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Click on the links below to learn more about AFEJ.
AFEJ was originally named the Asian Forum of Environmental Journalists.
It was officially formed in January 1988 at a regional conference in Bangkok, Thailand, on Media and the Environment in Asia organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP).
Since then, seven chairmen have headed the forum, representing the key environmental journalist groups in its member countries. From only 11 initial National Forum of Environmental Journalists (NFEJs) originally affiliated with AFEJ, this has grown to 37.
Countries within the AFEJ Network
East Asia - China, South Korea, Japan, Macau, Mongolia
South-East Asia - Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
South Asia - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
Central Asia - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
West Asia - Albania, Algeria, Bosnia, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Slovenia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey
Pacific - American Samoa, Australia, Northern Marianas, Cook Islands, Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, Marshall Islands, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
Faith and nature - living in
harmony
AN OVERVIEW OF AFEJ ACTIVITIES
- Support program for national forum members
- Publication of a handbook for journalists reporting on the environment
- Specialized regional training workshops on environmental reporting
- Publication of newsletters
- Journalist exchange programs
- A monthly environmental news clippings service
- Clearing house on environmental information
- Seminar on environmental issues for Asian journalists, May 1988 - Kathmandu, Nepal
- Workshop on environmental issues in agriculture and rural development on Asia, July 1989 - New Delhi, India.
- Regional media workshop on environmentally sound and sustainable development in Asia, October 1989 - Beijing, China
- Regional Seminar for Asian environmental journalists, December 1989 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Asian Best Environmental Journalist Award winner - August 1990
- Three week environmental study tour of Germany by 12 Asian journalists - August 1990
- Exchange program of AFEJ national chapters, May and June 1990 - China, Thailand, Nepal and Bangladesh
- One month intensive course and study tour for Asian environmental journalists in the USA, 1991 - Preston, Virginia, USA
- Workshop for media to promote UNCED objectives in the Asia-Pacific region, October 1991
- People's reports on State of the Environment in Asian Countries - Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
- Regional seminar for media in Asia, April 1992 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Development of Environmental Training Modules, 1992
- Regional media workshop on reference book on the environment, November 1993 - Kathmandu, Nepal
- The Environmental Journalists Training and Specialization Program in Asia and Pacific, March 1994 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- AFEJ two-week Fellowships for four Asian women journalists, 1995 - Chaing Mai, Thailand
- Updating and reprinting Environmental Reporting Handbook - 1996
- International Congress of Environmental Journalists, November 1996, Cebu, Philippines.
- Eco Tourism Award winner, 1996
- Consulting meetings for Asia-Pacific NGOs and media, 1990 and 1995, Thailand
- Asia Pacific Editors Workshop, July 1996, Beijing, China.
- Host of United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Your World travelling photo exhibition (Sri Lanka, Philippines, Singapore & Malaysia)
- Hosting International Media Congress, "Environmental Journalism Beyond 2000", October 1998 - Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Participation of more than 100 AFEJ journalists in United Nations environmental workshops, seminars and symposiums
- AFEJ annual congress: 1988-90 & 1995 - Thailand, 1992 - Malaysia, 1993 - Nepal, 1998 - Sri Lanka, 1999 - Bangladesh, Fiji - 2000, Malaysia - 2001
AFEJ leaders taking part in
an environmental study tour of Germany in 1990
AFEJ members work in some of the poorest countries in the world and face many devastating environmental problems. As journalists working to honestly report environmental problems, AFEJ members face constant harassment, threats and violence. Some of the major issues in the region are:
- Deforestation caused by shifting cultivation, timber exploitation, fuelwood collections, and encroachment of agriculture on forests
- Coastal erosion and resulting damage to beaches, coastal conservation and communities
- Overfishing and coral reef destruction
- Soil erosions and loss of agricultural productivity of the land
- Pollution of water bodies, coastal eco-systems and beaches caused by the discharge of industrial pollutants and raw sewage
- Projected sea level rises due to global climate changes, landslides, floods and other natural disasters, the victims of which are predominantly from the poorest segments of society, who are compelled to take the risk of occupying vulnerable areas
- Siltation of reservoirs built for irrigation and/or hydropower generation purposes
- Poor natural resource management and land use patterns, resulting in marginalization of lands, loss of productivity and depletion of non-renewable resources
- Atmospheric pollution from vehicle emissions and industries
- Urban expansion with unequal infrastructure growth, resulting in the proliferation of slums and shanties and many other urban problems
- Loss of wildlife species and bio-diversity due to destruction of natural habitat
New office-bearers of the AFEJ Executive Committee elected at the Dhaka Congress.
