Friday, February 15, 2013




International Association for Promoting Geoethics (IAPG) is partner of the African Association of Women in Geosciences (AAWG) and the African Geoparks Network (AGN) for the celebration of the Day of Earth Sciences in Africa and Arab World.



Day for Earth Sciences 
in Africa and the Middle East

19-21 March 2013



From African Association of Women in Geosciences (AAWG) and the African Geoparks Network (AGN)

The African Association of Women in Geosciences and the African Geoparks Network are proclaiming the 20th March as a “Day for Earth Sciences in Africa and the Middle East”. So, if you are interested to be partner or supporter of this initiative or if you are willing to propose activities in your respective countries or online activities through your facebook groups, your blogs or your tweets, please join us to make this exciting experience a success. As a first step, we are relying on human power on a voluntary basis!

Why the 20th March?
Equinoxes have been celebrated in cultures all over the world. In the northern hemisphere the March equinox marks the start of spring and has long been celebrated as a time of rebirth. The 20th March corresponds to the March equinox where night and day are nearly of the same length all over the world. However, even if this is widely accepted, it isn't entirely true. The March equinox occurs the moment the sun crosses the celestial equator from south to north. This happens either on March 19, 20 or 21 every year. In that way, the activities, related to the “Day for Earth Sciences in Africa and Middle East”, could be extended on the 19th and the 21st March."

Objectives of the Day
The day aims to promote Earth Sciences for Society and to increase the awareness about the role that earth scientists could play to help to build a peaceful, healthier and wealthier continent.

Activities
Conferences, seminars, courses, presentations, field trips, exhibitions, films, games, visits of Earth Sciences departments, etc. It is up to you to create and innovate in order to answer the need of your respective societies.

Target public
Pupils from primary and secondary schools, students from universities, policy makers, large public, potential partners and sponsors, all the components of your respective societies.




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The African Geoparks Network “AGN” was created by the African Association of Women in Geosciences (AAWG – http://www.aawg.org) during the pre-congress of its fifth conference held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast in May 2009. The AGN aims to identify, promote, and advise on the importance and preservation of geological sites in Africa in collaboration with other stakeholders. The main languages of the Network are Arabic, English and French.