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THE GLOBETREE ASSOCIATION OF SWEDEN, ONE OF 14 INDIVIDUALS AND
ORGANIZATIONS, TO RECEIVE UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT AWARD

NAIROBI, 1 June 2000 - The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced today that the Globetree Association of Sweden, has been elected to the prestigious ranks of its Global 500 Roll of Honour in the youth category for outstanding contributions to the protection of the environment, The Association is one of 14 individuals and organizations to receive this honour in 2000.

Since it's founding in 1982, by Ben van Bronckhorst and Kajsa Dahlström, Globetree has worked tirelessly to unite children in caring for their world. Globetree uses theatre and drama as its tools and has science and technology as its platform. Globetree uses the creative impulse to mobilize children and teachers to improve life and the environment

Globetree's achievements include: curriculum development in Bolivia; ecological parks in Brazil; a university technology center in Indonesia; environmental education and technology in Kenya; GlobetreeNet (a network of children's advocates); GlobetreeTheatre; and GlobeEye (sound, picture and film archive). When Globetree hosted a meeting of 600 children in Stockholm in 1986 to discuss environmental concerns, water was found to be their common bond.

In the ensuing years, Globetree hosted the 'Uniting Water Ceremony' in Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Kenya, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Mexico, Norway and the Netherlands, and at the 1992 World Summit on Children at the UN in New York. These ceremonies culminated in Globetree's sponsorship of 5,000 young people from 70 countries in the Globe Arena in Stockholm on UN day-24 October 1998. Their mission was to incorporate Agenda 21 into a group vision of a safe and healed earth, which they called Future Vessel. For the first time in the history of global environmental activity, 200 computers linked the gathered participants with students from around the world. To symbolize their unity, the participant's co-mingled water from their countries in a crystal bowl. Since then, 30 more countries have contributed water to this bowl, Sadly, founder van Bronckhorst died three months before his Future Vessel vision was realized

"The winners of UNEP's Global 500 Roll of Honour are members of a broad and growing environmental movement that is flourishing around the world. They have taken the path that most of us hesitate to take for want of time or caring." says UNEP's Executive Director, Klaus Toepfer in honouring the Global 500 laureates; UNEP hopes that others will be inspired by their extraordinary deeds.

The award will be presented in Adelaide, Australia, at the World Environment Day ceremonies on 4 June 2000. World Environment Day, which is celebrated in some 120 countries around the world on 5 June, was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to focus global attention and action on environmental issues.

Some 701 individuals and organizations, in both the adult and youth categories, have been honoured since UNEP launched the Global 500 award in 1987. Among prominent past winners are: French Marine explorer Jacques Cousteau; Sir David Attenborough, producer of environmental television programmes; Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway; Anil Aggarwal, the prominent environmentalist from India; Ken Saro-Wiwa, the environmental and human rights activist from Nigeria who was executed for leading the resistance of the Ogoni People against the pollution of their Delta homeland; the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Jimmy Carter, former President of the United States; Jane Goodall of the United Kingdom whose research on wild chimpanzees and olive baboons provided insight into the lives of non-human primates; and the late Chico Mendes, the Brazilian rubber tapper who was murdered during his fight to save the Amazon forest.

To forge global links and to implement ideas, which can contribute to a more sustainable future, a network of all Global 500 laureates has been formed. Information about this unique network can be obtained at http://www.global500.org.

Note to journalists:
UNEP looks to the world community to identify and nominate environmental advocates, so that they too can be recognized for their efforts. Nominations forms may be obtained from UNEP Headquarters, Global 500 Roll of Honour. Communications and Public Information Branch, P. 0. Box 30552, Nairobi, Kenya, as well as from UNEP's regional offices.

For more information, contact
Ms. Elisabeth Guilbaud-Cox
Coordinator, Special Events
Communications and Public Information
E-mail: Elisabeth. Guilbaud-Cox@unep.org

Mr. Tore J. Brevik
Spokesman/Director
Communications and Public Information
Tel: (254-2) 623401; Fax: 6239271623292 Tel: (254-2) 623292; Fax: 6239271623292
E-mail: Tore.Brevik@unep.org

UNEP Web Site: http://www.unep.org
UNEP News Release 00/69