For Immediate Release:	March 28, 2002
For More Information:	Roger-Mark De Souza, Population Reference Bureau (PRB), rdesouza@prb.org, (202) 939-5430
Sponsor Organization:	Population Reference Bureau
Johannesburg, South Africa Aug. 26 - Sept. 4, 2002
Dear Colleagues: We at the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) would like to inform you of an exciting opportunity for influential developing country journalists to attend and cover the upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD or Rio+10). The Summit will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 26 August to 4 September 2002. The WSSD presents an excellent occasion to give pressing regional sustainable development issues high-profile media coverage that will reach policymakers, opinion leaders, and large public audiences around the world. During the Summit, major global actors, including governments, concerned citizens, UN agencies, and multilateral financial institutions, will meet to access global change since the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED or the Rio Summit). According to the UN, the WSSD will "reinvigorate, at the highest political level, the commitment to sustainable development and to a North/South partnership and a higher level of international solidarity to the accelerated implementation of Agenda 21 and the promotion of sustainable development." To expand and sustain coverage of population and environment linkages and issues of sustainable development, PRB will fund 8 - 10 developing country journalists to cover the events and issues associated with the WSSD. In order to assist journalists, PRB will organize: a two-day pre-Summit seminar in Johannesburg on important regional population-environment topics, sustainable development, UNCED, and the issues and expected outcomes of the WSSD. Together with PRB, prominent international speakers will conduct participatory sessions that will include technical information and editorial discussion sessions. information exchanges with key experts and policymakers during the Summit, including special one-on-one interview opportunities. interaction with Summit attendees and policymakers to cover events and issues addressed at the Summit. a reception for journalists and selected key individuals and policymakers at the Summit to further facilitate interaction. a post-Summit compendium of stories on the challenges and highlights of the WSSD. Selection of the participants will be based upon the experience of each candidate in journalism, the candidate's record of writing on population and environment topics, and the strength of the candidate's application. Specifically, we are seeking senior-level journalists, editors and senior producers who: cover environment, population and development topics in their media; represent mainstream and influential media (daily newspapers, popular magazines, radio, television, and wire services)that have a large circulation or whose broadcast media reach large audiences; work with publications or programs that are produced no less than six times per year; and are functionally fluent in English. Journalists who participate in the program are expected to: link environment and population issues in their stories; participate in the pre-Summit workshop; file stories or produce pieces during and after the Summit; send copies of their articles, reports, and features to PRB staff following the WSSD. These materials will form the basis of a post-Summit compendium of stories featuring the challenges and highlights of the WSSD. Sponsorship for the program is provided by PRB's Population, Health, and Environment Program through the MEASURE Communication project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Journalists who participate in the program will receive round trip airfare and 14 days' (23 August - 5 September 2002) support for hotel, meals, and other conference and travel-related expenses. See the attached description of the event for more program details. If you have further questions, please contact Buffy Baumann by email: bbaumann@prb.org; phone: 202.939.5436; or fax: 202.328.3937. To apply to participate in the Rio+10 events, please fill out and submit the attached application by fax (202.328.3937) or email no later than 22 April 2002. If submitting an application by fax, please send us an email notifying us of your intent to do so. Applicants will be notified of acceptance status by 30 April 2002. Sincerely, Roger-Mark De Souza Technical Director Population, Health, and Environment Program For the WSSD description, go to: http://www.planetwire.org/wrap/files.fcgi/2496_WSSD_activites_and_PRB-PHE_description.htm For the application to attend WSSD, go to: http://www.planetwire.org/files.fcgi/2497_WSSD_application_form.htm