CALL FOR PARTNERS FOR YOUTH INICIATIVES    
Rural World, the last Biodiversity stronghold?

Date of the activity in the promoter country:  10th - 13th of June 2010 
Place:  Vimioso, Portugal
Deadline for applications: 29th January 2010
Contact person and e-mail for applications: Sara Riso, palombar.mail@gmail.com 
Participants: From each organisation 1-2 participants (above 18 years-old)

Brief description of the association: The promoter association PALOMBAR (Traditional Dovecotes’ Owners Association from the Northeast of Portugal) is a non-profit organization that works in the fields of Environment and Rural Development since 2000. It is the first association related to traditional dovecotes in the country and its main aims are the restoration, conservation and revitalization of traditional dovecotes in the northeast. It cooperates actively in Nature Conservation projects related to the Bonelli eagle, Aquila fasciata, in the area of Douro Internacional Natural Park.  

More info in www.palombar.org

Brief description: The Project Rural World, the last Biodiversity stronghold? consists on one of the possible reflections on the subject of Biodiversity that is present in the european rural world, and the profound relation that exists between the rural communities and the positive maintenance of endangered floristic and faunistic agents in such environments. 
This project emerges under the need of getting the attention back on the loss of biodiversity, especially in environments where it was once tremendously high and incurs in the risk of disappearance: the rural surroundings. It is too a way of celebrating the upcoming Internacional Year of Biodiversity (2010).
Its main objectives are the awakening of a european environmental-sustainable mentality, where different european citizens can interact and share their points of view on what should be made to maintain the intrinsic, permeable and ancestral link between Humanity and Biodiversity, and the “bridges” we can inforce and potenciate, as european enviromental and rural development non-profit organizations to promote that emerging and urgent need. 

The project will have the duration of 7 months (May to November of 2010) and will have the following phases:

•	Gathering of scientific and informal information on this theme (Biodiversity in the Rural World) by all the partner organizations involved 
•	Preparation of presentations and workshops that will be performed in Vimioso, Portugal by all the partner organizations involved, during the Rural World, the last Biodiversity stronghold Seminar
•	Activity in Portugal: Seminar Rural World, the last Biodiversity stronghold? where the partners will be invited to speak about their lines of work, projects and aims as non-profit environmental or rural development organizations. 
•	Culmination of the Project with the elaboration of a Book that will function simultaneously as a manual of Sustainable Agricultural/Other Practises (and based on the knowledge of the rural communities) and Environmental Education basic guidelines, (that will result of the refered presentations and workshops) in order to contribute for the maintanance the European Biodiversity.  

This Project contemplates an initial integrated effort of compilation of information (month of May and first week of June) on the relations between ancient knowledge and practises in traditional non-intensive agriculture/others and its positive side-effects on the maintenance of biodiversity in the rural world (an example of that can be the stability of bird populations associated with certain agricultural techniques). This work will culminate in the presenting of some of the field activities developed by the partner non-profit organizations to the public in general and the elaboration of workshops to amplify the know-how between partner organizations and the interested audience. 
The cooperation between organizations must be strong and participative in order to fullfill the primary objectives of the Project. During the info compilation work phase, the partners will be in touch in a weekly basis, sharing and refining their information and points of view on what should be the most important themes to present in Portugal in 10th - 13th of June 2010, where the presentations and workshop will occur.
The Seminar (Activity) in Portugal will happen during the Festival Sons & Ruralidades. This commemoration (10 to 13 June) happens every year (IV Edition) in Vimioso, a village of the rural region of Trás-os-Montes, and allies the traditional knowledge with environmentally healthy procedures. 

Practical info:
Participants will cover only 30% of their travel costs. No participation fee. 
The accommodation and food is covered by the promoter association PALOMBAR.

Profile of participants:
Non-profit organizations of Environment and Rural Development that are able to give workshops and elaborate presentations.

If you would like to take part in this Youth Iniciative, please write a short description of ideas and activities that your organisation would like to present
and send it with Part III to 
palombar.mail@gmail.com