COM+ The Alliance of Communicators for Sustainable Development wishes you Happy Holidays and a Sustainable 2008

COM+ Award to the Shanshui Center for Nature and Society from China

During a ceremony at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, the Alliance gave its first award for a communications campaign to the Beijing-based Shanshui Center for Nature and Society, in partnership with Conservation International (CI-Shanshui), in recognition of its campaign entitled “For Our Natural Splendor, Gateway to Music”.

Costa Rican Journalists Trained on Climate Change

Last November 22nd, a group of 15 Costa Rican journalists from different media outlets participated in a special on-the-job training on Climate Change and the Costa Rican Perspective on the Way to Bali. The activity was organized by the Costa Rican non-profit organization FUNDECOR, the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) and the COM+ Alliance. Roberto Dobles, Costa Rica’s Minister of Environment, provided the journalists with a general view of the phenomena and the country plan to become carbon neutral by the year 2021. Other issues addressed by experts included the environmental services payment scheme and its contribution to climate change mitigation; the biofuels perspective in Costa Rica; the Peace for Nature Initiative, and Costa Rica’s adaptation to climate change. Participating media included the Nación Group, Opinión Ambiental newspaper, the National Radio Chamber, Summa business magazine and the National Federation of Engineers and Architects magazine.

New COM+ Associate Members

COM+ welcomes Television for Education Asia Pacific (TVEAP), GreenFacts and the Thomson Foundation as new associate members of the Alliance. Established in 1996, TVEAP is a regionally operating foundation that uses television video and Web to communicate about sustainable development and humanitarian issues. The Thomson Foundation is an international media for development non for profit organization, which aims at improving communications around the world by strengthening civil society, working to ensure the voice of the disadvantaged is heard, and fostering balanced debate on major issues of public concern, such as health, environment, gender and education. GreenFacts is an independent non-profit organization, whose mission is to communicate unbiased scientific information on environmental and health topics by producing clear summaries available to a wide audience of non-expert readers. For the COM+ Alliance these new additions represent more opportunities to develop joint communication initiatives and additional strengths to reach together a broader audience on key issues related to sustainable development.

Launching of the IAASTD Initiative

COM+ Alliance is supporting the launch of the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), which will take place on January 24th, 2008, as part of final Inter- Governmental Plenary in Nairobi, Kenya. Some of the COM+ members contributing to this global communications dissemination effort from their fields of expertise include: IPS, DEV TV, TVE, UNEP, World Bank, Reuters Foundation and GreenFacts. The dissemination plan of this key initiative includes the production of news features, press materials, video news releases, DVD, short films and a popularized summary of the leading scientific report.

Brazilian Climate Change Legislators Forum

More than 100 legislators from the G-8 and emerging economies, business leaders, representatives from international organizations and civil society will participate in a major conference which will address key issues such as bio-fuels production, sustainable forests management and technology transfer. Brazilian President will open the conference which is co-organized by the international network of legislators GLOBE and COM+ in cooperation with Brazilian members for Parliament. 

For more information see   http://www.globeinternational.org/

Keeping our promise

578 Journalists Trained by COM+ on Key Issues Related to Sustainable Development

Since the creation of the Alliance of Communicators for Sustainable Development, a total of 578 journalists worldwide have been trained on key issues related to sustainable development, such as climate change, water and sanitation, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, biodiversity, sustainable forest management, and social corporate responsibility. Some of the workshops took place as part of important global meetings, giving journalists -especially those in developing countries- the opportunity not only to cover these meetings and their results, but also to acquire a broader and deeper knowledge of key environmental issues. Our activities have increased over the years thanks to the support of all the COM+ members, donors, collaborators and thanks to the interest of journalists from all over the world.

www.complusalliance.org