Important Events for the International Year of Planet Earth

The first symposium related to the International Year of Planet Earth has been organized in the United Republic of Tanzania - the country that led the process of bringing the International Year of Planet Earth to the United Nations General Assembly.

Symposium on the Importance of the UN proclaimed International Year of Planet Earth to the United Republic of Tanzania (URT)

The FIRST symposium within the framework of the International Year of Planet Earth took place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on 28 June 2006. This event was attended by high officials, politicians, diplomats, scientists and young people. It was jointly organized by the Permanent Delegation of the United Republic of Tanzania to UNESCO with the Tanzania National Commission for UNESCO, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, the UNESCO Cluster Office Dar es Salaam and the International Year of Planet Earth Corporation.

The symposium was aimed at providing a forum for reflection on issues related to the International Year and the Tanzanian people. Its purpose was chiefly to alert relevant stakeholder groups - including decision and policy makers, politicians, the media, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), public and private institutions and the general public - to the challenges and opportunities facing mankind, the planet and how the International Year of Planet Earth will help build a safer, healthier and wealthier world.

The opening ceremony was chaired by Dr. Naomi Katunzi, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, and was officially opened by Prof. Peter M. Msolla, Minister for Higher Education, Sciences and Technology. The Symposium was also addressed by H.E. Mr Benjamin W Mkapa, (former president of the United Republic of Tanzania and Patron of the International Year), Prof. Mohammed S Sheya (Goodwill Ambassador of the International Year and URT's deputy permanent delegate to UNESCO), Mr Tim Curtis (Acting Director UNESCO Cluster Office, Dar es Salaam), Prof. Eduardo de Mulder (Chair of the Board of Officers of the International Year of Planet Earth) and Dr Hudson H Nkotagu (Chairman, Symposium organizing committee). At the end of the opening session, a plaque was presented to H.E. Mr Benjamin W Mkapa by Prof. de Mulder, as a token of appreciation for having accepted to serve as Patron of the Year. Another Patron of the International Year of Planet Earth is H.E. Dr Sam Nujoma, founding President of the Republic of Namibia.

Young people representing the future generation of Tanzania were also present. Children from the Umoja Primary School (Dar es Salaam) performed in front of an appreciative audience. Their poems, locally known as 'Ngonjera', recited in Kiswahili, put the opportunities and threats posed by planet Earth locally and globally into context and urged humankind to remain vigilant about them.

The opening ceremony was followed by a technical session, chaired by Prof. Msolla. During this session scientists made presentations on different subjects related to the themes of the science programme of the International Year of Planet Earth; Our Planet Earth, Geohazards & natural disasters, Towards sustainable exploitation of Earth resources, Fresh water resources and related issues, Oceans & marine resources and Towards sustainable waste management. All these presentations gave an interesting overview of the main problems and challenges related to the themes of the International Year that the United Republic of Tanzania is now facing and will face in the future.

In the afternoon, Prof. Mark J Mwandosya (Minister of State, Vice President's office - Environment), participated in discussions related to issues presented earlier during the day. These were led by Prof. Msolla, Minister of Higher Education, Sciences and Technology, and served as an illustration of the fruitful dialogue that should exist between scientists, decision and policy makers and society as a whole.

At the end of the day, the Tanzanian National Committee for the International Year of Planet Earth was formally established. This will be responsible for organizing public lectures, fund-raising activities and awareness-raising campaigns in schools and colleges, in society and the media, and formulate research/project proposals within the Year's main themes. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed the following day by the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology and the Chairman of the International Year of Planet Earth Corporation.