Presentation of the Eco Picture Diary 2014 International Competition Held in Ganja

The national stage of the international competition "Eco Picture Diary 2014" among schoolchildren in Azerbaijan has been launched. On September 9, an event was held in Ganja to announce the competition.

It should be noted that under the initiative of Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and founder of the IDEA (International Dialogue for Environmental Action) Public Union, Azerbaijan joined this competition in 2013. Local schoolchildren participate in the competition under the auspices of UNESCO with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Center, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, and Panasonic Marketing CIS (PMCIS).

The main goal of the project is to promote ecological culture among the younger generation, form a more attentive and caring attitude towards the environment, establish an active civic position in the protection of nature and human health, and engage children in activities aimed at solving ecological problems.

The competition covers the cities of Baku and Ganja. On September 15-16, 5,000 special "Eco Diaries" will be distributed to students by teachers.

Schoolchildren representing the younger (6-11 years) and middle (12-15 years) age groups of general education schools can participate in the competition. Participants are required to draw an environmental picture in the "Eco Diary," divided into 3 days, and briefly describe its idea in the text. "Eco Diaries" must be submitted by September 25.

Detailed information about the project is available on the official website of the IDEA Public Union. For questions related to the competition, please call (012) 497-63-16 on working days from 09:30 to 18:30.

The submitted "Eco Diaries" will be evaluated by a jury consisting of representatives from IDEA, the Heydar Aliyev Center, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, UNESCO, Panasonic Marketing CIS, and representatives from media and NGOs.

20 finalists (10 in each age group) will be awarded. One of the finalists will be declared the national winner, and his or her "Eco Diary" will be sent to the international jury of the competition. The best "Eco Diaries" will be selected from among the national winners of all countries.

It should be noted that last year, 3,032 schoolchildren participated in the national stage of the competition. Fuad Soltanov, an 11-year-old student from Baku European Lyceum, was chosen as the national winner.

The international "Eco Picture Diary" competition has been held for 6 years and now covers more than 50 countries.