|
The Earth Council Geneva (ECG) was founded in 2002 with the mission to increase the awareness of environmental issues worldwide. Giving environmental problems top priority, the Earth Council Geneva Board of Directors decided to combine this most important issue with the most important innovation of our times - the internet. This allowed Earth Council Geneva to create highly focused courses, developing content drawn from various institutions like the United Nations, the world's leading universities, and top governmental branches around the globe.
This information was formatted into interactive, blended e-learning courses offered worldwide through a simple but highly effective internet platform. In all, 22 courses were developed and offered, in some cases for free or at low cost, to a worldwide audience with access to the internet. Some 8,000 learners from governments, business and academic communities, media and NGO international organizations in 82 countries have logged on to take advantage of courses on topics such as Climate Change, Global Trade, Sustainable Development, Biodiversity, Desertification etc. Courses were offered predominantly in the english language, with several courses also offered in spanish and in chinese.
The Swiss Government, in particular the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (DEZA), generously provided financial support to the Earth Council Geneva during its start-up phase.
In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in media awareness of environmental issues, a result of Al Gore's ground-breaking "An Inconvenient Truth", but also furthered by the efforts of the United Nations to bring these issues to the broad public. As a consequence, the Earth Council Geneva decided to re-examine its Mission and its goals. In its own, perhaps smaller way, Earth Council Geneva had indeed helped to raise public awareness. In 2006 the Board felt it was time to evolve this mission from helping to create more awareness, to actively engaging in the implementation of hands-on projects and initiatives that would improve our planet.
With this in mind Earth Council Geneva became involved in a Marine Debris project in Alaska. Marine Debris is a serious and growing problem throughout the world, stemming not only from fishermen, but from merchant ships, pleasure craft, land-based run-off, etc. The sources are myriad, but the effects can be devastating on marine life. Plastic kills birds. Derelict nets entangle marine mammals. Earth Council Geneva sponsored clean-up efforts which removed tons of debris from remote Alaskan shores, shores that provided critical habitat for marine mammals. Part of the program was an educational component for local fishermen and mariners.
In 2009, to strengthen implementation of projects, Earth Council Geneva formed a partnership with the International Medical Corps (IMC) a global, humanitarian non-profit organization based in Los Angeles, California. With approximately 4,000 members - mostly volunteers - IMC is dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief, and by supporting development programs throughout the world.
Earth Council Geneva, together with IMC, implemented a project in Lebanon, targeting water quality and water management for children. Over 50% of fresh water here is wasted or lost before it reaches the children. Huge improvements were made by showing the teachers a better and more efficient system of handling water. New sanitary installations were built. Health dramatically improved and the death rate dropped, simply due to better water management practices. ECG, with its initial core competency, is now developing an e- learning course to build a platform for this same kind of application for many other schools in Africa and the Middle East.
Earth Council Geneva also worked alongside the IMC in relief efforts following the earthquake in Haiti, as well as the floods in Pakistan, by raising funds both in Europe as well as in the United States. It’s helpful that donors to the ECG/IMC projects in Switzerland can take certain tax advantages according to Swiss law, and donors to the IMC/ECG projects in the United States can deduct donations according to US law.
The Earth Council Geneva is currently working on strategic partnerships to bring in additional expertise, technologies and funds, so that we can continue working on specific projects, where results can be seen and measured. Funds go predominantly towards tangible projects such as those described above. Our administrative costs are very low, with ECG not paying board fees or reimbursing expenses. We feel that this creates a pragmatic organization, focused on the best use of resources and with the best chance to effect real and lasting changes.
|
