Vietnam Bamboo Village - Last Year's Equator Prize winner
Channel: UNECOSOC
Date: 2012-04-01

UNDP -- 23 March 2012 - The Equator Initiative announced yesterday the names of twenty-five local community groups to receive the Equator Prize 2012 in recognition of their outstanding contributions to sustainable development. The winners were selected from 812 nominations submitted by communities in 113 countries across the developing world. 

This film highlight's one of 2011 winner of the prize, Dr. Diep Thi My Hanh and the Phu An Bamboo village in Vietnam. The winners will be celebrated at a high level event during the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development. They will receive a monetary award and participate in a 'community summit' that will run in parallel to the larger conference. 

"We wanted to make this a truly global award, so expanded eligibility to all countries receiving support from UNDP. The overwhelming response from 113 countries in 13 languages tells us there is a world of community-based innovation out there, and that demand for a better future transcends borders," said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark.
"These community efforts are heroic and inspiring. And that is what the Equator Prize is all about -- shining a spotlight on the women and men on the front lines of sustainable development. At UNDP, we are so deeply proud of leading this initiative and giving communities a voice." 

Many of the foundational issues to be discussed at the landmark Rio+20 Conference are represented in the pool of winners: food security, sustainable jobs, freshwater access, sustainable energy, oceans, and more. 

The Equator Initiative is a partnership that brings together the UN, governments, civil society, businesses and grassroots organizations to advance local sustainable development solutions for people, nature and resilient communities.

The Equator Prize, which has been endorsed by former Heads of State Gro Harlem Brundtland and Oscar Arias, philanthropist Ted Turner, a host of Nobel laureates, and celebrities Gisele Bündchen and Edward Norton, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year.

Current partners of the initiative include: Conservation International; Convention on Biological Diversity; Ecoagriculture Partners; Fordham University; German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development; International Union for Conservation of Nature; The Nature Conservancy; Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Rare; Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA); UNEP; UNDP; and UN Foundation.