Federal Ministry of Environment and Water Employees Stand Up for Sustainable Living and Environment

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• His Excellency Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water for the UAE, leads the session in which hundreds of Ministry employees pledge solidarity to the cause of green earth

• Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah municipalities announce public Stand Up sessions on Friday

Dubai,   Kicking off the 'Mission Green Earth - Stand up and Take Action 2008' campaign one day earlier, the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water today organised a Stand Up session for its employees to pledge to pursue  and promote sustainable living and environment.

The official Stand Up session starts tomorrow and so far over a quarter million of the UAE residents - 2,80,662 - have registered to participate in the Mission Green Earth campaign.

The Stand Up session was led by His Excellency Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water for the United Arab Emirates, along with Ministry employees stood up for the cause in Dubai, indicating a robust response to the Mission Green Earth campaign, which will culminate in the next three days - October 17, 18 and 19^th, 2008 - across the UAE, with a grand closing ceremony in Dubai on the last day.

Commenting on the response, Rugmani Prabhakar, country coordinator for the campaign, said a number of Stand Up sessions are being organised in the next three days by governmental entities as well as private sector companies. "The response has been excellent and a number of leading corporate houses are in the process of organizing their own Stand Up sessions."

She said that as part of the campaign and to offer UAE residents to take part in the noble cause, the municipalities of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah will hold public Stand Up sessions in the three emirates.

Dubai Municipality will hold a Stand Up session at Zabeel Park amphitheatre on Friday, October 17^th at 6 PM. The Sharjah Municipality is planning sessions at Majaz Park on Friday, October 17^th and Saturday 18^th from 4 to 7 PM. The Stand Up session organised by Abu Dhabi Municipality will take place at Formal Park on Friday, October 17^th and Saturday, 18^th between 5 and 6 PM.

The campaign is organised under the patronage of UN Messenger of Peace HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, Wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, with the support of UNDP, UNEP and the International Humanitarian City (IHC). It is organised by International Association for Human Values (IAHV) and Art of Living (AOL) with the support of Barclays Bank PLC.

Other entities which are supporting the campaign include DEWA, Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) Dubai, Sharjah Airport Free Zone (SAIFZONE), ETA Ascon, EMKE Group of Abu Dhabi, Al Fara'a Group, BMW,  Wafi Group, Jumbo etc.

Campaign organisers said registrations are continuing to taking place at www.missiongreenearth.ae and the momentum is expected to gather pace as the campaign moves towards its closing phase.

Hospitals which will take part in the event include CEDARS - Jebel Ali International Hospital, Mafreq Hospital, Abu Dhabi, Welcare Hospitals and Zulekha Hospitals while financial institutions include Barclays Bank, Julius Baer (Middle East),  Commercial Bank of Dubai, Mashreq Bank and RBS. 

- Ends -

Editors Notes
ONE CAMPAIGN - TWO CHALLENGES
This year's campaign aims to mobilise and engage UAE residents, collectively and individually, in support of a sustainable environment through two challenges.

Stand Up - All over the country, residents will Stand Up in their homes, communities, schools and colleges, organisations and institutions and read a pledge in support of the Millennium Development Goals with a focus on environmental sustainability.  The Stand Up will be reported along with a photograph to be added to the global count for the Guinness Book Record for the largest number of people standing up for a cause.

Take Action - Participants will take action through actively committing to conserve energy and water and reduce waste. They will also be motivated to plant trees and plants that require lesser of the earth's natural resources, including valuable water, for their survival and maintenance.

To participate and learn more about MISSION GREEN EARTH, go to www.missiongreenearth.ae.

Background
The Mission Green Earth campaign has its roots in the United Nations Millennium Goals (MDGs). In September 2000, 189 Heads of Nations came together to commit to work together to end poverty and to build a safer, more prosperous and equitable world for all by 2015 at the United Nations Millennium Summit, which gave birth to the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Mission Green Earth aligns with MDG No 7 in support of a sustainable environment.

The Millennium Development Goals are supported and reinforced by the United Nations Millennium Campaign (UNMC). Launched in 2002, the UNMC is a U.N. initiative to support and encourage people's involvement and actions to realise the eight MDG's and hold their government accountable for the millennium promise. The "Stand up & Speak Out" challenge was launched in 2006. In 2007, 43.7 million people around the world and 98,000 in UAE people stood up to end extreme poverty and hunger.

About the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) and the Art of Living (AOL)
The International Association for Human Values (IAHV) is an NGO established in Geneva in 1997. It holds special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Through programmes educating people about shared values, the International Association for Human Values along with its sister organization, the Art of Living Foundation (AOL), has been working towards building healthy, sustainable communities in over 150 countries around the world. IAHV and AOL develop and promote programs of personal development to encourage the practice of human values in everyday life. They also have programs of community education that foster greater awareness of shared values among diverse cultures. Their Middle-Eastern headquarters were established at the International Humanitarian City in 2003.

- Web sites: www.iahv.org and www.artofliving.org
- Contact person: Sunila Muzawar
- Phone: +971.50.6576014
- E-mail: media@missiongreenearth.ae

About the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
UNDP is the UN's global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. On the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and its wide range of partners. Progress towards the achievement, by 2015, of the Millennium Development Goals is an integral part of UNDP's works.

UNDP is a neutral and trusted partner, which draws on its mandate, wide pool of knowledge and comparative advantages to enhance national capacities in line with national priorities and objectives. UNDP works with a wide variety of partners including Government, civil society organization and private sector, the UN system and other international partners.

- Website: www.undp.org.ae
- Contact Person: Walid Abu Saifan
- Phone: + 971.50.9455039

About the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
The UNEP is the voice for the environment in the United Nations system. It is an advocate, educator, catalyst and facilitator, promoting the wise use of the planet's natural assets for sustainable development. It aims to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. Website: www.unep.org

About the International Humanitarian City (IHC)
International Humanitarian City (IHC) is a first-of-its-kind global humanitarian hub, which aims to facilitate aid and development efforts by providing local and international humanitarian actors with facilities and services specifically designed to meet their needs. An independent free zone authority created by the Government of Dubai under the Directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and chaired by HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, Wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE, Ruler of Dubai, IHC consolidates Dubai as an essential link in the humanitarian value chain. Leveraging the proven Dubai free zone model, IHC addresses the specific needs of the humanitarian aid and development community, while grouping them in a secure environment that fosters partnerships, social responsibility and global change. By co-locating, non-profit and commercial entities are encouraged to share best practices to increase their operational efficiencies and improve institutional learning. 56 United Nations agencies, international NGOs and companies supplying aid-related goods and services are currently registered with IHC. IHC is a non-religious, non-political and non-profit organisation.

- Official website: www.ihc.ae
-Contact person: Elise Bijon, Communications Officer, elise.bijon@ihc.ae; +971.4.3680226

About Barclay's Bank / Community Services
Barclays is a major global financial services provider engaged in retail and commercial banking, credit cards, investment banking, wealth management and investment management services, with an extensive international presence in Europe, the USA, Africa and Asia. With over 300 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 50 countries and employs 147,000 people. Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for over 42 million customers and clients worldwide. Barclays has been a member of the UAE business community for more than 30 years, and services its clients through a network of 44 ATMs and 4 distribution points. It continues to invest heavily in the region and to expand the range of services offered to customers.

- Official website: www.barclays.com 
- Contact person: Umayma Abubakar, Head of Corporate Affairs,  Umayma.Abubakar@barclays.com; +971.4.3626740

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© Press Release 2008