The Utah International Mountain Forum, (UIMF) a coalition of student clubs on the campus of Utah Valley University (UVU) in Utah, USA, member of the Mountain Partnership since 2006, sponsored their third annual International Mountain Day Celebration on December 7, 2012 in which the contributions in promoting the sustainable mountain agenda of the United Nations during 2012 for both UIMF and other Utah Mountain Partnership members were recognized. UVU students, and faculty during this successful event were able to recognize those members of the community, who contributed to the United Nations RIO+20 conference by; raising funds and sending a Utah delegation to Brazil, organizing the third international Women of the Mountains conference in Puno, Peru as a preparatory event for RIO+20 on June, 13-14, 2012, contributing research to the Reports on SMD on North America for RIO+20 summit, and making other efforts with the aim to advocate the SMD-agenda both in the region and globally.

Poster for the Event

The celebration was attended by nearly 100 members of the community and a variety of local government leaders with involvement of such MP members from Utah as Gruppman International Music Institute, Hope International, Orem City, Provo City, Utah Valley University, and Utah-Russia-Institute.

Front and Back sides of the Event Program

 Inner Sides of the Event Program

 Conference Audience

 

As part of the IMD celebration, UIMF sponsored a silent auction to raise funds for TIFIE’s “Light a Village Project”  in which they were able to raise over $2500 for the cause. The funds were raised by auctioning off products and services that were donated by the local community and will be used to help fund a solar project for mountain villages to provide them with light.

In addition, a delegation from UVU co-organized  conferences with its partner, the International University of Kyrgyzstan in the Kyrgyz Republic commemorating the 10^th Anniversary of the International Year of Mountains, International Mountain Day, and following-up events to RIO+20 conference.

UVU contributed to the agendas of the:

• 1) conference on “Mountains and climate”  on December 11, 2012 in Bishkek,  
• 2) conference “Conflict and Peace in the Mountains,” on December 8, 2012 in Osh City,
• 3) round Table  “Utah-Central Asia” on December 10, 2012 in Bishkek, and
• 4) round table  “Youth and SMD”  through efforts of two UIMF members Dallin Kauffman and Greg Haddock on December 8, 2012 in Bishkek.

UVU delegation during round table on Rocky Mountains-Central Asian  cooperation in Bishkek, on December 10, 2012

Dallin Kauffman (first row, fourth from the right) and Gregg Haddock (first row, second from the right), UVU students during the conference "Youth and Climate" in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Dr. Michael Minch  (first row, third from the right) and Dr. Baktybek Abdrisaev (first in the first row from the left) during the conference "Conflict and Peace in the Mountains" in Osh, the Kyrgyz Republic

The end result of these conferences was a greater cohesion with our local and international networks, outreach to the youth in Utah and Kyrgyzstan, including many high school students, and a general accountability to our financiers by demonstrating what we as an institution had accomplished over 2012.

UVU and UIMF are committed to being strong and active members of the Mountain Partnership and a voice for all issues related to sustainable mountain development and other mountain issues in Utah and beyond.

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Agenda of the international conference "Mountains and Climate Change " in the Kyrgyz Republic

Agenda of the conference "Conflict and Peace in the Mountains," in Osh, the Kyrgyz Republic

“Agenda of the round table "Utah-Central Asia" in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz Republic 

Agenda of the International Student Scientific Conference “Youth and Sustainable Mountain Development”

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PRESS RELEASE

Utah Valley University Students  Celebrate International Mountain Day With Multiple Activities

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GREETINGS FROM PARTNER INSTITUTIONS

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Letter from  Dr. Thomas Hofer – Mountain Partnership                             Letter from Dr. Jane Pratt -the Mountain Institute

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Final Report About International Mountain Day 2013 Observation 

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