Thirteen groups and individuals have been selected as recipients of the 2006 Ford Motor Company Conservation & Environmental Grants in the GCC and Levant countries. The winning projects were chosen by an independent panel of nine conservation and environment experts from around the region.
Nearly 40 applications were received, all vying for a share of the available US$90,000 in grants this year. The jury members, who represent the participating countries, chose 13 projects from six countries and the grants ranged from US$1,000 to US$12,000.
Since its inception in the region in 2000, the Ford Motor Company Conservation & Environmental Grants programme has donated a total of US$600,000 to 73 projects.
Waldo Galan, managing director of Ford Middle East, said: “Once again we have seen a great number of applications, and we are delighted with the variety of organisations in the Middle East committed to the cause of conservation and the environment. It is rewarding to see environmental awareness playing such a role in people’s lives in the region.”
The 2006 Ford Grants were awarded in each of the three categories of the programme – natural environment, environmental education and conservation engineering.
After the voting, which took place recently in Dubai, a spokesperson for the jury panel said: “We are pleased to have seen a variety of projects from most participating countries. The entries covered a wide range of environmental concerns and demonstrated how the level of environmental awareness in the GCC has improved as more and more individuals actively work towards preserving their surroundings. The winning projects successfully demonstrated a well-defined sense of purpose and a commitment to maximising available resources.”
The Ford Grants are part of the global environmental protection efforts of Ford Motor Company. The initiative, one of the largest of its kind in the world, grew out of the Henry Ford European Conservation Awards, which have helped more than 15,000 projects since their launch in 1983. Re-formulated and expanded in 2000, the Grants now include 50 participating countries, including countries in Central and South America, Europe, Middle East and Asia.
The Ford Grants provide financial support to ongoing projects from individuals and non-profit groups in the GCC, Lebanon and Syria. The categories of the initiative are: natural environment, environmental education and conservation engineering.