Chairperson: Dr Dharman Wickremaratne (Sri Lanka)
Chairperson - Sri Lanka Environmental Journalists ForumDeputy Chairperson: Nina Ratulele (Fiji)
Secretary - PINA Pacific Forum of Environmental JournalistsRegional Directors (6):
Central Asia - Lida Astanina (Kazakhstan)
Editor - Greenwomen Ecological News AgencySouth East Asia - Manuel Satorre Jr (The Philippines)
Chairman - Philippines Environmental Journalists Inc.West Asia - Ziyad Alawneh (Jordan)
Regional Coordinator - Med Eco Media NetworkEast Asia - Yang Mao (China)
Chairman - China Forum of Environmental JournalistsSouth Asia - Mangal Man Shakya (Nepal)
General Secretary - Nepal Forum of Environmental JournalistsPacific - Juliet Fox (Australia)
Media Representative - Friends of the Earth (FoE) AustraliaSecretary General: Quamrul Islam Chowdhury (Bangladesh)
Chairman - Forum of Environmental Journalists BangladeshAssistant Secretaryl: Zaigham Khan (Pakistan)
Chairman - Pakistan Forum of Environmental JournalistsAuditors (2):
Soodhakur Ramlallah (Mauritius)
Chairman - Mauritius Union of Environmental JournalistsDip Hoa (Vietnam)
Vice Chairperson - Vietnam Forum of Environmental JournalistsExecutive Members (6):
Darryl D'Monte (India)
Chairman - Forum of Environmental Journalists IndiaAmanda Katilli-Niode (Indonesia)
Chairperson - Syarifa Foundation for Eco MediaMalle Boorsiripunth (Thailand)
Associate Professor - Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communications, Thammasat UniversityVijay Menon (Singapore)
Secretary General - Asian Mass Communications Research and Information CentreAditya Man Shrestha (Nepal)
Founder Chairman - Asia-Pacific Forum of Environmental JournalistsShigeyuki Okajima (Japan)
Chairperson - Japanese Forum of Environmental JournalistsPhilip Mathews (Malaysia)
Assistant Director General - Institute of Strategic and International Studies
PAST AFEJ CHAIRPERSONS
Chanchal Sakar -
India
Ad-hoc Committee Chairman
(February 1985 to January 1988)
Aditya Man Shrestha
- Nepal
(January 1988 to October 1990)
Adlai J Amor -
Philippines
(October 1990 to April 1992)
Philip Mathews -
Malaysia
(April 1992 to November 1993)
Atty Manuel Satorre
Jr - Philippines
(November 1993 to November 1995)
Ivan Lim Sin Chin -
Singapore
(November 1995 to October 1998)
Dr Dharman
Wickremaratne - Sri Lanka
(October 1998 to present)
There are four elements in the AFEJ logo - the plant, the large circle, the map and the acronym AFEJ.
The plant symbolizes all living things on earth. Its five leaves represent the "Puncha Tatwas" or the sun, water, air, earth and sky. All elements are interdependent.
The plant forms a letter J for journalism. The map of the Asia-Pacific, enclosed in a small circle, is a simple representation of the large land and sea mass the region encompasses - from the Middle East and Central Asia to the far reaches of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
The large circle represents the environment, taking in Asia, the Pacific and the rest of world
AFEJ's thanks go to the following organizations that have supported AFEJ during the past decade.
United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
(UN-ESCAP)
United Nations Environment Program - Regional Office of Asia and
Pacific (UNEP-ROAP)
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
The Commonwealth Foundation (TCF)
Norwegian Agency for International Development (NORAD)
Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries
(HIVOS)
United States - Asia Environmental Partnership (USAEP)
United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
The World Bank
Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID)
The Asia Foundation
Danish International Development Assistance (DANIDA)
Fridrick Nauman Foundation (FNF)
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Rockefeller Foundation
Ford Foundation
European Union
Goethe Institute
Australian Volunteers International
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