Progress is desired by all nations of the world. No sensible human being would intentionally try to curb it. However dynamic global development also results in negative changes to the natural environment, the effects of which may prove disastrous for the entire planet in the foreseeable future. Returning to a pre-industrial state and expecting nature to deal with repairing the damage by itself is unrealistic. What remains is sustainable development. We have to do as much as we can in order to slow down the increase of the Greenhouse Effect and to stop further environmental degradation.
The term 'sustainable development' was first used more then twenty years ago at the United Nations General Assembly. At the 1992 Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit it was adopted as a commentary concerning the further development of humanity. At the same time, the Agenda 21 document was drafted. In one of its paragraphs all the countries encompassed by the agreement were obligated to "promote education, shape awareness and training within sustainable development and environmental protection." However, as discussed at the following summit in Johannesburg, the effects of the activities undertaken turned out to be smaller than expected. That is why the UNESCO announcement of the worldwide DECADE OF EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT was an important event. Everything should be done, if not to stop completely, then to at least slow down the further increase of environmental degradation. The best results can be achieved by proper education and sensitizing of the younger generation to environmental problems.
The long-standing activity of CARETAKERS OF THE ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL, an independent organization established in 1986, embracing secondary school students and teachers whose interests are focused specifically on the issues of environmental protection has become a crucial part of these programs. In July 2006 the 20th annual CEI conference organized by CEI Poland will be held in Silesia, in southern Poland.
During this meeting in Poland, young people from various countries of the world will have an opportunity to present the results of the projects carried out in their countries over the past year. They will also be able to become familiar with the environmental problems and the local communitiy's achievements in the field of environmental protection in the highly urbanized and industrialized region of Silesia. Experienced and new caretakers from the entire of the world are invited and we hope that organizing the CEI conference in Poland will ensure a larger participation of Polish youth, as well as the youth from other Eastern European countries, particularly countries bordering Poland.
CEREMONY OF THE UNIFICATION OF EARTH TREASURES.
One of the items on the agenda of the 20th annual CEI Conference is a ceremonial preparing of a trunk with the treasures of the Earth. Representatives of the countries participating in the conference will place small pieces of natural resources from their countries in a decorative trunk. The ceremony will take place in a unique location about 140m below ground, in the vast Warsaw Chamber of the Wieliczka Salt Mine. This place is a very popular tourist attraction and can be found on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list.
We kindly ask all the delegations to bring a small piece (up to 100-200 grams) of one of the natural resources most characteristic for their country. Minerals in the liquid state or powder should be placed into transparent packaging.
Let the treasures collected in this extraordinary setting make us realize how much we gain from Nature, how limited the treasures of the Earth are and how important it is for us to learn to use them wisely and to share them justly with others.
PATRONAGE.
The conference is held under the honorable patronage of Mr. Michał Seweryński, the Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Poland, and Mayors of cities: Katowice, Chorzów and Siemianowice ¦l±skie.
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University Centre for Environmental Studies UCBS of Warsaw University held the scientific patronage of the CEI 2006 conference. Conference program is assisted by scientists from Warsaw University, Katowice Branch of Polish Academy of Sciences, University of Silesia and AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków. |
HEALTH CARE IN POLAND.
Every person staying temporarily in the territory of Poland is entitled to health care services. In case of sudden illness, accident, injury, intoxication or life threat a patient receives necessary medical benefits without a referral.
In case she/he needs health care, a person from another EU Member State, staying temporarily in the territory of Poland, is entitled to free health care on the basis of a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or a replacement certificate issued in his/her country. A holder of one of these documents receives free services at health care providers who have concluded a relevant contract with the NHF. Therefore, it is strongly advisable to obtain either an EHIC or a replacement certificate.
In case of lack of these documents a patient is obliged to cover costs of a treatment by himself. The same obligation arises in case of a treatment provided by a health care unit which has no contract with the National Health Fund (NHF). Detailed information regarding health care services in Poland can be found on NHF official website www.nfz.gov.pl. Not all medical treatment or transport costs are covered by NHF even if one presents an EHIC . Therefore, whether a visitor is an EHIC holder or s/he comes from a non-EU country, s/he is strongly recommended to obtain additional private health insurance covering their stay in Poland by purchasing it in their home country.
