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The third millennium's Sword of Damocles hanging over Sri Lanka, as in many parts of Asia, is the piercing challenge of sustainable development. To take one false step means plunging into environmental destruction, social disruption and cultural deterioration.

Where development means stolen rivers, quenched groundwater, banished wildlife, polluted air and sky-high human zoos, there also come men and women whose clarity of vision light up little green fires on the greying earth - and the promise of future in the souls of all living beings.

This is the calibre of the fourteen green-hearted Sri Lankan men and women, who saw beyond the narrow straits of economism to make our country a more livable habitat for many of its inhabitants, who will walk up the aisle to receive the applause of their fellow-beings world over on October 27.

That is when Sri Lanka Environmental Journalists Forum (SLEJF) will join United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to honour them with Sri Lanka Green Awards in appreciation of the leadership and the social responsibility they have shown in protecting and improving the environment we live in. A chemist

One is a chemist from Kandy. He is recognised for his attempts to reverse what Sandra Postel declares in her book "Pillar of Sand": "When it comes to water, nature has dealt a difficult hand". It did, indeed, for people living in our dry zone when their life-blood, groundwater, was found to contain high concentrations of fluoride and many had their precious teeth decaying with the scourge of fluorosis. But J.P. Padmasiri of the national Water Supply and Drainage Board harnessed his experitise as a Master Degree holder in Chemistry to device a low cost domestic filtering device so that the dry-zoners could enjoy the healthier luxury of drinking defluorided water.

Padmasiri has brought out a profusion of writing on treating rural water and won a merit award last year from the National Science Foundation for the technology he has gifted to the struggle of procuring drinkable water. Environmental success stories like these have been brought to the fore by Sri Lanka Environmental Journalists Forum (SLEJF), an organization that promotes successful environmental ventures in the media.

The SLEJF was launched in 1987 as a professional media non-governmental organization interested in the environmental and development, by co-founder Dharman Wickremaratne, then An environmental journalist working for a Sinhalese language daily.

The SLEJF focuses on improving communication and media-related activity in environmental issues, and training and holding workshops for journalists with an environmental focus.

Bomuru Ella

Bomuru Ella in Nuwara Eliya is a sanctuary and the public assumes sanctuaries to be idyllic havens of the wild animals protected within these precincts. Two young scouts happened to come upon a large leopard caught up in a trap and was about to be put to death by an insensitive crowd gathered at the spot, in this enclave.

"Stop!," cried Chameera Dinath Prasanga and Buddhika Udesh Kumara in unison. One ran to get the help of nearby Sri Lanka Forestry Institute (SFI), keeping the other sentinel by the anguished leopard.

They managed to alert the Wild Life Preservation officials at Nuwara Eliya and it was quite a battle releasing the struggling animal. Though the lack of amenities available to the game wardens eventually resulted in one more endangered leopard breathing its last, SFI highlighted the committed eco-concern shown by two schoolboys by publishing the story in its "Vana Vidurawa" magazine, captioned "A moment when humanity triumphed over savage barbarity".

The presenting of 13 Green Awards will run concurrent to the Opening Ceremony of the 14th Asia-Pacific Forum of Environmental Journalists (APFEJ) World Congress of Environmental Journalists scheduled to be hosted on southern coasts of Sri Lanka, at Eden Hotel, Aluthgama, from October 27 - 31. Environmentalists are expected to fly in from 50 countries, spanning from global giants to emerging diminutives, committed to the cause of preserving the earth we live in. The presence of Imthiaz Bakeer Markar, Minister of Mass Communication, as the Cheif Guest is looked on as forte of strength on this singular occasion.

Green Awards

Sri Lanka Green Awards, the third round of accolades awarded since SLEJF's inception in 1987, are founded on a unique concept, in that no self or external nomination is entertained in considering an award.

The Forum picks candidates through constant monitoring of print and electronic media and evaluations made by personalities and organizations active in the green field. For the 2002 "once-in-three-years" awards, collaborated by the UNEP, 131 names were scanned before 15 filtered through to the final round. Colombo was also the host for the first and second rounds of Green awards presented in 1995 and 1998.

Dharman Wickremaratne says the idea to pick Green Awards came to him in Brazil on June, 1992 during a visit to receive the United Nations Environment Programe (UNEP) Global 500 award on behalf of SLEJF. "your idea is excellent, but difficult, We will help," Wickremaratne recalls two environmentalists from the Philippines and Malaysia, telling him as he sought advice.

This year's sole Green Peace Award has been bagged by a Buddhist

Thera who formulated the country's first group of green bikkhu activists and has lent unparalleled leadership for the peace process in uniting leaders from different religions through "Inter-Religious Peace Foundation".

