Tibetan Environmental Researchers attend Environmental Summit in Taipei[Saturday, 1 May 2010, 6:38 p.m.]

Mr. Tenzin Norbu, Executive Head of the Environment and Development Desk of the Department of Information and International Relations, speaks to delegates on the significance of Tibet’s environmental issues in Taipei

Taipei: Tibetan
environmental researchers are participating in the second edition of
the Asia Pacific Greens Network Congress (APGN) in Taipei at Tien-Moeu
Convention Center from 30th April – 2nd May 2010. Over 200
participants from 20 different countries are attending the two-day
environmental conference organised by the Asia Pacific Greens Network,
which is a federation of national Green Parties, social and
environmental organisations in countries in the Pacific Ocean and Asia.
The organisers have invited Tenzin Norbu and Dhondup Dolma
Bhartso, two researchers from the Environment and Development Desk of
the Department of Information and International Relations of His
Holiness the Dalai Lama based in Dharamsala to take part in the
congress.In the opening session, Senator Bob Brown,
Parliamentary leader of the Australian Greens said that APGN 2010 has
gained more strength and got stronger through the collaborative work of
all the Green minded people.  He emphasised that there need to
be change in the mindset of old politics of development, corruption and
greed.  “The meetings like this bring optimism and enthusiasm of the
future of the mother earth,” Mr Brown added.The co-conveners of
the congress are Robin Winkler the founder of Taiwan Wild at Heart
Legal Defence Association and Sandra Peng assistant professor in public
Policy and Management at Shih Hsin University and the founding member
of Green Party Taiwan. They introduced the congress theme “Fair Share”,
logistics, green conferencing aspects. There was a welcome
musical performance by Bunun tribe, one of the thirteen tribes in
Taiwan. The members of the performing group are from Kalibu, Bunun
village located in the central mountains of Nantou County. After
the official inauguration, the organisers arranged an Open Space
Meeting. The participants held group discussions on complex
environmental issues in each session. The Tibetan delegates
put the spotlight on Tibet as the world’s Third Pole and interacted
with other participants with on the crucial issues of Tibet’s
environment.The highlight of the second day of the congress
were keynote speeches by Mr. Apisai Lelemia, Tuvalu Prime Minister and
Dr. Vandana Shiva, Navdanya Foundation with Senator Bob Brown as
moderator.  Dr. Vandana Shiva spoke on the significance of the
Tibetan Plateau, dangerous trends of melting Himalayan glaciers and the
threat to the water security to the riparian countries.  The session
continued with a panel discussion on the “Prevention of Climate Change,
Asia Pacific’s major mitigation challenges, policies and solutions” and
“Living with the impacts of Climate Change, Empowering Communities for
Climate justice”. After the Panel discussion the forum breaks into
different workshops to discuss on various topics that have been set in
a program.  The Tibetan representatives were able to propose a
workshop on titled “Climate Change and Pastoralism on the Tibetan
Plateau.” Along with Tenzin Norbu and Dhondup Dolma, Mr. Suresh
Nautiyal of Uttarkhand Parivartan Party spoke on melting Himalayan
Glaciers.The first APGN Congress was held in Kyoto, Japan in 2005.–Report sent by Tenzin Norbu and Dhondup Dolma Bhartso