Awards Aim to Find Champions of Biodiversity in Southeast Asia

Laguna, Philippines — Biodiversity conservation projects of youth, corporations, and media in the ASEAN region now stand a chance to be recognized through a regional awards program launched by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) and the ASEAN Foundation.The ASEAN Champions of Biodiversity is a recognition program for ongoing projects on biodiversity conservation and advocacy in Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The award is aimed at generating greater leadership, public and media awareness of the problems facing the region's rich but highly threatened biodiversity.Nominations are open for three categories: Most Outstanding Biodiversity Conservation and/or Advocacy Project by a Private Business/Corporation; Most Outstanding Biodiversity Conservation and/or Advocacy Project by a Youth Organization; and Most Outstanding Biodiversity Reportage by a Media Organization. The nomination form and details may be downloaded from www.aseanbiodiversity.org. Deadline for submission of nominations is on 15 July 2010.Co-funded by the European Union and the ASEAN Foundation through the Japan-ASEAN Solidarity Fund, the ASEAN Champions of Biodiversity will identify leaders among the private/corporate sector, media, and youth from which a cadre of champions will be selected to serve as Ambassadors of Goodwill for biodiversity. The project is supported by the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC), the European Union (EU), the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).Winners shall receive token cash prizes, and will be recognized in October 2010 in time for the Tenth Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity. They will also be given year-round opportunities to speak before business, youth, and media leaders. A publication of best practices will also be produced based on the stories of the finalists and winners.For more information on the ASEAN Champions of Biodiversity, log on to www.aseanbiodiversity.org or www.aseanfoundation.org. The Secretariat may be contacted via e-mail at champions@aseanbiodiversity.org.