Proceedings of the
18 th APFEJ World Congress of Environmental Journalists
October 19 th to 21 st , 2009
Theme: “Educate to End Climate Poverty”
Cinnamon Grand – Colombo 03, Sri Lanka

Jointly Organised by:
The Asia Pacific Forum of Environmental Journalists(APFEJ)
Commonwealth Environmental Journalists Association(CEJA) and
Sri Lanka Environmental Journalists Forum(SLEJF)

Supported By:
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Sri Lanka
Australian Agency for International Development(AusAID)
Friends of the Earth(FOE), Global Green Forum
The British High Commission, Sri Lanka Convention Bureau
Fredskorpsrt, Norway and Several UN and Development Agencies.

Academic Partners:
Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research, Japan
Asia – Pacific Television for Education
Center for Asia Pacific Women in Politics, Philippines
Center for International Forestry Research, Indonesia
Global water Partnership, Sweden
World Conservation Union(IUCN- CEC)
World Meteorological Organization
IWMI - International Water Management Institute
Sri Lanka Ministry of Environment & Natural Resources
Leading Academics of SL University of Colombo, Sri Jayawardenapura and Moratuwa
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
United Nations Environmental Development programme(UNDP)
IPCC-Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Others

The Publication of this Proceeding was supported by the PRe,Nethelands

Funders and Collaborators
Destination Sri Lanka
Congress Venue-Cinnamon Grand, Colombo- Sri Lanka
Congress brief Report
Comments - Memories & From the Heart
List of Congress Participants & Resource Person
Press Coverage - doc 1 / doc 2 / doc 3 / doc 4 / doc 5 / doc 6 /doc 7
Photo Gallery - Cultural Events / Speakers / Diploma Holders / Sessions / Best EJs
Congress Proceedings: Dharman W / Janaka Perera / Abhimani Ranatunge / Manoj Kanakarathna
Congress Secretariat
Congress Full Report
APFEJ 2010 Congress

Proceedings
Audio, Video,PowerPoints and PDFs

The 18th APFEJ World Congress of Environmental Journalists, which was jointly organized by the Asia-Pacific Forum of Environmental Journalists(APFEJ), Commonwealth Environmental Journalists Association(CEJA) and Sri Lanka Environmental Journalists Forum(SLEJF) officially opened on Monday, 19th October 2009 at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo 03, Sri Lanka after confronting the theme “Educate to End Climate Poverty.” APFEJ can be rightly proud of the active participation of the attendees, more than 103 Environmental Journalists, opinion makers from 34 countries. More than 30 papers and keynote addresses were presented by some of the world's leading environmental journalists, environmentalists, climatologists, economists, policy makers, and opinion leaders. You can access videos of many of the presentations here. New videos and audio versions will be added as they become available .

The inaugural ceremony started with lightening of traditional oil lamp and by singing the National Anthem of Sri Lanka. SLEJF Director Dharman Wickramaratne greeted the participants and profusely thanked the funding institutions and support agencies that made the Congress possible He also thanked the participants for journeying from distant places in order to attend this meeting. He said without media's active and innovative role across the regional or world to transform the jargons into communicable messages, the information would only be preserved in files and directories.

At the inaugural session, APFEJ president, Svetlana Dylevskaya, Kazakhstan cited how there were nearly 50 days to Copenhagen and media coverage had reached the ‘tipping point'. The question was whether media was part of the solution – or part of the problem, which the Congress would decide. However, instead of talking at each other, journalists were encouraged to talk to each other.

In Key Note Presentation, British High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Dr. Peter Hayes requested the developing nations not commit the same mistake that the developed nations did 100 years ago by ignoring the impact of environment. They should learn a from the bitter bitter lessons the world has experienced. Speaking on the climate change issue, he said, that the United Kingdom is taking a lead role by appointing committees, committing money and resources to help the whole world.

In Inauguration Speech, Hon Patali Champika Ranawaka Minister of Environmental and Natural Resources, Sri Lanka said nearly seven million people in Sri Lanka had been affected severely in the dry zone due to unexpected changes of monsoon, Chief Guest Environment and Natural Resources. The minister said while developing nations addressing the issue of climate change, they also have to demand substantial emission reduction targets from the developed countries considering their historical responsibility for the present crisis. He said, "There should be equity and common, but differentiated, responsibility if we are to keep to the two centigrade threshold. We have to be mindful about the limited carbon space available for us, developing countries, to improve our economies.Ranawaka said that he was happy to be at the beginning of the world congress on `Educate to End Climate Poverty', at a critical juncture where the global community has to develop a common position during the forthcoming climate change debates in Copenhagen.

Statement by UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer lauded the role of the media in turning complicated climate jargon into useable information product, making them understandable for local people."On climate issue, we generate a lot of information and some are very much complicated for common people to understand," said head of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)."So, I am very excited to see that a group of people plays role in turning the information into product so that people can use the information," he said.

Then awards were presented to of Asia-Pacific Best Environmental Journalism Award, International Green Pen Award, Sri Lanka's best environmental journalists on years 2006 to 2009. The full conference program, including full speaker bios and cosponsor information, click here video.                      Page 02 ...>>>

Sri Lankan Waterfalls

Dharman's Media Guide
of Sri Lanka
Year 2009 Edition

Goodbye Tsunami
- A Vision to action

Sri Lanka
Environmental
Bibliography

Green Success
Stories

Sri Lanka Directory
of Green NGO's

Sri Lanka Directory
of Provincial Journalists

Sri Lanka Directory
of Women Journalists
& Writers

Sri Lanka Directory
of School Environmental
Club's

Diyadama -
A Sinhala Green Magazine

Directory of Environmental
Professionals in
Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Directory of
Environmental
Journalists

Sri Lanka directory
of Professional
Journalists