Balkans Peace Park Project

• HOME
• NEWS & PRESS RELEASES
• WHAT IS A PEACE PARK?
• BPPP AREA INFORMATION
• AREA MAPS
• SUPPORTING LOCAL ECONOMIES
• TOURISM
• BPP AREA INFORMATION CENTRE
• PROGRESS SO FAR
• EVENTS CALENDAR
• GOALS
• PROJECTS
• LITERATURE / REPORTS
• BPPP EXHIBIT / "A LONG WALK..."
• PHOTO ARCHIVES
• CONTACT US / GOOGLE GROUP
• CONTRIBUTE
• MEMBERSHIP
• THE BPP COALITION
• LINKS / COLLABORATING ORGS
• SHOP
• TERMS AND CONDITIONS

= CONTENT UPDATED SINCE 22/7/08
VISITORS SINCE 27/6/07 -

WHAT IS A PEACE PARK?

The idea of a 'Peace Park' is not new. The first one was created at Morokulian between Norway and Sweden in 1914, at a time of great tension between those countries. A permanent monument to peace was built and inaugurated in the same year. The Waterton Glacier USA/Canada park is celebrating its 75 anniversary in 2007. The IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), based in Switzerland, has listed over 600 'transboundary protected areas' which straddle international boundaries. Some of these have a specific dedication to peace and cooperation between nations. Notable peace parks in the world include:

• Morokulian: Sweden/ Norway
• Waterton Glacier: USA/Canada
• Parque La Amistad: Costa Rica/Panama
• Cordillera del Condor: Peru/Ecuador
• Limpopo: South Africa/Mozambique
• A peace park is being developed between North and South Korea
• The Karelian peace park on the borders of Finland and Russia

A romantic definition

An area of wild, beautiful landscape between two or more countries where visitors, local people and wildlife can move on foot in complete freedom, unimpeded by frontiers, border posts and landmines.

Technical definition

Parks for Peace are transboundary protected areas that are formally dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural and associated cultural resources, and to the promotion of peace and cooperation (IUCN 2001).

IUCN DEFINITIONS:

Protected Area

An area of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural and associated cultural resources, and managed through legal or other effective means.

Transboundary Protected Area (TBPA)

An area of land and/ or sea that straddles one or more boundaries between states, sub-national units such as provinces and regions, autonomous areas and/or areas beyond the limits of national sovereignty or jurisdiction, whose constituent parts are especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural and associated cultural resources, and managed co-operatively through legal or other effective means.

Parks for Peace

Parks for Peace are transboundary protected areas that are formally dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural and associated cultural resources, and to the promotion of peace and co-operation.

TRANSLATIONS OF THE IUCN DEFINITION OF PARKS FOR PEACE:

Albanian

Parqet për Paqe
Parqet për paqe jane zona ndërkufitare, të lira dhe të mbrojtura, kushtzuar mbrojtjes dhe mirëmbajtjes së shumëllojshmeris biologjike dhe natyrore, vlerave shoqrore dhe burimëve kulturore dhe të shtyj përpara bashkpunimin dhe paqen.

Montenegrin/Bosniak/Serbian

Parkovi za mir
Parkovi za mir su zasticena medjugranicna podrucja, posvecena zaštiti i održavanju prirodnih i bioloških bogatsva, društvenih i kulturnih izvora, kao i da unaprede saradnju i mir.