A fighter for the Baltic Sea
has been rewarded

-" I am very happy to receive this prize", Gunnar Norén, general secretary of CCB, proudly said when he received the the Rolf Edberg Prize, in the evening of Wednesday 28 May.

"This prize is not only for me, it is an appreciation for all people that actively have been working within the CCB during the years in order to improve the environment in the Baltic Sea region". The prize also puts some extra light on the Baltic Sea, which needs all attention"

Gunnar Norén was given the prize as he, through his engagement in the Coalition Clean Baltic, during a long time has been pushing for knowledge development and increased responsibility for the environment in the Baltic Sea region. His efforts have effectively contributed to making the environment issues in the region getting a big brake through.

Through giving the prize the Edberg Foundation wants to show its appreciation of the work that is done by the Coalition Clean Baltic and to encourage to continued engagement in the important work done by the CCB to secure a sustainable development in the Baltic Sea region.

During the speech of Gunnar, when he expressed his thanks for receiving the price, he stressed on the importance that all people and actors within the Baltic Sea catchment area must take his/her/its responsibility. 85 million people are living within the whole Baltic Sea region. Everyone has a responsibility. CCB has successfully been able to combine practical work, like for example for the Baltic Salmon, with lobbywork on the high political level in order to push the work forward for the environment in the senisitve Baltic inland sea.

The Edberg Seminar
The Edberg seminar is a yearly seminar with topics concerning environment and development issues. Scilled and interesting speakers from the whole world are invited to speak about important environment issues. The speaches and presentations are combined with debates.
The participants and speakers represent different actors and stakeholders connected to the topics that are dealt with, like e.g. environmentalists, reserachers, government workers, different professionals, organisations, students, etc.

The title of the 2003 Edberg Seminar was;
Water - the destiny issue of the century?
Speeches were held on; general water issues (like e.g. the relationship between water and the human beings), the Swedish Seas and Coasts, the Global water crisis - a threat to sustainable development, Swedish fishery and sustainability, Strategies for sustainable Coastal Mangement, Availability of clean water - a human right?, The Rolf Edberg Prize was presented and given during the Seminar, on Wednesday evening 28 January, which was dedicated to the future, and that was open also for the public. At the Future evening presentations were combined with music entertainment.

New-Old Prize
This is the first year that someone has been awarded with the Edberg prize. Previuos years a scholarship has been given by the Edberg Foundation together with the SIDA. Then, by tradition, the recievers came further away from other parts of the world. For example, last year scholarship was given to Amrita Patwardhan and Joe Athialy from India, for their fight for the poor farmers that have been affected by the big dam-building projects in the valley of Narmada. Now the Edberg Foundation has changed the profile and initated the Edberg prize, instead of a scholarship. SIDA has also withdrawn. According to the Chairman of the Edberg Foundation, Bo Kjellén, the Edberg prize from now on in the first place will award environment efforts performed in this part of the world.

The sum of the prize is 50 000 SEK.

The Edberg Seminar 2003
Water – the destiny issue of the year?
"From the insight that we live under the condition of limitation a new way of thinking has to grow and act internationally and between the different generations. With increased crowding on a globe that gets smaller, the only way to secure the survival will be through a global and careful trusteeship of the resources on the planet"

Rolf Edberg in " Droppar av vatten, droppar av år", 1984
(" Drips of water, drips of years")

Karlstad, Sweden, 28-29 January, 2003, Univeristy of Karlstad,