The Second Prize-Giving

• In the category of Corporations, Initiative Pro Recyclingpapier from Germany won the award.  This company, located in Berlin, created a media kit, information packet, and brochures to advocate their recycling paper campaign.  Their campaign, “Use recycled paper, it works perfectly”, has proven to be very successful with such industry members as B.A.U.M., Remondis, Siemens, Sony, and Xerox.

•  In the category of Initiatives, Campaigns and Institutions, the jury selected Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME), a Jordan organization, for its campaign “Saving the Dead Sea”.  FoEME brings together leading environmental non-governmental organizations from Jordan, Palestine and Israel.  Since 1995, FoEME has been working on reducing the threats facing the Dead Sea. 

Their campaign, “Saving the Dead Sea” strives to gain and sustain public interest.  Therefore, FoEME took various approaches: a regional photo competition, clean-up campaigns, press conferences, publications, drawing exhibitions etc.  The results of this environmental communication are a change of attitude at the government level and a change of perception at the public level.  The campaign is a very good example of how important it is to work internationally and to build powerful partnerships with other organizations.  Also, it shows that only long, staying power can be successful to reach the government and public level.  The branding of the Dead Sea problems with various approached and the call of attention to options and solutions were heard.

• In the category of Individuals, the jury saw fit to honor Prof. Dennis Meadows from the United States for his resource-use role-playing games, Stratagem and Fishbanks.  As one of the co-authors of the Club of Rome’s “Limits to Growth” in 1972, Meadows has spent his entire career educating and promoting the innovative ways of making people aware of the problems and dangers that come with the unrestrained use of natural resources.  He created these two games that are now widely uses at universities around the world.  The games, which provide players the chance to simulate real-life management choices on the use of resources, have been recognized for their originality and effectiveness in educating students and participants of workshops. 

Throughout the duration of his career, Prof. Meadows has organized many workshops and educational forums that helped participants understand how important the proper usage of the non-renewable resources is.  Those people proceed to educate others and make the issue well known around the world.  Dr. Meadows who recently published the 30-year update to “Limits of Growth” has published many books and articles on systems thinking and the sustainable use of natural resources.