Damascus,
Syria, December 27, 2004 - In their fifth consecutive year, the Ford Motor
Company Conservation and Environmental Grants have awarded two Syrian individuals
US$6,000 for their pioneering and innovative environmental projects in the
country.
Environmental News (www.4ECO.com) - an environmental website dedicated to
addressing environmental issues and views in the region received US$3,000.
The grant will assist the website's long-term goal to establish an environmental
consultative e-center.
The website is equipped with an enhanced automated system, which allows
hassle-free interaction amongst volunteers and quick uploading of news,
comments and feedback by members, environmentalists and NGO's.
A second environmental initiative aimed at saving marine turtles on the
coast of Lattakia received US$3,000 from the Ford Grants. The project will
use the granted funds for the rehabilitation of the beach, building a safe
environment for the turtles, and launching media awareness campaigns educating
relevant groups on the necessity of turtles in the eco-system. Both Abdulhadi
Najjar, founder of Environment News and Mohammed Juny received their grants
at a special awards ceremony held in Dubai recently.
Members of the Ford Grants' independent jury panel comprising leading environmentalists
from across the region, also attended the awards along with representatives
from the WWF International's UAE Chapter and senior officials from Ford
Middle East. Hussein Murad, Sales and Marketing director of Ford Middle
East, said: "The Ford Motor Company Conservation & Environmental Grants
support conservation in a noteworthy manner, giving people that are serious
about the environment an opportunity not only to get funding from Ford,
but also to give them visibility and recognition, and show the terrific
projects that they have been working on."
A total of 12 groups and individuals, representing six out of the nine participating
countries, received financial assistance from the 2004 Ford Grants. The
largest individual grant was US$13,000 and was awarded to the Environment
Friends Society in Bahrain for the development of an environmental education
centre. "Since the launch of the Ford Motor Grants in the GCC and Levant
countries, we have received positive and encouraging acknowledgment from
the leading environmental institutions and news media from the region as
well as globally, including ongoing support from WWF International," added
Murad.
"Being recognized as a company committed to help organizations and individuals
focused on the preservation of the natural environment can definitely be
considered as one of our biggest achievements," he concluded.
First introduced in the region in 2000, the Ford Grants have distributed
to date a total of US$420,000 to conservation and environmental causes in
the GCC, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. -3- Specialising in four main areas
- the natural environment, environmental education, conservation engineering,
and the preservation of historical and cultural heritage - the Ford Grants
invite individuals, community groups and non-profit-making organisations
to apply for Ford funds to assist small-scale, ongoing projects.
Now a global initiative covering over 50 countries around the globe, The
Ford Grants evolved out of the Henry Ford European Conservation Awards,
which have helped more than 15,000 projects since their inception in 1983.
For more information, visit www.ford-environmentalgrants.com.