WEATHER FORECAST
July is the warmest month in Poland, including Beskid ¦l±ski (where Ustroń is located).The average monthly temperature in the valley of Vistula is approximately 16.8° C (at about 420 meters above sea level) and approximately 14.3 °C at mountain peaks surrounding Ustroń (at 800-900 meters above sea level). The absolute maximum temperatures of the air registered here were 32.9°C in the valley and 29 °C at the peaks, respectively. On average, in July one should expect 8 days with the maximum temperature exceeding 25° C in the valley, up to 2 days with such temperature at the mountain peaks. At nights the temperature may locally drop down to 10° C, especially in the valleys.
The rainiest months in Ustroń are June, July and August. The average sum of rainfalls collected over the years is 164 mm in the valleys. It increases up to 167 mm at the surrounding peaks. The most summer rainfall events in this part of the region occur in the Vistula basin as far as the Skoczów water-gauge. The average number of days with rain is 16 in the valley of Vistula and 17 at the peaks. The maximum daily rainfall recorded in the Vistula valley near Ustroń is over 160 mm and over 180 mm at the surrounding peaks. However, such phenomena rarely occur. What is common are short showers of considerable intensity, connected with the daily slope convection (the accumulation of Cb clouds), especially in the afternoons. These rainfalls are usually accompanied by storms. Snowcaps or snowfalls are not to be expected anywhere in the mountains.
The anemological conditions are caused mainly by the general circulation of the atmosphere and the landform features. In July a weak wind (up to 3 meters per second) blows along the valleys and a moderate one (up to 5 meters per second) at the peaks of the N-W sector. During storms and the passing of weather fronts stronger gusts may occur.
CLOTHES.
It is advisable to include the following items in your luggage:
- a raincoat, long trousers, sweaters and long-sleeved shirts, ankle-supporting boots, a sunhat (for field trips)
- sweaters, jumpers, long-sleeved shirts (for cool evenings)
- T-shirts, shorts, sandals, tracksuits, sports shoes (for hot days and sports activities)
Remember it is important to wear several layers of clothing due to the changeability of the weather. You are most welcome to bring your national / regional costumes to wear at formal gatherings and at the national evening.
CONFIRMATION.
As the conference is fast approaching, we kindly ask you to:
1. Prepare the information for logistics purposes according to the points in the file, which you can download from here. Email the filled out document promptly to registration@cei2006.org.
2. Familiarize yourself with the www.cei2006.org website and read the information regarding the weather forecast as well as our suggestions concerning the clothes we advise to bring with you.
3. Prepare a brief summary of your project (1-4 pages of A5 format, including photographs) as MS WORD document, ready for printing. Submitted summaries will be published in the conference publication. Bring the summary to the conference with you; there is no need to submit it earlier.
4. Prepare materials for the poster presentation of your project regardless of whether your presentation is multimedia.
5. Tell all the people involved in the conference that selling alcohol and tobacco products to people under 18 is prohibited in Poland as well as drinking alcohol and smoking. Possession, use or sale of drugs is illegal regardless of age.
Please keep watching conference website as we will soon put "homeworks" to be done
by all the participants before their arrival at the conference.
CONFERENCE HOMEWORKS.
The conference is approaching fast. Not only must you start preparing for the journey but also for the conference activities – if you want them to be effective. That is why the leaders of the conference workshops have prepared some "homework" for you to be completed before your arrival. Homeworks differ for different group and will be sent directly to group members.
To download homeworks just click on homework 1,
homework 2 or
homework 3.
We also remind you to bring the following items to the conference:
- a small piece of a natural resource characteristic for your country (one piece per country – regardless of how many delegations there are);
- your national flag;
- materials for the poster presentation (irrespective of the multi media presentation);
- your national or regional costume and some accessories that might prove useful during the national presentation.
If you have not confirmed your arrival at the conference yet, please do so as soon as possible. Your confirmation will enable our assistance in your arrival in Ustroń. We are looking forward to seeing you!
