Islanders arrive for Nadi environmental journalism
congress
22 July, 2000
Nauru, Kiribati, Tuvalu first in for Nadi environmental
journalism congress
Source: PINA Nius Online
Participants from Nauru, Kiribati, and Tuvalu arrived at Nadi
yesterday, the first to fly in for next week's environmental
journalism congress in Fiji.
The Pacific Islands News Association's PINA Pacific Forum of
Environmental Journalists is going ahead with hosting the
congress despite the continuing Fiji crisis.
It is a joint congress of the Commonwealth Environmental
Journalists Association (CEJA) and Asia-Pacific Forum of
Environmental Journalists (APFEJ).
The theme is "Climate Change: The Role of the Media."
The congress was originally due to be held in Fiji's capital,
Suva, in early June then was postponed to now because of what was
happening in Fiji. There had been some suggestions to cancel it.
But PINA PFEJ general secretary Nina Ratulele said despite the
continuing crisis in Fiji, PINA has got strong support for going
ahead from CEJA, APFEJ and PINA members.
"Our Asian colleagues especially have been very helpful in these
stressful times and are still coming," she said.
"This congress is very important for our region because it will
focus on topics that will help environmental journalists
understand our islands issues better."
She said key local sponsors had to pull out because of the Fiji
crisis and this had caused difficulties. But "good friends" of
PINA and environmental journalism are now coming in to provide
support to help ensure the congress goes ahead.
The congress will include the presentation of the International
Green Pen Awards for Environmental Journalism and the APFEJ
Asia-Pacific Environmental Journalist of the Year award.
It will also feature presentations on environmental issues by
such Pacific Islands organisations as the South Pacific Regional
Environment Programme (SPREP), the South Pacific Applied
Geoscience Commission (SOPAC), South Pacific Tourism Organisation
(SPTO) and University of the South Pacific (USP) Institute of
Applied Sciences.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
(UNESCO) Pacific Islands offices are also strongly involved in
supporting the congress.
On climate change, the congress will focus on issues such as:
* the need for reliable and accurate information on issues
relating to climate change and small islands states;
* the need for international coverage to be supplemented by added
reporting of the relevant issues at the national and regional
level;
* the need for people to know more about solutions, rather than
just the problems;
* the need for information to go where it is needed most.
ends
Islands Business International
http://www.islandsbusiness.com
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