Mensagens do Presidente e do Secretário Executivo da ProGEO
Mensagem de fim de ano do Presidente da ProGEO (Dez/2000)
Dear ProGEO Members and Friends,
Step by step the year 2000 becomes past. I do not doubt you will all agree with me that this was an exceptional year.
Firstly, the year 2000 is the last year of the 20th Century and the Second Millennium. This happens ones in a thousand years! We are all happy to celebrate this year, to live and work in it and to enjoy it. What a remarkable combination, isn't it?
Secondly, the year 2000 is successful for ProGEO. ProGEO not only grows one year older but also gives evidence that it will soon become the most important European Association dealing with the problems of conservation of the geological heritage of Mother Earth. ProGEO has already established its position amongst the numerous associations, organisations, foundations, etc. in Europe, and, I suppose that after its official registration in the end of this year it will develop further and will play significant role in all aspects of the conservation of geological heritage in Europe. And why not in the whole world? I will be sincere to say that this is an old dream of mine and I will be happy to see it realised.
In June 2000 we had our Biennial ProGEO Meeting in Prague, Czech Republic.
It was the last ProGEO meeting, which was very successful as usual. It included the election of a new Executive Committee for the next two years, a scientific session with really new and very interesting results and excellent geological excursions to some of the most significant geosites in the country. New ProGEO Friends from the CIS countries attended the meeting as well. They were pleasantly surprised at our important work and promised to involve themselves seriously in our activity. The Czech Fiends in the face of the Ministry of the Environment Dr. Kuzvart, of the Director of the Geological Survey Dr. Ruzicka and Dr. Kriz made their best to help and I think the last ProGEO meeting will leave a trace in the history of the Association. ProGEO has already said its "Thank you very much" to all Czech Friends, but I will take this opportunity to thank them again.
The second important detail in ProGEO activity during the year 2000 is not less important than the above. Following the resolutions of ProGEO'2000 Council and of the meetings of the Executive Committee our Swedish Friends Lars K. and Gunnel R. registered ProGEO in Sweden as a non-governmental organisation (November 2000). The registration has put an end to ProGEO&Mac226;semi-legal existence and, as I have already mentioned, the Association has a real chance to become the most important organisation dealing with the geological heritage conservation of Mother Earth.
The third important detail is the increasing popularity of ProGEO in the European countries. Some weeks ago some members of ProGEO Executive Committee and myself were informed by our enthusiastic Portuguese Friends that a National Group with 39 (!) ProGEO members had been established in Portugal with plans, programmes, etc. Another piece of good news comes from Ankara, Turkey. As a result of the organised by ProGEO Workshop in Izmir in the end September this year a Turkish ProGEO National Group has been established with a plan to organise, in the beginning of the next year, a national conference on geological heritage conservation. Nice news, aren't they? Congratulations to both countries and cordial wishes for accomplishment of their first ideas! They are most welcome to the big ProGEO Family!
The fourth detail is that ProGEO Working Groups have also been more or less active during this year. I am sure they will continue their useful work on all the problems of the conservation of geological heritage in different European regions. I hope very much a South Group of ProGEO will be established soon and some of the countries will become again as active as they were in the past.
Unfortunately some unpleasant facts accompanied us during the year 2000. In the beginning of January we lost our Past President Dr. Walter Krieg. He passed away in the most active years of his life but we will never forget his contribution to the establishment and development of ProGEO as a whole. Our Friend from Bashkiristan lost his wife. Let&Mac226;s remember these and all the other ProGEO Friends who have left us.
My big personal regret for a promise I could not keep. I did not succeed with the preparation of the instructions for the questions/problems for the papers related to the book "Geoconservation in Europe", a project I had planned to recover. But I will continue to work on this important for ProGEO Project and I hope very much that we will inform the European authorities and the world about all we have done by now in the field of geoconservation. In the end I will say I am a little (only!) disappointed that the development of UNESCO Geopark Programme did not follow its preliminary intentions and scheme and is still not adopted. I think this Programme is a very important document supporting the realisation of many interesting Projects in Europe and the world. I hope the competition between different associations, organisations, foundations and some personal oppositions will be overcome and the Programme will become again the uniting document to which ProGEO has special interests and would like to be involved for further development of the conservation of geological sites and parks.
In conclusion I think I can report the year 2000 was successful for ProGEO and its Members. And finally, Season's greetings to all ProGEO Members and Friends and their families with wishes for good health, personal luck and prospective New 2001 Year, New 21st Century and New 3rd Millennium! Good chance to every one of you, Dear Friends! Sincerely Yours, Todor
Mensagem de fim de ano do Secretário Executivo da ProGEO
Dear friends and colleagues, Please firstly exsuse the fact that this mail is in English. It is a stange language but I regret I have no Portuguese. This letter, which should have been written one month ago,is to welcome most of you to ProGEO - the European Association for the Conservation of the Geological Heritage. It was a pleasure to meet a number of you in Madrid, and I hope for many future contacts.
Our colleagues around Europe have expressed much enthusiasm since I announced the massed entry of Portugal into ProGEO. I take this opportunity to greet and thank those who have joined and your committee for their efforts of coordination. I hope you will take every opportunity to participate and guide the work of the association. I hope also that your homepage can be joined to our common European site which is hosted by the Geological Survey of Sweden, and that through this means you will influence the larger geoconservation picture.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if there is any way I can assist you. You can do this through your committee or Dr José Brilha, or directly, at any time (contact points below)
I wish you and your families all the most happy Christmas!
best wishes Bill W.A.P. Wimbledon
