In 1987, the World Commission on Environment and Development, also known as the Brundtland Commission, published `Our Common Future', a seminal report that outlined critical environment and development challenges of the decade and provided a blueprint to meet the needs and aspirations of people without compromising those of future generations.
It was the first report that drew links between the environment and economic and social concerns and called for a marriage of ecology and economy - a strategy that unites development and the environment. The report is also known for coining the term `sustainable development' and bringing the concept to the global agenda.
What has been the progress since? Have countries embraced `sustainable development' or are their goals to lift people out of poverty and raise living standards in discord with the concept? What has been the experience in Asia Pacific, a region that has experienced exponential growth, some of the highest in the world, but remains beset with poverty, deprivation and environmental degradation?
To raise greater awareness about sustainable development and its importance in country/subregional strategies, a 2-day workshop will be held for the media from selected countries the region (see list below) in Bangkok October 14-15, 2008. This workshop will look at sustainable development in Asia Pacific, with a focus on countries that have developed sustainable development strategies and action plans. During the workshop, journalists will get first-hand accounts of country experiences in developing and implementing strategies, what progress they have made and challenges they face. The workshop will also explore the notion of sustainable development – Can it work? Does it work and how will it work? - and its relevance in the Asia Pacific context.
This workshop is part of the `National and Subregional Sustainable Development Strategy and Action Plans towards Mainstreaming Sustainable Development in the Decision Making Process' project undertaken by UNEP with the support of the Norwegian Government. The project aims to assist 17 countries and 3 subregions to develop national and subregional development strategies and action plans. Through this project, a partnership was forged with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to assist countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) to develop subregional and national development strategies.
Participants will represent print and the electronic media and, as far as possible, the organizers hope to achieve gender balance. All travel, accommodation and subsistence expenses will be borne by the organizers. They will be addressed by development experts and senior media practitioners. Specific themes include energy security, food security, ecosystems management, and governance issues. There will be several case studies which will be newsworthy and generally illustrative of the approach to sustainable development. The sessions will be highly interactive, encouraging mediapersons to intervene. There will also be a half-day field trip.We invite journalists from the following countries to apply:South Asia: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka Southeast: Viet Nam, Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia, Singapore Central Asia: Kazakhstan, TajikistanNortheast: Mongolia South Pacific: Samoa
Applicants should send a brief CV as well as soft copies of two articles published within the last 12 months or the outlines of two stories in the electronic media which deal, broadly, with some aspect of sustainable development – or the lack of it. If the originals are in languages other than English, please provide a synopsis along with the url of the original articles.Please apply by e-mail with these attachments soon and latest by September 8, 2008 to:
Darryl D'Monte, Consultant, Media Workshop UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the PacificChairperson, Forum of Environmental Journalists of India (FEJI)Kinara, 29-B Carter Road, Bandra West, Mumbai 400 050, IndiaTel 91 22 2642 7088, 2645 9286 Cell: 98203 68872Fax c/o 91 22 2645 8870E-mail: darryldmonte@ gmail.comAnd copy: Ms Tanawan Sarabuddhi at UNEP, BangkokEmail:<kaur@un.org>
