KARLSTADS KOMMUN
Environmental Health Department
Mikael Schultz
7+46 54 29 56 61
msz@karlstad.se
2002-05-03
Centenary Booklet – De Aar 100 years
As a spokesman for “one younger
friend” of De Aar and now Emthanjeni, I first want to congratulate on the
anniversary. The city of Karlstad in Sweden has just been a partner since 1999 but it
feels as though we have known each other for a longer time. The first contacts between
Karlstad and De Aar were taken in 1997 by Mr Jürgen Arinell, our real enthusiast for
starting up the cooperation between De Aar and Karlstad. There was a new contact in 1998
and then in 1999 the cooperation started. I remember the meeting with the city council in
De Aar in the end of April back in 1999. It feels like a long time ago. Many things have
happened in De Aar as well as Karlstad since then. There has come new people into the
project and there are still some left since the beginning.
Our objectives back in 1999 are still
valid. The activities have changed during the project. Yo have reached many achievements
during the time we have been envolved in the field of our objectives.
The areas we agreed to cooperate about
was:
·
Public awareness and training,
·
Water and sanitation improvements,
·
Solid waste management and
·
Environmental pilot projects at
educational institutions.
During the project, all people from
Karlstad who have visited De Aar, have felt a warm feeling about being taken care of in De
Aar. There has also been an honest devotion from the people envolved from De Aar.
The results in for example water and
sanitation reports and solid waste management reports, we hope has been of benefit for De Aar. We have seen many good initiatives in
the schools in urban agriculture, environmental campaigns, awareness raising activities, the start of environmental committees
etc.
The work with Agenda 21 training for
the municipality is now in a second turn and we know from own experience that such a
process takes time. Hopefully our engagement in asking how you are going on can help to
keep the spirit up in that work. The new money from Sida for investments in an Environment
& Nature school, the Echo-houses and the Recyling stations will most certainly help in
spreading the message on Agenda 21. We can see that you in De Aar are the best
“experts” in handling your environmental situation and that you are devoted in
working for a more sustainable society. If the fact that we in Karlstad are interested in
the development of environmental issues in De Aar can help you in achieving the
objectives, we are happy about that.
The people envolved in the project from
Karlstad feels that we learn from the cooperation and get a view from you on our
environmental work. We also feel that we have been enriched with new wonderfull friends
from De Aar and hope that we can continue our work together.
Once again congratulations on existing
100 years and we hope that our joint project will make the prerequisites for 100 new
sustainable years !
Mikael Schultz
Karlstad
2002-05-03
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