Ideassonline.org

The Ministry of Science and Technology of Brasil, through the Secretariat for the Social Inclusion SECIS and the UNIEMP Institute, decided to participate at the ART IDEASS Programme, through their initiatives of promotion of science and technology in the State of San Paulo.
By means of this collaboration, the identification of innovations with the characteristics for being promoted at the international level by IDEASS, is already in course in the State of San Paulo. A first brochure for the international promotion of the BIOMAPS will be launched by IDEASS in the next months. The innovations of the IDEASS catalogue will be promoted in the State of San Paulo as well, in order to generate an interest in their transfer.

For more information:
www.ideassonline.org/paes_view_eng.asp?id=30

Reynaldo Espino from the LABIOFAM Institute in Cuba will conduct a mission in Libya from September 18 until October 27, in order to promote the biological rodenticide BIORAT. The mission activities will be carried out within the framework of the ART GOLD Programme and in close collaboration with the General Environment Authority (EGA), its Scientific Committee for Rodent Control and the local Governments of the regions involved.
Libya is a country where plagues of rats are growing rapidly as a result of the urbanization process. All Libyan regions have embarked on initiatives for the elimination or reduction of the rat population. In particular, Misrata local authorities are interested in BIORAT and they officially asked to receive all the information regarding the opportunities related to BIORAT and the IDEASS initiative.
On September 20, the LABIOFAM expert will present BIORAT characteristics, benefits, previous experiences and applications in a national workshop, organized by the EGA and open to more of 200 representatives from national and local institutions.
The expert will carry out practical tests of BIORAT in selected areas in collaboration with EGA. He will analyze its effectiveness in the context, in view of the installation of the south-south project for the BIORAT production in Libya.
For more information about BIORAT please visit: www.ideassonline.org/pdf/br_24_18.pdf

The Albanian Office of UNDP – GEF/SGP (Global Environment Facility – Small Grants Programme) will provide financial support for implementing a natural depuration system at a school in the Narta Village. The Constructed Wetlands pilot-project was designed in collaboration with the UNDP MedWetCoast Programme (Conservation of Wetland and Coastal Ecosystem in Mediterranean Region) that operates to improve the environmental conditions of the Narta Lagoon area, and with the Albanian Ministry of Environment which will provide assistance for the educational and environmental awareness activities. Technical assistance for the project implementation will be provided by the ARPAT (Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Tuscany).
The project will be carried out in collaboration with national authorities, the administrations of the municipalities that surround the Narta Lagoon and the Vlorë Local Economic Development Agency. The project will be accompanied by initiatives aiming at the improvement of the environmental condition of the area. The construction of the wetlands system will start next autumn after the conclusion of the fundraising activity, at the moment in process.
For more information about “Constructed Wetlands” please visit:
www.ideassonline.org/pic/doc/report arpat in albania.pdf

The Ministry of Science and Environmental Protection of Serbia and Montenegro has decided to launch a National Competition for Human Development Innovations in the country, in collaboration with IDEASS.
The initiative will be part of the prestigious Innovation Competition that has been carried out in Serbia and Montenegro for the last two years; this year its objective is to stimulate the research for the renewal of industry and services.
The Competition is advertised on the website www.inovacija.org that provides information about the procedures to participate and the results of the previous editions. The website will also provide information about the rules and procedures of the Competition for Human Development Innovations and it also helps to identify innovations that have already proved efficient in improving the quality of life of persons and communities. The deadline for applying to the Competition is 15 October 2006. Winners will be selected during a two-month period after the closure of the contest. Over the Christmas period, the national broadcasting network RTS will show the awards ceremony for the winners of both competitions.
In order to inform the public of Serbia and Montenegro about the Competition for Human Development Innovations, the Ministry of Science and Environmental Protection has invited a representative of the IDEASS Secretariat to participate in the very popular television program “Sarenica”, broadcasted every Sunday by the national network RTS, visible in the whole country. The Ministry has also organized many meetings with Serbian research institutions to help identify the first three innovations to be included in the IDEASS catalogue.

