| Danial Norjidi |
THE Journalist Training Workshop for the Asia Pacific Rainforest Summit (APRS) 2016 kicked off yesterday at the Rimba Horticulture Centre.
The workshop, organised as part of the APRS 2016, has a significant role to play given the increasing importance that environmental issues play in public policy, as well as in daily life.
The participants of the workshop include representatives of various media agencies from Brunei as well as Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Thailand, Vanuatu and Vietnam, all of whom will be covering the upcoming summit when it takes place on August 3-5.
In a press release from the organisers, it was explained that the workshop hopes to empower the participants, to reinforce the importance of the environment, to raise necessary issues and to debate their role in environmental development and its impact.
Throughout the two-day workshop, scientists from the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) will engage with journalists to find the human story in science, make sense of scientific data, as well as visit a forest community to see up front the challenges that they face.
The participating journalists will also gain a better understanding of forestry science research methods, cultivate scientific resources and sharpen their reporting skills through the lectures and field visits.
The workshop began yesterday with a brief opening ceremony, in which Wardi bin Haji Mohammad Ali, the Deputy Permanent Secretary (Tourism) at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism delivered remarks, welcoming the participants.
Wardi bin Haji Mohammad Ali, the Deputy Permanent Secretary (Tourism) at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism delivering his welcoming remarks. – DANIAL NORJIDI
“This workshop has been designed to be practical with exercises to provide skills, encourage participation and exchange information,” he said.
“Let me take this opportunity to thank CIFOR for organising this workshop and using the Brunei forest landscape as samples to exercise during the workshop.”
“I was informed that you will be visiting the Sumbiling Eco Village in the Temburong District tomorrow and doing a stop-over at the Selirong Mangrove Island. You will be visiting one of Brunei’s conservation forests, famous for its elevated concrete walkways cutting through the forest, enabling visitors to walk and enjoy gorgeous nature.”
“It is uninhibited but manned by personnel from the Forestry Department,” he continued. “Get ready to be awed by some of the largest mangroves in the Sultanate.”
He described the Temburong District as the highlight of Brunei as an eco-tourism destination.
“The pristine forests still cover most of the district. The wildlife can still easily be seen in their natural habitat.
“You will be enjoying an hour-long boat ride to the district and at the Sumbiling Eco Village you will be visiting the settlements of one of our indigenous community, the Ibans.
“Finally, I sincerely hope that the discussions in the workshop and the information shared can be applied effectively in your role as journalists and reporters,” he concluded.
The opening of the workshop also saw welcoming remarks delivered by Selina Cho, Deputy High Commissioner of Australia to Brunei Darussalam and Pablo Pacheco from CIFOR.
The facilitator of the workshop is Zubaidah Nazeer.
The Asia Pacific Rainforest Summit that follows the workshop will provide a platform to address these concerns through panel discussions where speakers exchange insights and research on themes crucial to the ongoing conversation on the forests and landscape, building on the momentum of the Paris climate Change Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The APRS 2016 is the second of its kind, following a successful inaugural one in 2014 in Sydney, Australia, which resulted in the formation of the Asia-Pacific Rainforest Partnership.
This year’s summit is hosted by the Government of Brunei Darussalam and supported by the Government of Australia, with CIFOR as the science and engagement advisor.
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