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From: * BOTANY MEMBER 4 <mailto:botany4@ITS.UCT.AC.ZA>
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Date: Wed, 25 Feb 1998 08:30:09 +0200
To: mailto:whande@enviro.uct.ac.za
From: Linden Booth <mailto:linden@iafrica.com>
Subject: Contact
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Contact An environmental institutional monitoring and information service.

CONTACT is a new service being created to serve the environmental sector in South Africa. The service currently monitors National Parliament, and aims to extend its activities to include the monitoring of other National and Provincial environmental institutions.=20

KEY AIMS

=B7 monitor the development of new legislation, regulations and ordinances relating to environmental issues through maintaining information networks, attending meetings and undertaking a constant survey of published material; =20 =B7 identify the processes whereby new legislation, regulations and ordinances are created, with a particular focus on the opportunity for public input; and =20 =B7 create an information distribution service to update all interested parties on the institutional developments, with a major priority being the identifying of opportunities for public participation, and the information (dates, contact personnel, submission formats and processes) necessary for this participation.

Services offered =B7 Contact works in close co-operation with the University of Cape Towns Geographical Society, which has a year old parliamentary monitoring unit. The unit attends the Parliamentary committee meetings of the following committees: =20 National Assembly: Environmental Affairs and Tourism Portfolio Committee National Assembly: Land Affairs Portfolio Committee National Assembly: Agriculture, Water Affairs and Forestry Portfolio Committee NCOP: Land, Agriculture and Environmental Affairs Select Committee

Detailed reports from each committee meeting are compiled, and with the co-operation of the Parliamentary Monitoring Group (PMG), will be put on the Internet within 48 hours after the meeting on a PMG web page. The monitoring of specific meetings in committees not included above, and which are not covered by the PMG, may be requested. (Coverage depending on time and resources available at the time.)

=B7 A newsletter containing summaries of the Parliamentary meetings, trackin= g of new legislation and regulations, and identifying opportunities for public input, will be published every two weeks and distributed at no charge via post and email. The first edition is planned for the end of March, 1998. More detailed copies of the reports included in these updates can be requested. However depending on funding these may have to be charged at copying and distribution rates. =20 =20 =B7 Historical process reports of particular Bills or issues can be requeste= d from Contact. The reports will be available at distribution and copying costs.

We believe these services will greatly enhance the ability of organisations and communities to impact on environmental issues. In addition it is hoped that the service will create greater capacity within organisations for input into governmental processes. The service is not envisaged as a consultancy nor a lobbying group.

To be placed on the Contact mailing list, Linden Booth can be contacted at mailto:linden@iafrica.com, or by phoning (021) 4486159. If you are replying by email, please include the following information.

Name of Organisation: =20 Address: =09 Tel: Fax:=09 Email : =20 Contact Person: =20 Preferred method to receive bi-weekly updates: Postal Mail or Email (To save paper, email is preferable if available) =20

If you have a network or know of any organisation or individual who would make use of this service, please forward this message. Linden=20 mailto:linden@iafrica.com

Webster Whande University of Cape Town P. O. Box 34662 Groote Schuur, 7937 South Africa tel: 27-21-686 1811 fax: 27-21-650 3726/3819