The last opening seminar of the programme

Even not all the projects have been contracted yet, the last opening seminar took place last week at Petrozavodsk where both the culture and social wellbeing projects met each other.

As a coordinator I was very pleased to see and hear that the projects were not only eager to cooperate with their partners but also with the other projects. It is quite clear already that the thematic approach was a good idea and will give added value for the projects.

The next thematic meetings will take place in late autumn: then we'll be able to tell more about the results of the forest and energy as well as of natural resources projects.


Henna-Mari Laurila
Programme Coordinator

"Eco efficient tourism" project moves to social networks

Joensuu hosted the coordination meeting of  "Eco efficient tourism" project partners that took place January 14, 2013. The partners has summarized the results of implemented activities like gathering of information and assessment of the current situation in the pilot areas, or study of the Finnish experience in management of recreational areas.  The implementation of upcoming activities such as publication of the guidebook on the tourist infrastructure along the “Blue Highway” and brochures on regional specificity information has also been discussed. But most of the time was devoted to the discussion of project Communication and visibility plan. Finnish partners have presented the project networking scheme.

First of all, The North Karelian Biosphere Reserve reported about launching the page of "Eco efficient tourism" project on their official web-site : it provides both basic information about the project and direct links to the official project site.

Secondly, the project has also got its Facebook page. This network can have a great long-term result in terms of creating a community of people interested in the project's topic, engaging stakeholders, attracting tourists and development of transboundary grass-root level actions.

Thirdly, "Eco efficient tourism" project will also be presented in FLICKR. This is an image hosting and video hosting website. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to host images that they embed in blogs and social media. This resource is believed to give a good visibility of the project and contribute to tourism development on project pilot sites.

After all, Finnish partners made a commitment to update Communication and visibility plan in accordance with discussed changes and hold several of on-line (skype) conferences for the discussion of current issues in February and March.

Elena Cherniakevich

Project manager

Contracting, contracting, contracting.

The Joint Monitoring Committee selected the projects for Cultural cooperation, Social wellbeing and Sustainable exploitation of natural resources on November 13th and in December the European Commission approved the selection.

Since then the contracting of the last projects of the Karelia ENPI CBC programme has taken nearly all our time. Some of the projects have a signed grant contract already. More information on the launched projects can be found from our website.

The opening seminar for the natural resources projects will be organised on 13.-14.2. at Oulu and for the culture and wellbeing projects on 19.-20.2. at Petrozavodsk. Even we have already met most of the lead partners during the contract negotiations, we look forward meeting all the projects at the same time and seeing what kind of ideas and expectations the lead partners and partners have for cooperation.

Henna-Mari Laurila
Programme coordinator

We wish you a merry Christmas!

During the past weeks we've been busy with contracting and theme seminars and unfortunately the blog has been neglected for a while.

However, I'm happy to tell that even we haven't been writing what has been happening, there has been happening: two culture project, three wellbeing projects and one natural resources projec has already been contracted. We'll tell you more about these, and other projects, next year. Now it's time to wish you peaceful Christmas and a very happy upcoming year.

From behalf of the whole team

Henna-Mari

Pilot projects in Kalevala district completed

As it was initially planned by the KA255 project, implemented by the Energy Efficiency Center, the new systems of water supply and sanitation in the Kindergarten #2 in Kalevala settlement and the brand-new central draw-well in Borovoi settlement were constructed by the end of September 2012. 

 New sanitation system

It is important to mention that the general architecture, internal facilities and equipment of the kindergarten are very typical for Kalevala and other small settlements of Karelia. Thus, the demonstration investment project implemented in Kalevala could be and we hope will be replicated in other settlements and districts. 

Also its worth to mention that such plastic items as septic tanks for canalization in kindergarten and special PE-plastic inner pipe for the draw-well in Borovoi have been produced in Borovoi by the local manufacturer OOO "Al Hola" (subsidiary company of Finnterrus OY). The next steps according the Action plan are pilot projects in Prjazha district. The selection of the objects (Kroshnozero,Chalna, Essoila) and estimation of expenses for construction works and materials are going on.

Alexander Berdino

Improvement of the environment and living standards is the basis for modern rural development -project

Fores and Energy projects unleashed

The opening seminar of the Forest and Energy projects was organised last week at Oulu. Representatives from all ten approved projects, of which 7 already have their contracts, participated the event.

The thematic meetings have been an essential part of the programme implementation from the very beginning. The idea is that the projects from the same theme meet when the theme is launched and approximately once a year after that. The idea is not only to give practical information for the projects but to give them a chance to meet each other, and this way enhance cooperation between projects. 

This time, since it was the first meeting of the theme, we concentrated on practical issues and getting familiar with the projects. Also, we had an external expert, Lasse Pipinen from Viestintätoimisto Deski, giving good ideas for project visibility. On the next meetings we'll concentrate on projects results and outcomes and see if the ideas for visibility have been taken into practise.

Projects working with their headlines.

Starting up a project

I have worked since September in the project Promotion of low-cost and youth tourism in the cross-border areas. It is a combination of five partners in Russia and two in Finland.

For me the project had a flying start. After only one or two weeks in the project I found myself heading towards the border, picking the passport with a brand new visa from a travel agency in Tohmajärvi and then forward towards Petrozavodsk to meet the project partners. Then one or two weeks more and a new trip to Petrozavodsk, Olonets (Aunus in Finnish) and Sortavala to see in practice what our partners are doing. In Karelia I went to see hostels and student dormitories that are offering or are going to offer low cost accommodation especially for young people.

What is this all about? In this project one aim is to increase accommodation possibilities (low cost, good quality) in Petrozavodsk, Sortavala, Olonets, Kostamuksha and Segezha hoping that once the service is there the young people can find their way to these places. Social media is in focus when we are doing marketing. 

In September and October our Russian partners coming from education institutes have made renovation plans for their hostels and student apartments. Later on an internet based booking portal will be developed. It is planned to be open by May 2013. This portal can be used by the Finnish and Russian partners and other interested education institutes and companies. 

In Finland our partner Centria (university of applied sciences) has prepared a training program to be implemented in their unit in Ylivieska and in Kalajoki resort. This two days program is in December and it is targeted for teachers and specialists working in tourism and service branches. They will learn to know about Centria tourism education program and learning methods, as well as about ways to cooperate with tourism companies. In return the Russian partners and participants will tell about tourism education in their region.

The project is now taking its first steps. It will last until November 2014 and for me it is very motivating to take part in this important and exiting effort. For me this project is success if we really can open doors and make travel across the border easier for young people who this way learn to know each other better.

Merja Heikkilä

Project Manager