www.mediterranei.eu diretto da Patrizia Bonelli- patbonelli@katamail.com Chios Island-Greece, 28/9 - 5/10/2007 The Euro-Mediteranean Workshop “Building our future through the valorization of our cultural and biological diversity” took place in Chios from the 28th September until the 5th of October with the participation of 29 young people linked to Mediterranean NGOs from 11 countries of the Mediterranean. The Programme was organised by MIO-ECSDE and supported by the European Commission-DG Environment, the Prefecture of Chios and NIREUS company. The activities were planned and conducted in close collaboration with Ms Maria Passali, artist, and Dr Helen Maloupa, Director of the Balkan Botanical Garden of Kroussia (BBGK). The participants represented 15 Environmental Organisations* from the following Mediterranean countries: Algeria, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Palestine, Portugal, Slovenia, Syria, and Turkey. The main objective of the programme was to highlight the interlinkages between biological and cultural diversities and sensitize young people towards the protection and conservation of the environmental and cultural heritage of their countries and the Mediterranean region as a whole as a prerequisite for a sustainable future. ChiosIsland represents a highly appropriate case study to highlight how the existing natural resources and rich biodiversity have affected in a radical way local development and culture throughout the centuries. In this sense, a great variety of activities relating to these topics can be supported by the island's particular cultural tradition and natural environment. The participants took part in several experiential activities such as field visits to places of particular environmental and cultural interest, presentations and group work on plant biodiversity, art-workshops of painting and engraving, of making masks and candles, all based on materials deriving from nature and inspired by the landscape of Chios, biodiversity and culture. During the multi-cultural evening (1st October) the participants cooked typical recipes of their countries, dressed in traditional custumes and danced typical dances. The local community embraced this evening. Local people together with representatives of the Prefecture and Municipality of Chios, the press, the Theatre of the Northern Aegean, etc. attended. The programme ended with a happening in the central square of Chios where the participants made a sculpture of recyclable materials with the help of local children and young people.
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