ECOCLUB Blogs™

Jashan-e-Qaqlasht 2008, the cultural and sporting festival of the people of northern Chitral came to an end by April 27. The festival was participated by a great many people living the the vacinity of Qaqlasht plateau with their diverse cultural expression. The objectives of the festival were to protect and promote the cultural heritage of Chitral, to encourage the culture of entrepreneurship for tourism stakeholders and last but not least to provide an enabling environment to the local artists and players to perform to the crowd.The three days festival went pretty smoothly and all walks of life participated. As it was a week end so people's participation ran into 10000. You can see some of the pictures uploaded to the website to know about the recently organised Qaqlasht festival 2008

BBC reports a quite surreal campaign by a publisher of a history magazine to change the name of the "Gay & Lesbian Community of Greece" on the grounds that the name 'offends' the inhabitants of the greek island of Lesbos. If successful he then wants to take on the use of the word worldwide. A court will hear the case on June 10 and will most probably dismiss it as it should. How short-sighted (indeed for a historian) in terms of what is in the real interest of this beautiful island's tourism, which attracts gay women from all over the world, particularly in Skala Eressou, which has developed as a low-key open-minded resort, close to where the famous 6th c. BCE lyric poet Sappho (Sapfo), also known as the 10th muse, lived.>>Related:Poems of Sappho (original Greek & English)Skala Eressou in wikipedia

QUOTEA comparative review of this report with the previous one outlines a relatively slow pace of implementation for a number of the activities. This is also alluded to in the report of the [ ] where it is stated that a major delay for most of the activities stems from tardiness in feedback from key regional stakeholders as well as delays in submission of quotations for and the production of materials. I would propose that a review of the activities under this component be undertaken by [ ] and a determination made as to the current relevance of these programmes to the region and a updated plan of implementation should be developed and submitted to the contracting authorities for approval and endorsement. translation: there are implementation delays due to dyslexia

As a Greek, I have to ask my American friends: Why should I need a visa to travel to your country, when you do not need a visa to travel to mine? As a Greek I am also ashamed that my country grants refugee status to only 0.04% of asylum claims (even though refugees are fleeing the wars others have started...)To millions of travellers, visas are as a humiliating and racist experience, as border controls at airports and ports. Why does one have to justify the reason of their visit, and convince the uninformed uniformed asking offensive / insulting questions? Visas and border controls have also been proven to be a total waste of time in relation to security. Now the EU interior ministers have finally agreed to stand together and negotiate visa free travel to the US. And, to be fair, they should also agree to open their own borders to their African & Asian neighbours. Open borders & free movement for all, not just for capital!

Pippa Bacca, 33, an Italian artist who was hitch-hiking from Milan to the Middle East dressed as a bride to promote world peace has been found murdered near the Turkish city of Gebze....Pippa had said she "wanted to show that she could put her trust in the kindness of local people".Her friend's blog:http://www.erodoto.org/dblog/

i love invitations in my inbox cordially inviting me to pay 1,000's to attend events.the day starts with a good laugh.

As discussed in an earlier issue of our e-Magazine, a pharaonic plan to develop a vast golf & villa complex in one of the last remaining wilderness areas of Crete is meeting with stiff opposition, with a legal case to be considered by Greece's High Court in May 2008.Two well-known authors have now also started an international petition at:http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Save-the-Cretan-landscapeYou can add your name if you agree.

Sharing a message received from: Jennifer Moody and Oliver Rackham authors of "The making of the Cretan landscape", 1996 / "I Dimiourghia tou Kritikou Topiou", 2004Synopsis: Detailed information about the Cavo Sidero golf resort plans for Eastern Crete and petitions to block the project:http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Save-the-Cretan-landscapeThe court case is set for May 9th. Time is short.There is also a protest group in Facebook: http://www.2343ec78a04c6ea9d80806345d31fd78-gdprlock/group.php?gid=24105721480Links to articles in The Guardian and NY Times.http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/08/19/travel/19heads.html?http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008...dangeredspecieshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/05/greece.pollutionhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008...06/conservation

In early 2008, a camera trap in the border area between Albania and FYROMacedonia provided the first direct evidence that the endangered Balkan Lynx is still alive! To prevent its extinction, Euronatur, an NGO, calls for more protected areas and corridors between those areas which already exist.Photo & details:http://www.euronatur.org/Camera_trap_took_...re_o.756.0.html

FYI,Crete's Culinary Sanctuaries entered National Geographic and Ashoka’s Changemakers Geotourism Challenge: Join the global search for innovations in tourism that sustain, enhance and preserve local culture and place.http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/node/5643You'll find that project managers also face the challenge of defining why their programs are distinctive and mandatory in their communities, when there is nothing to compare their work to...as in...standard travel practices that generally take what they can from local communities rather than help to preserve them.All the best,Nikki