EXXON AZERBAIJAN SUPPORTS CELEBRATION OF THE EARTH DAY IN AZERBAIJAN

Over the past few months, Exxon Azerbaijan Operating Company, LLC ("Exxon Azerbaijan"), an ExxonMobil subsidiary, has supported a series of events in celebration of Earth Day to help improve ecological awareness in Azerbaijan. Working together with the government and non-governmental organizations, Exxon Azerbaijan provided funding to clean up parks, plant trees, and conduct environmental education programs among schoolchildren.

With Exxon Azerbaijan support, Humanitarian Informational Analytical Agency "Saniya" and International Public Center for Country Study and Ecological Tourism "Caucasus" have arranged various activities in several Baku schools and orphanages, including interactive lessons on ecological topics, publication of ecological posters and booklets, tree-planting campaigns and others. "Saniya" and "Caucasus" provided books and audio-video materials for biology lessons and held several courses on ecological education and ecological journalism. Project activities also included a radio marathon on "Earth Day" with participation of schoolchildren, government officials and representatives of NGOs and private companies. Elchin Sardarov, director of "Saniya", stated, "A series of educational and practical activities planned in preparation for the Earth Day has helped promote environmental awareness at schools and encouraged volunteerism among schoolchildren and local communities. We believe that such projects could facilitate the process of changing the community's attitude towards the environment around us."

In addition, Exxon Azerbaijan also worked with the Azerbaijan Center of Ecological Training and Experience at the Ministry of Education (Ecological Training Center), to implement an ecological competition "Our Khazar" for best picture, photo and composition on environmental issues. The competition started in December 2003 and was conducted among schoolchildren from 15 regions of Azerbaijan located along the Caspian coast, including Baku, Sumgayit, Qusar, Khachmaz, Lenkoran and others. The project has aimed to increase knowledge of schoolchildren about the Caspian Sea, become more sensitive and careful to the Caspian environment, and provide skills on how to protect the sea and better understand ecological issues.

At the initial stage the organizers conducted special courses on ecological issues for teachers and children, and distributed educational materials for the contest. Children spent the next few weeks drawing, writing and taking photos, and later, their works were evaluated by a jury, which comprised of well-known journalists, artists, scientists, biologists and teachers. Thousands of schoolchildren participated in the "Our Khazar" competition, and their works expressed the young generation's vision of the country's environmental issues.

Drew Goodbread, General Manager of Exxon Azerbaijan stated, "Supporting education and environmental projects in the communities in which we operate is a long term tradition for ExxonMobil. Funding the projects, which help raise public awareness about environmental issues and protect the nature, are extremely important for the young generation in Azerbaijan. Good knowledge of environmental science can play a significant role in securing environmental protection and rational use of biological resources."

The award ceremony for the best photo, picture and essay was held at the Museum center on April 23, and participants and winners of the "Our Khazar" competition received diplomas and presents. Schoolchildren and their parents, representatives of government, international companies and NGOs participated at the award ceremony. The Ecological Training Center has also arranged a week-long exhibition of the best art works at the Museum Center, so that the Azerbaijani community could enjoy these colorful and thoughtful art works on the topic of interest to everyone in the country. Moreover, best photos and pictures were selected and printed in a booklet.

Exxon Azerbaijan's contributions continue to be focused on education and ecological projects. The company has previously supported publication of Azerbaijan Children's encyclopedias, an ecological ABC Book, and helped establish Nature Corners at several Baku schools