ECOCLUB.com, the global network for an ecological, socially just, ecosocialist tourism, announced today the results of its seventh annual eco-project competition, the " ECOCLUB.com Awards 2010", through which it funds community projects which support ecological and social justice, chosen and implemented by local communities around the world. For this purpose ECOCLUB.com allocated over 40% of proceeds from Membership fees in 2009, to offer micro-grants amounting to a total of Euros 6,000 (approx. USD 7,500). This years' theme was "Ecosocial Justice Through Tourism" and ECOCLUB.com called for tourism-related projects that would help rectify ecological and social injustices at the community level." Candidate project details were posted online at the ECOCLUB.com website, scrutinised by ECOCLUB.com Members, and the three winners were chosen in a direct democratic fashion by a Member vote held between August 15-22.
Congratulating the winners and contestants, ECOCLUB.com Editor, Antonis Petropoulos added: "At a time of prolongued economic crisis, criticising and opposing the prevailing capitalist mass tourism model, which is also guilty for its share of ecocide, is necessary but not enough. We also need to work for change in the short-run, by constantly setting up real, viable, alternatives/examples, eco-oases, for a grassroots, gradual transition to an ecosocialist tourism model, where possible. This is the context of our annual Awards, and with the support of our members around the world, we aim to constantly expand and improve them."
The Winning project proposals of the ECOCLUB.com Awards 2010 are located in Nepal, Chile and Colombia, as follows:
Nepal: Creation of a Visitor Resource Centre in Jamuna Village, Ilam District.
To be implemented by Red Panda Network, Nepal
Coordinator: Sunil Shakya
Project Summary: "Community empowerment through red panda based ecotourism will bridge the gap of communication and understanding among the local community about the importance of wildlife and biodiversity in todays' living. Ecotourism is an alternative means for biodiversity conservation and livelihood enhancement."
Details: https://ecoclub.com/grants/candidates2010/472-awards10-application-rpn
Chile: Building of a "Ruka" traditional Food Court in Pitril Pewenche Community, Biobio Province.
To be implemented by Indigenous Association Red de Senderos Turisticos Pewenche Trekaleyin
Coordinator: Pablo Azua García
Project Summary: "The Community Based Tourism Network of Trekaleyin offers all-inclusive tours on ancestral trails at indigenous communities of the Alto Biobío, Chile. To deliver a good quality service, the project aims to set up a space where to offer traditional meals."
Details: https://ecoclub.com/grants/candidates2010/468-awards10-application-trekaleyin
Colombia: Training for Birdwatching involving three communities in Southern Mashiramo
To be implemented by "Mashiramo"- Corporacion Para El Monitoreo de la Biodiversidad Del Sur Mashiramo
Coordinator: Eivar Sambony
Project Summary: "Strengthen community awareness of wild birds and their potential as an economic alternative through bird watching, achieving an equitable distribution of economic benefits by generating real alternatives to local deforestation."
Details: https://ecoclub.com/grants/candidates2010/471-awards10-application-mashiramo
The coordinators of the three winning projects thanked ECOCLUB.com Members for their trust and pledged a timely implementation.
In particular, Sunil Shakya of Red Panda Network (Nepal) said: "We at Red Panda Network are extremely delighted to be the winner for the prestigious ECOCLUB.com Awards. We were confident and highly hopeful that the voters would recognize the importance and value of our project due to its uniqueness and community-involved mechanism and here it has come true getting the maximum votes. We would like to thank all our voters and well-wishers for voting us. We are committed to utilize the funds for the said purpose to provide maximum benefit to the resource center visitors and the community. Once again we are indebted to ECOCLUB for providing us this platform."
Pablo Azua Garcia of Trekaleyin (Chile) stated: "Thank you very much! On behalf of the Trekaleyin Association, and members of the Mapuche - Pewenche communities of Alto Biobio, we express our most sincere thanks to ECOCLUB and the members who voted for our project, which we undoubtedly believe will be a great support to our dreams of ecotourism development in our land. Now we will put our best efforts to implement the project in the best way, and of course everyone is invited to know our communities, mountains and our people. Many greetings from Bíobío Alto, Chile"
Eivar Samboni of Mashiramo (Colombia) said: "We appreciate that ECOCLUB.com Members have selected our project, this award is a great value for all shareholders of the Corporation Mashiramo, by the prestige of the organization that you lead and motivates us to continue working for the conservation of biodiversity in Colombia and the development of communities in southern Huila. We pledge to make a good project execution. We also thank the Travolution organization through which we learned of this prestigious competition".As every year, the winning projects implementation and completion will be transparently presented and monitored online at https://ecoclub.com/grants. Projects must be initiated by September 1, 2010 and completed by December 1, 2010. The full implementation of the projects and its transparent documentation, is a pre-condition for the payment of the Award funds.
More Details: https://ecoclub.com/grants