The British Crown Prince Charles was recently awarded the "1992 Ecological Eagle" Environmental Award. This distinction is bestowed annually by the International Committee "Artists for Ecology." The presentation was made by the German Foreign Minister Dr. Klaus Kinkel in the presence of actor Peter Ustinov, singer Felicia Weathers, and the Committee President B. John Zavrel from the United States, as well as various political, diplomatic, and cultural representatives. By giving this task to the Foreign Minister, the committee placed special emphasis on the fact that the issue of environmental protection today is no longer a national problem, but an international, global responsibility which crosses all borders.
"The International Committee "Artists for Ecology" has awarded the "Ecological Eagle" annually since 1987 to persons to have made an exemplary contribution to environmental protection. The prize consists of a bronze sculpture of the threatened bald eagle, with an engraved dedication. It was created by the German sculptor Kurt Arentz," said B. John Zavrel, the president of the committee.
Previous recipients of the Ecological Eagle were the American president Ronald Reagan (1987), U.S. Ambassador Richard Burt (1988), NATO Secretary General Manfred Woerner (1989), German Minister of Agriculture Ignaz Kiechle (1990), and the German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher (1991).
In a statement explaining the reasons for selecting the British Crown Prince as this year's recipient, the International Committee "Artists for Ecology" noted that he had devoted more than a dozen years of widespread attention to environmental protection and the preservation of the natural conditions of life. In so doing, he assumed the patronage of numerous organizations devoted to this purpose. These projects are concerned with the preservation of the rain forests in South America, as well as the protection of plants and gardens in England. Prince Charles has also aroused the national consciousness by expressing his opinions on architecture and its ecological effects in the television documentary "A View of Britain." His book, based on this program, has given the issue of environmental protection additional support. Also mentioned were the Prince's nature studies: watercolors and pencil drawings which bear witness to his environmental alertness.
The long-standing efforts of Prince Charles for better environmental protection were a decisive factor in the committee's unanimous decision to award him the 1992 Ecological Eagle, said B. John Zavrel, the American Chairman of the International Committee "Artists for Ecology" (AFE) in New York/USA.
"You may accept this award with great pride, and you are to be commended for your support of global ecology.....we wish you and all those gathered for this special occasion every success as you strive to protect our world for this and for future generations," wrote President Ronald Reagan, a former recipient of the Ecological Award, in a letter of congratulations to Prince Charles.
The Prince of Wales said at the ceremony: "I accept this award also on the behalf of the countless people around the globe, who take their own initiative to protect our world. We are all privileged to preserve the Nature, each one at his own place. I feel very honored and thank you all."
As a backdrop to the award presentation, a number of well-known European painters exhibited their works of art on the theme of "Nature and the Environment."
"We try to mobilize artists from all continents to show through their sculpture, paintings, and music their commitment to the preservation of our environment. They are acting as arousers of environmental consciousness and guardians of our planet. For instance, to our early supporters belonged the British sculptor Henry Moore, whose many sculptures are meant to be displayed in a natural, outdoor setting," said Zavrel about the goals of the committee. " But we are realistic, and are not overestimating our contribution to this cause. However, we are convinced that each of us must make an individual contribution, and we welcome any artist into our group who wants to contribute to this effort."
Artists interested in cooperating with the committee can obtain additional information from B. John Zavrel, President, IC Artists for Ecology, 10545 Main Street, Clarence, N.Y. 14031 (U.S.A.).