VZCZCXRO5932
RR RUEHRG
DE RUEHBR #0792 1241442
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041442Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8841
INFO RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 4751
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 6217
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ 5328
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 3458
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 2213
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 4207
RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 6076
RUEHGE/AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN 1271
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 6867
RUEHPO/AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO 1304
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 3679
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 6604
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 9793
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 4311

UNCLAS BRASILIA 000792 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/PDA: DPRINCE 
DEPT FOR OES/FO: WARMBRUSTER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV KPAO OIIP BR
SUBJECT: EARTH DAY PHOTO CONTEST ATTRACTS OVER 1,500 PICS FROM ALL 
OVER BRAZIL 
 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  The US Embassy in Brasilia, through its Regional 
Environmental HUB Office and with indispensable support from the 
Public Affairs section, celebrated Earth Day 2007 through a 
countrywide photography contest entitled 'A Snapshot of Brazilian 
Nature.'  With over 1,500 entries from throughout Brazil, this 
program reached a very large segment of the Brazilian population and 
allowed post to highlight US environmental engagement throughout the 
country.  We believe this high visibility, low-cost program could 
become a Department best practice and encourage OES to adopt it for 
international distribution next year.  END SUMMARY. 
¶2.  With over 1,500 entries from more than 130 cities across the 
country, and all but two states, (Amapa and Roraima), this Earth Day 
contest had one of the highest visibilities and reaches of any 
outreach program conducted by the mission over the last year.  The 
Public Affairs section and Regional Environmental Hub worked closely 
in conducting the public outreach necessary to achieve this level of 
participation in Brazil including writing and distributing press 
releases, conducting media interviews throughout the country 
highlighting the contest, and making individual efforts to speak 
directly with NGOs, academic institutions, and other potential 
partners.  In addition, the Hub and Public Affairs developed an 
Earth Day op-ed from the Ambassador that was printed in over 10 
media outlets, and reached hundreds of thousands of readers. 
¶3.  The Grand Prize winner - Lucas Landau, age 17, from Rio de 
Janeiro - received an airline ticket to Florida, courtesy of 
American Airlines, and a Kodak EasyShare digital camera.  The HUB 
office is arranging the logistics for Lucas to visit the Everglades 
National Park during his stay in the U.S. and will use this 
opportunity to highlight the on-going work post is doing to support 
the Everglades-Pantanal Sister Parks Agreement signed in 1997.  In 
addition to the grand prize winner, there were three winners in each 
age group category (10-15, 16-20, 21-25, and 26-30) who received a 
coffee table book on the environment and a certificate signed by 
Ambassador Clifford Sobel. 
¶4.  The Earth Day event was capped off by an award ceremony at the 
Casa Thomas Jefferson (bi-national center) in Brasilia on April 
23rd.  Five of the winners, including the Grand Prize winner, 
attended the event hosted by Ambassador Sobel.  In addition, the 
event honored a group of Special Education students from CESAS, a 
school located near the Embassy compound.  Fourteen students from 
CESAS, most of which are visually or audibly impaired, sent in 
pictures of nature for the contest.  The Embassy awarded the school 
with a certificate of Honorable Mention, a book on the Grand Canyon 
for the school library and other books for each participant. 
¶5.  The response from the community as well as from NGOs, academic 
institutions, and our contacts in the Government of Brazil has been 
overwhelmingly positive.  Due to this response, the Public Affairs 
section and the Hub have developed a program for a traveling exhibit 
of winning photographs to other bi-national centers and will create 
a calendar for possible use as our annual end of year gratuity to 
our contacts. 
¶6.  The Regional Environmental Hub Office will create a "How to 
Guide" for developing a similar program in other countries and will 
make this available to OES for possible inclusion as a best practice 
for other posts next year. 
SOBEL