Five years of raising public awareness and participation through Danube Day
ICPDR Danube Watch: The new riverbank at Hainburg
Five years of raising public awareness and participation through Danube Day
Join thousands of people in 14 Danube countries to celebrate Danube Day on the June 29. 2008 marks the fifth Danube Day; by getting involved, you can help to make the decisions on how rivers will be used in the future.
June 29 marks Danube Day’s fifth birthday and this
year’s events are bolder than ever. Bursting with inspiring
activities in 14 countries, the mammoth festival
salutes the Danube rivers and the people who
live in the most international basin in the world. It
mobilises countries, communities and organisations to
take action for their rivers. Begun in 2004, its impact
grows each year, reaching an audience of hundreds of
thousands.
Learning to use the rivers respectfully. “The Danube rivers: let’s use them – not abuse them!” is the 2008 theme – a call to everyone to respect and protect their rivers. It reminds us that while we need to use rivers, we must do it without compromising our ability to use and enjoy them in the future.
The popular international school competition ‘Danube Art Master’ returns – a quest to find the young Art Master of 2008. Last year 4000 pupils lined the region’s rivers with artworks – a true reflection of the basin’s richness.
As in previous years, the celebration of Danube Day is supported through the Green Danube Partnership, an initiative between The Coca-Cola Company, Coca-Cola Hellenic and the ICPDR. With 300 governmental and non-governmental bodies working together to create the largest river festival in the world, the programme includes conferences; awareness raising festivities; river clean-ups; competitions and fun youth events. How people use and enjoy rivers in the future will be directly affected by Danube Day 2008. So join in and toast the rivers on June 29 – together we make a bigger splash!
For more information, please visit www.danubeday.org.
FIVE YEARS OF CELEBRATION AND ACTION
2008: “If we look after the Danube rivers now, they will continue to look after us in the future.” Saša Dragin, Minister for Environmental Protection in Serbia and 2008 ICPDR President.
2007: “Let us make the Danube a bridge to the future.” Attila Korodi, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development in Romania, speaking at Danube Day 2007.
2006: “Let the hearts of Europeans unite as rivers unite, flowing into the Danube.” Pupils from Ladce Primary, western Slovakia, 2006.
2005: “Danube Day celebrated in all Danube countries is a clear signal: we stand together celebrating this truly European river and we stand together in sharing the responsibility for its future.” Josef Pröll, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management of Austria, 2005.
2004: “A day to acknowledge the challenges ahead and to mobilise the energies and resources for meeting those challenges.” Catherine Day, EU Director-General of the Environment DG at the European Commission and 2004 President of the ICPDR.
