initiatives in strengthening and scaling up the impact of their activities. This is not a cash award. Instead, a comprehensive package of tailor-made support services, with a value of US$25,000, will be provided to Winners.

The support services respond to the challenges that emerging partnerships face when planning and implementing new ideas, including access to relevant expertise and technical assistance, meeting new partners and building networks, and developing business plans and identifying sources of finance.

The SEED Award recognizes and rewards two levels of winners:

• Fifteen finalists who will be publicized and receive limited support through capacity development activities. Finalists will be chosen from developing countries in each of the 4 UN regional groups: Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia. There will be 3 finalists from each region except Asia, from which six finalists will be selected.
• 
  Five Award Winners, selected from the pool of fifteen finalists, who will receive the full 'SEED Award' of support services, which will be delivered over a period of 12 months. The nature of the support services will depend on the needs that the Winners identify and will be developed jointly with them.

In addition to receiving support services, Winners in 2007 were celebrated at Awards ceremonies in their home countries and invited to SEED's International Partnerships Forum and Workshop in South Africa. SEED intends to do the same, and more, in 2008.

For more information, please refer to SEED’s call for submissions and apply online. For questions, please contact the SEED team.

Good luck and warm regards,

Gaby