… "Whether by Minoan Group/Loyalward or some other organization, a new development proposal for Cavo Sidero will be submitted. It is important to be prepared with a plan that works with, not against, the special character of the area. To this end an international conference on the future of this area is planned to be hosted by the provincial government of Lasithi.
Thus, the battle to save the Cavo Sidero landscape continues on several different fronts, including a criminal trial set to begin in Khania on April 15, 2011 against the Abbot and seven government expert witnesses. They are accused of fraudulently leading the court into a 1999 decision which secured the Monastery’s ownership of the land against claims by the Greek State.
As part of the effort to protect Cavo Sidero and other sensitive areas from unsustainable development, an international team (who worked selflessly for over three years with little or no pay) filmed a documentary: A Thousand Lost Golf Balls. A film about development (copyright Real-Life Documentaries 2010, directed by Vangelis Kalaitzis). It presents the full spectrum of opinion about this landmark case; the history of the development; and possible futures for this and other undeveloped areas, exploring proposals for sustainable ways of managing the land for generations to come using its natural assets. It is also a record of the landscape as it is today – undeveloped. The film has now been shown at Ecoweek 2010 and the 2011 Thessaloniki Film Festival; a shorter version is to be aired on Greek TV. If you wish to purchase the film or contribute to its expenses please contact Cliff Cook (writer and narrator) [email]Cliffcoo@otenet.gr[/email].
If you have any further questions about the Cavo Sidero area please do not hesitate to email one or both of us at the addresses below.
And so with this letter we officially close this Cavo Sidero petition. We are extremely grateful to all 11014 of you for signing it and helping preserve this landscape from catastrophic development; it was a magnificent response. Thank you so very much.
Jennifer Moody [email]hogwildjam@mac.com[/email]
Environmental Archaeologist
MacArthur Fellow 1989-1994
Research Fellow, Department of Classics
University of Texas at Austin
Oliver Rackham [email]or10001@cam.ac.uk[/email]
OBE, Fellow of the British Academy
Honorary Professor of Historical Ecology
Former Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Authors of The making of the Cretan landscape, 1996, 2004"