Lobbying and Law Enforcement
ECO chosen to form part of the Planning
Authorities Planning Consultative Committee. The ECO representative
presented ECOs position on various occasions.
During the year ECO lobbied against the
destruction of Xlendi Bay, Hondoq ir-Rummian, Qbajjar, the salt
pans in Malta and Gozo, Munxar, Ghajn Tuffieha and Ramla l-Hamra.
ECO commented: on the reuse of quarries,
waste, ready mix firms, illegal boathouses in Gnejna, the eco-friendliness
of glass bottles, historical houses, and village cores.
Held meetings with the political parties
and the government on the environmental situation in the Maltese
Islands.
ECO organised a public protest in view
of the possible destruction of Fort Sant Antnin in Qala, Gozo.
The quarry that wanted to extend towards the fort was not given
permission.
A survey of 660 persons should that the
majority of Maltese and foreigners thought that our beaches were
not clean enough.
Environmental Education
and Campaigns
As part of the "Making
One World" Campaign various articles were published
on National Newspapers and Radio and Television interviews carried
out. The very popular Xummiemu (a hedgehog) stories were published
on the children's magazine Saghtar on a monthly basis.
The ECO International Children's Hearing
was organised with the participation of 30 children and youths
from 10 countries that freely expressed their opinion on various
issues. The hearing included various Members of Parliament that
listened to the children and answered their queries. President
Censu Tabone met all the children at the Palace.
ECO organised a build up campaign to
the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, Brasil. This included the printing
of a poster, the publication of articles and the attendance to
the Summit itself in Brazil by the winner of the Children's Hearing,
Jamie Decesare, as well as ECOs Environmental Education Officer
Dunstan Hamilton.
Environmental education activities and
articles were carried out on these themes: smoking, land use,
air-quality, agriculture, burning of trees, the cutting of tress
in Christmas, and animal rights.
ECO celebrated Earth Day, World Consumers
Day and World Environment Day. Chadwick Lakes clean up was organised
on these days.
Over 500 persons attended the Maltese
Ecological Summit. The themes discussed over three days included
Malta's contribution at international level towards environmental
protection; Education and the Environment; Animal Rights, Sustainable
Development, and the role of the church and the parties in environmental
protection. The participants included civil society, NGOs and
institutions, as well as various Ministers and MPs. The Prime
Minister and the Leader of the Opposition were the main speakers
in the closing session.
"Save
Our Seas" campaign organised with a special focus on
sewage treatment. Various clean ups were organised in collaboration
of the scouts and girl guides, including Ramla il-Hamra. 3000
copies of a 1poster printed for the campaign were distributed.
ECO proposed legislation to protect turtles and dolphins.
"Hallini Hieles", the campaign
to protect wildlife organised with a special focus on hedgehogs.
3000 copies of a poster printed for the campaign were distributed.
"One
Race Human Race" (Campaign on Racism) was organised
throughout the year (with UNITED) and educational material distributed.
This included Worked for the rights of children, child labour;
the Celebration of the UN Day Against Racism in March; the celebration
of the International Day Against Fascism on the 9th November;
and the commemoration of refugees' day (in conjunction with UNITED).
ECO tree. Over 2000 youths filled in
leaves with messages to give life to the ECO tree made of recycled
materials. The tree including all the environmental messages
was presented to Dr Stanley Zammit, Parliamentary Secretary for
the Environment.
The Glass
or Nothing campaign was organised, reaching 10,000 persons
through ECO activists to explain the advantages of glass bottles
over plastic ones.
International Activities,
the European Union,
the Mediterranean and Miscellaneous
Attended meetings and conferences and
joined as a member the European Youth Forest Action, Youth and
Environment Europe and the Federation of Young European Greens.
Collaborated with PETA, YEU, BB Foundation, and the Environment
Defence Fund.
ECO started a campaign offering individuals
a service by which they could purchase acres of tropical rain
forest, mostly in Costa Rica.
ECO together with its partner European
NGOs sent a peace message on Yugoslavia from the peek of Mount
Blanc.
Collaborated with WWF on the environmental
education campaign IN TOUCH. The ECO education officer attended
conferences overseas, and was present during the presentation
of the book published.