In 1998, Ven. Madampegama Assaji Thera of Shri Isipatanaramaya, Grandpass, presented to the UN a mammoth petition of 1,000,000 signatories for banning landmines throughout the world. Currently, he is busy with another petition doubling this number, to be presented to the LTTE.

Life-generating water

Life cannot exist without water and this life-generating liquid has been the crux of the rise and fall of many civilisations from time immemorial. The ancient Lanka, the Granary of Asia, was nourished entirely by rain water. A group of visionaries who pioneered and promoted the rain water harvesting technology for the water scarce dry zone households have collectively become the recipient of another Green Award. Lanka Rainwater Harvesting Forum (LRHF) of Colombo is recognised for their contribution in empowering people living in dry areas with access to improved household water and food security. On a visit to the rural southern coastal belt, LRHF's large clay urns straddling alongside village abodes can be a regular feature. "The island has no soil to which his feet have not paid homage, or bewitching sights which his eyes have not feasted on...," was the tribute Sunil Ariyaratne paid a nature-loving traveller when he reached his 64th milestone of life.

There is hardly a lyrical soul in the country for whom his name does not ring an endearing bell, as a prolific writer of fascinating song, verse, prose and scripts. Dharmasiri Gamage, a shepherd to many budding novice writers, receives a Green Award for his past three-year devotion to traversing the far-off nooks and crannies of this beautiful island and penning its intimacies for the public readership. The only Member of Parliament among the thirteen winners, Sanjeewa Kaviratne of Matale, has been singled out for his unique employment of political prowess in leading a dedicated crusade for preserving the environment of the Central Hills of Sri Lanka.

A lawyer

In 1989, a lawyer practising at Panadura picked at Rs. 2, two paper-worn Readers Digests from a pavement book seller. An article titled "Don't let my father die" held him sway and its narrative of a nine-year-old girl winning the Gold Medal of Civilian Brevery in USA for saving her father's life continued to haunt him.

He is Kasun P. Chandraratne, who forged ahead in spite of discouraging barricades and invested his personal funds to establish the country's first Foundation for Civilian Bravery. On the rationale that the "purpose of lives is to ensure the continuity of life", Chandraratne and his Foundation yearly encourage the civilians who risk their lives to save other lives by feting them with the Gold Medal of Civilian Bravery.

"The bravery propounded by us has no geographical, racial or species barriers," he affirms. "Global Civilian Bravery is my ultimate goal."

Young Asia Television (YATV), created in 1995 when Worldview International Foundation obtained a mandate at the UN Earth Summit in Rio to develop a global television on sustainable development, has been lauded for the difficult feat of presenting Sri Lanka's finest media programme on environmental issues, "Mihisara". A weekly television programme, it attempts to neither soft-pedal nor sensationalize issues but respond to the need for clear, comprehensive and audience-relevant information.

It also has an E-Club for people of all ages and a weekly newspaper supplement published in partnership with ANCL's Dinamina and the Daily News.

The twin sisters, Upuli and Chamali Gamage, are named Green Award winners for the singular leadership by which they have inspired the local twin community by forming the world's first Twins Cultural Centre of Sri Lanka, as its President and Vice President. Though tender in age, their efforts to uplift the economically-stricken twin community have been herculean and their Centre already boasts of a singing and dancing troupe, an art council and a sports club devoted entirely to the flowering of twin talent.

Vinya Ariyaratne, the well-known executive director of the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, is recognised for his life-time commitment and contribution to community health and community development throughout Sri Lanka by way of continued research and reports providing guidelines to many aspirants in the field.

Leader of the Green Movement of Sri Lanka Suranjan Kodituwakku, too is named a Green Award winner

for their well-demonstrated efforts in promoting environmental concerns in the recent years. "Isuru Fertilizer" of Suriyarachchi Holdings (Pvt) Ltd is considered as the most excellent of the compost fertilizers offered in the organic fertilizer market and have effected a quiet revolution in converting the cultivator community to appreciate the benefits of organic farming. Sujeewa Suriyarachchi, Chairman' Managing Director, of Suriyaarchchi Holdings (Pvt) Ltd. is conferred a Green Award for having provided the best environmental-conserving leadership in the private sector.

The last, but by no means the least, award winner is Milton Galappaththi, and he is feted for his continued campaign to promote the virtues of spiritual science and how they can benefit humankind. His life theme then is "Man belongs to man".

Members

SLEJF, an NGO established in 1987, with the aim of promoting environment and development and backed by Sri Lanka's Central Environment Authority and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (UN-ESCAP), enjoys a membership of 500 journalists, members and eco-concerned organisations.

The only NGO to wind the prestigious Global 500 Award for environment excellence from UNEP. The APEJF, founded in 1988, is the oldest and largest organization of professional environmental journalists, grouping over 8,000 members in 91 countries over the world.

For more information of Green Awards please contact - slejf@sri.lanka.net.

Issued by - Sri Lanka Environmental Journalists Forum

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