The mission to Albania of the ARPAT experts was carried out from 12th to 19th February 2006, in collaboration with the GEF/UNDP MedWetCoast Project (Conservation of Wetland and Coastal Ecosystem in Mediterranean Region). During the mission, the experts provided technical assistance to the Albanian actors to identify the characteristics of a water natural purification pilot system in the Vlore region. The project will be implemented in collaboration with national authorities, the administrations of the municipalities that surround the Narta Lagoon and with the Vlore Local Economy Development Agency; besides, it will be accompanied by initiative aimed at the improvement of environmental condition of the area.

The mission to Albania of two experts from ARPAT (Regional Agency for the Environmental Protection of Tuscany) will be carried out from 12th to 19th February 2006, in order to provide the competent Albanian actors with technical assistance and to identify, design and realize a pilot system for the natural depuration of waters in the Narta Lagoon (Vlore Region). The mission will be realized in collaboration with the UNDP/GEF “MedWetCoast” project (Conservation of Wetland and Coastal Ecosystem in the Mediterranean Region), that has long been carrying out studies and activities to improve the environment of the Narta Lagoon. During the mission, the ARPAT experts will meet, among others, high representatives of the Albanian Ministries of the Environment and the Agriculture, the Vlora Region President, the representatives of the Municipalities surrounding the Lagoon and the representatives of the civil society. The Regional Economical Development Agency AULEDA will participate in the design and management of the Constructed Wetland pilot-project and has manifested a strong interest in implementing projects for local development, like fishery and sustainable tourism. During the mission a scientific committee for the project supervision will be established, with the collaboration of scientific institutions and technical local counterparts. A National meeting in Tirana and a press-conference for the presentation of the Constructed Wetland innovation and its implementation in Albania will end the mission works.

The President of Belvedere S.p.a. Mr. Renzo Macelloni and the Environmental Technician Mr. Paolo Ceccotti went on a mission to Colombia from November 11th to November 18th 2005 to present the innovation called Community Stakeholding for managing local services, in view of its transfer to this country. The mission began with a public presentation at the Externado University of Colombia, faculty of International Relations, organized by the Secretariat of the National Council for Science and Technology COLCIENCIAS. The event was attended by more than 50 experts in the management of public services of Bogotá. The delegation visited the Provinces of Vélez and Soto in the Department of Santander, which had expressed their interest in implementing the innovation. In Vélez the Belvedere experience was presented to mayors, administrators and local associations; in Bucamaranga, the capital of the Department of Santander, more than 30 professors of various disciplines attended the event. The mission ended with a public meeting in the Homeroom of the University of Bucamaranga, which was attended by more than 200 representatives of the public, private and academic sectors. The mission yielded very positive results. The Province of Soto resulted to have suitable conditions for the implementation of a public-private company for the management of wastes with the methodologies used by the Belvedere S.p.a. The local authorities required to implement the project. The Colombian and the Italian experts are already working to formulate it. Both Italian and Colombian newspapers published articles showing the results of the Belvedere S.p.a visit to Colombia.

On 12th December 2005, a letter of interest was sent to the IDEASS International Secretariat by the Albanian Municipalities surrounding the Narta Lagoon – north-west of the city of Vlore (Vlore Region) – to express their interest in the implementation of the Constructed Wetlands method aimed at improving the environmental condition of the Lagoon.

The mission to Cuba of Nohora Elisabeth Hoyos, Sigrid Falla and Cristina Colimón from Maloka, Centre for the rapprochement of kids and students to Science and Technology of Bogota, Colombia, was carried out from September 27th to October 2nd 2005. The aim of the mission was to assess the feasibility of a cooperation project between Maloka, the Cultural Centre of Sciences and Technology of La Habana and the “Oficina del Historiador” for the transfer to Cuba of the didactic methods and materials elaborated by Maloka for the dissemination of science. During the mission an intensive 3-day course was held in La Habana to allow the managers of the Cultural Centre of Sciences and Technology to identify the most important aspects to be considered in the designing and implementation of the project, on the basis of the experience gained by Maloka in its 7 years of activity.
To learn more about the mission and the project formulated: