News
 IMD in the Americas26.02.2018Both North and Central America, the Caribbean and South America marked International Mountain Day (IMD) in 2017 through various events in Argentina, Canada, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Peru, the United States of America and Venezuela. The National Committee for the Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions of Argentina together with several local and national institutions, including the Argentinean army, organized a visit to the mountain shelters of Pino Hachado, a mountain pass through the Andes, on 14 December. During the visit, the Committee presented a report highlighting the importance of the Mountain Partnership and IMD, a project to install hydroelectric turbines and solar panels to power the mountain shelters was discussed, and the band "Comando X de Cobunco" played the national anthem of Argentina. As an early celebration of IMD, Bibiana Vilá of VICAM: Vicuñas, Camélidos y Ambiente and elementary school teacher Porfirio Alanoca organized a day-long workshop on 2 October for students in Santa Catalina, Jujuy, Argentina. In the morning, the students with their instructors climbed a nearby hill to observe their town in its mountainous surroundings and learn about the local mountain chains. Back in the classroom, the students were taught about the importance of mountains. They drew pictures and wrote poetry to express the lessons they had learned. The Canadian Mountain Network joined mountain communities around the world in celebrating the rich cultures and unique environments found in mountain landscapes by facilitating IMD celebrations across Canada. Some events included: • The Canadian Mountain Network hosted the second annual Canadian Mountain Network Mountain Festival on 4-11 December at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, under the theme "Mountains under pressure: climate, hunger, migration". The programme featured events that highlighted the particular challenges that mountain communities face across the globe. The Instituto Meteorológico Nacional de Costa Rica, Fundación para el Desarrollo de la Cordillera Volcánica Central and Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación, with support from FAO, celebrated International Mountain Day in San José, Costa Rica, under the theme "Mountains under pressure: climate, hunger, migration". During the event, the importance of mountains for global water supply, food and clean energy was highlighted. Concerns were raised about the threats facing mountains, including climate change, land degradation and natural disasters, and their impacts on mountain communities and ecosystems. Watch the video from the event here. The Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park in Jamaica guided reggae artists and radio hosts on a hike to the peak of Blue Mountain to raise awareness of the importance of mountains. This activity was followed by a press conference on 11 December to celebrate the park's 15th anniversary and a family day on 17 December in the park's main recreation area. In Arequipa, Peru, the 13th annual Inkafest Mountain Film Festival celebrated mountain activities, cultures, sports and environments. This year, the Inkafest programme comprised film screenings, lectures and discussions, along with audiovisual contests, the goal of which was to bring the participants closer to the mountains and begin to develop a caring relationship between them. More than 5 000 people celebrated IMD at the “Carnival for the Mountains” organized by OIKOS together with the District Municipality of Barranco, Lima, Peru in Barranco Central Park on 9 December. Public institutions and private sector organizations offered workshops, lectures, video screenings, photo exhibitions and children’s activities aimed at raising awareness of the history and biodiversity of the Andes and the mountains’ contribution to local identities. Representatives the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru and the Consortium for Sustainable Development of the Andean Ecoregion (CONDESAN) attended the opening of the celebration. CARE installed a photographic exhibition about its project GLACIARES+ and also presented two children's books about glaciers. The Ministry of Culture provided participants a closer look at ancestral Andean road systems through a photographic exhibition, side event and educational materials about its project Qhapaq Ñan. The carnival closed with a concert by the band La Nueva Invasión. The Utah International Mountain Forum, a coalition of student clubs at Utah Valley University (UVU) in the United States, hosted its seventh IMD celebration on 4 December. Two local high school students who helped organize the first Utah Youth Environmental Summit in September 2017 were also invited to participate. During the event, a new partnership between UVU and the United Nations Department of Public Information was announced. Local speakers furthermore gave presentations on the state of migration and food security in Utah. At the end of the event, the speakers and organizers received certificates for their contributions to the event. Four days of IMD events were planned by the Univerisdad de Los Andes, Centro de Ecología de Boconó and Red Ambientalista Brisain in Boconó, Venezuela. Activities included interviews with local media, several mountain-related lectures, a photo and video exhibition, and a market with live music. Several organizations and institutions joined for a forum on 13 December to discuss the importance of mountains to sustainable development. The festivities concluded on 16 December with cultural activities and sports events. See photos of 2017 IMD celebrations on the Mountain Partnership's Flickr Photo: VICAM/Bibiana Vilá |
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