THE CURRENT WEATHER FORECAST.
Changeability of the temperature and appearing of the fall for Upper Silesia:
The third decade of the June 2006
Minimum temperature (night) from 12 C/54 F to 19 C/66 F
Maximum temperature from (day) 21 C/70 F to 30 C/86 F
6 days with the fall;
The first decade of the July 2006
Minimum temperature from 10 C/50 F to 16 C/61 F
Maximum temperature from 19 C/66 F to 28 C/82 F
4 days with the fall;
The second decade of the July 2006
Minimum temperature from 9 C/48 F to 15 C/59 F
Maximum temperature from 18 C/64 F to 27 C/81 F
5 days with the fall.
Do not forget the cap!
If you want to see some places and current informations about
weather in Ustroń click on the text "przewidywana pogoda w Ustroniu"
within webpage
www.kamera.ustron.pl.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
Dear Participants of the 20th Caretakers Conference in Ustroń!
We would like to express our cordial gratitude to you for your
great contribution to the Conference. Your project presentations,
posters and final presentations were the essential content
of the Conference. It is your work and your engagement what determines
the result of it. We consider this result as very good.
We hope as well, that the things you have learned during the field trips,
will help you to develop yourselves.
It was a great pleasure to host you in Ustroń.
Hopefully you have enjoyed also to get to know about our country - Poland.
The Globe is vast. It is good to realize that in many small places on
our Planet there are people thinking and feeling like us,
people you can call Friends.
We are looking forward to meet you again in Hong Kong. We hope you are
already enjoying the time back home, safe and sound! We send you best regards
and wish you fantastic summer vacations!
On behalf of the organizers
Tony Salamon
CEI 2006 Conference chairperson
PICTURES OF CONFERENCE.
Below it is possible to find links for download hundreds of photographs from CEI 2006 Conference and to remind oneself moments spent in the caretakers family in Ustroń.
Interesting pictures from workshops and project presentations you can download also from website
www.mayeticvillage.com/cei2006 prepared by Heleen Dreissen from Netherlands - thank you Heleen.
Some pictures and picture selections were made available on website
http://www.jrcasan.com/comenius/Katowice2006/caretakers_english.htm by Jose Ramon Casanova from Spain and on
http://goto.glocalnet.net/ceise/swe/caretakers/poland2006.htm
by Göran Ramstorp from Sweden - thank you Jose and Göran.
July1.zip (1873 KB)
July2_1.zip (3934 KB)
July2_2.zip (3687 KB)
July2_3.zip (4182 KB)
July2_4.zip (4061 KB)
July2_5.zip (4012 KB)
July2_6.zip (2546 KB)
July2_7.zip (2249 KB)
July2_8.zip (4655 KB)
July3_1.zip (5089 KB)
July3_2.zip (3797 KB)
July3_3.zip (4840 KB)
July3_4.zip (2851 KB)
July3_5.zip (3901 KB)
July3_6.zip (9841 KB)
July3_7.zip (9954 KB)
July3_8.zip (9884 KB)
July3_9.zip (4604 KB)
July4_1.zip (4164 KB)
July4_2.zip (4127 KB)
July4_3.zip (4215 KB)
July5_1.zip (4276 KB)
July5_2.zip (3523 KB)
July6_1.zip (8545 KB)
July6_2.zip (9512 KB)
July6_3.zip (9557 KB)
July6_4.zip (7854 KB)
July6_5.zip (9795 KB)
July6_6.zip (8198 KB)
July6_7.zip (9499 KB)
July6_8.zip (9250 KB)
July6_9.zip (6731 KB)
July6_10.zip (9843 KB)
July6_11.zip (9722 KB)
July6_12.zip (9117 KB)
POST CONFERENCE BOOK.
Later than it was expected but finally Post Conference Book is ready. We plan send copy to all CEI 2006 participants. So, kindly ask you for postal address of your school. Link for download the electronic copy of Post Conference Book CEI2006 you can find below.
PostConferenceBook.pdf (4146 KB)
