Seed Initiative Launch

The main launch event for the SEED Awards Initiative – connecting the World Social Forum in Mumbai with the World Economic Forum in Davos with a video-linked panel discussion – took place on Wednesday, 21 January 2004. This day marked the conclusion of that year's World Social Forum proceedings, and the opening of the Annual Meetings of the World Economic Forum. The organizers of the SEED Awards initiative chose to bridge these two events with a video-linked panel discussion for symbolic reasons. Even though the Mumbai and Davos Forums appear worlds apart, the partnership theme may have the potential to bring people together, and to facilitate concrete action on the ground for the implementation of sustainable development.

The SEED Awards initiative provide tailor made support for the awardees to help them succeed. Awardees are nascent partnership initiatives that show great promise and that have the potential to serve as showcases for other new initiatives. The initiative is run in collaboration with Partnerships Central and the Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi). The initiative is also supported by the United Nations Global Compact.

Other project partners include: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), IUCN-The World Conservation Union, Partnerships Central Project supporters: German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservancy, and Nuclear Safety, U.S. Department of State, U.N. Global Compact, Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Great Britain.