| Media Note Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC August 25, 2006 SEED Initiative CompetitionThe Supporting Entrepreneurs for Environment and Development (SEED) Initiative is now accepting applications for its biennial award. This is a global competition designed to recognize publicly and fund five of the most worthy, nascent partnerships promoting economic growth, social development, and environmental stewardship. Applications for the award are due to the SEED Secretariat no later than October 15, 2006. Forms are available online through the U.S. government’s Sustainable Development Partnership Website (www.sdp.gov) and at http://www.seedinit.org/callforsubmissions2006.pdf). Finalists will be named in late 2006. Winners will be announced in May 2007 during the next session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, and will receive targeted capacity-building support services such as business development counseling, technical assistance in financial planning, or using the SEED network of international organizations, governments, and private companies to help their initiative scale up. Examples of previous SEED award winning partnerships include the Water for All/Agua para Todos which provided 1,000 households with improved water quality at lower prices in Bolivia; a partnership that created the first community run protected area that supports sustainable fishing practices in Madagascar; and Cows to Kilowatts which created a source of domestic energy operating on run-offs from one of Nigeria’s largest slaughterhouses. SEED promotes the important contributions local entrepreneurial initiatives and partnerships are making towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals and the 2002 Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. Partner organizations include multinational organizations (IUCN-World Conservation Union, United Nations Environment Program, United Nations Development Program, and the Global Compact), the private sector (Swiss RE and Global Giving), and governments (Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States). The United States will become chairman of the Initiative’s Board of Directors for one year, beginning in December 2006. For additional information please contact either Gabriel Lopez the Seed Secretariat (info@seedinit.org or +41 22 999 0250), or William Armbruster at the State Department (202 647-1247 armbrusterwb@state.gov).
2006/767
|
 | |||
|
