Each of the past six years, Kigali has celebrated the Kwita Izina, a naming ceremony for gorilla babies born in the previous year.

This year the spectacle, attended by some 30,000 Rwandans, was marked by a particular climax: Rwandan President Paul Kagame received an honorary award for his efforts in environmental protection and sustainability, presented by ENERGY GLOBE initiator Wolfgang Neumann. Kagame was very pleased about the distinction, especially because Rwanda was selected as this year's host for the UN World Environment Day.

Even before the impressive award presentation ceremony, everything at the Kwita Izina pointed toward ecology and the future: Prominent guests symbolically named the gorilla babies. Participants at the naming ceremony included UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner, UNEP climate hero Luo Hong, and the winner of the ENERGY GLOBE World Award 2010, Bhagwati Prasad Agrawal. Likewise Viktor Lazlo, guest star at the ENERGY GLOBE Gala two days before, was an invited VIP.

Photo: President Paul Kagame receives the Honorary ENERGY GLOBE Award on behalf of Rwanda's environmental  photo for download (JPG, 1806 kB)

-> photo gallery of the event (JPG, 1806 kB)

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