EU and UN organized a discussion with Journalists on Climate Change

The European Union (EU) in partnership with the United Nations (UN) facilitated an evening panel discussion for journalists in Papua New Guinea (PNG) on 28th July 2016 in Port Moresby.
The quarterly event, known as YUMI OLGETA, which means “All of us Together” in Tok Pisin, has been organized for the past few years and has obtained popularity amongst journalists. This media industry event is a platform for journalists to network, exchange ideas, and to gain knowledge on the pressing issues in the country.
With an aim to build knowledge-base of journalists and to improve reporting skills on the issue of Climate Change, the event attracted about 40 participants including both senior and junior journalists from different media outlets.
Opened by María Cruz Cristóbal Munoz, Chargé d'affaires a.i of the EU, the event went onto a discussion session on Climate Change, what it is, where the country is at in addressing the issue and what the key messages are when reporting on it. The panel comprised of, Ms. Emmajil Rowanna Boggari-Ahai from the Climate Change
Development Authority (CCDA), Ms. Arianne Kassman who was entitled as a Climate Change Warrior for PNG by NGO 350 Pacific, and Mr. Kevin Dayonga, a senior producer/presenter from the National Broadcast Cooperation (NBC). The session was led by Ms. Gwen Maru from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The panel members as well as audience also exchanged their views and experiences in reporting news on climate change.
All participants reconfirmed that journalists have a critical role to make stories around climate change heard, make people both in and outside of the country recognize the situation, and to urge respective authorities to act upon it. Participants agreed that such stories should be disseminated wider in the public to induce proper and timely action.
EU and UN will continue to support journalists in PNG to build on their knowledge and skills further.