Wazzup Pilipinas!?
Behind every transformative movement are the voices that shape it—the thinkers, the doers, the storytellers, and the advocates who breathe life into ideas and turn them into action. The Capacity Development and Training Workshop Series for Media Professionals is no exception. It assembles a constellation of trailblazing experts whose collective work spans science, policy, communications, and advocacy. Together, they form the backbone of a workshop designed to empower journalists and media leaders to report on the defining issue of our time: planetary health.
Speakers and Facilitators of the Capacity Development and Training Workshop Series for Media Professionals at Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, Sunway University, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia:
Behind every transformative movement are the voices that shape it—the thinkers, the doers, the storytellers, and the advocates who breathe life into ideas and turn them into action. The Capacity Development and Training Workshop Series for Media Professionals is no exception. It assembles a constellation of trailblazing experts whose collective work spans science, policy, communications, and advocacy. Together, they form the backbone of a workshop designed to empower journalists and media leaders to report on the defining issue of our time: planetary health.
These speakers and facilitators are not just names on a program—they are frontline architects of change, weaving together expertise across borders, disciplines, and generations.
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Speakers and Facilitators:
1. Nazia Ahmad – Head of Operations, Partnerships and Programme Implementation, Sunway Centre for Planetary Health (SCPH)
2. Fatimah Ahamad – Chief Planetary Health Scientist, SCPH
3. Devin Bahceci – Information Integrity and Anti-disinformation Manager, Global Strategic Communications Council (GSCC)
4. Maisarah Faiesall – Head of Policy, Strategy and Advocacy, SCPH
5. Gunjan Jain – India Lead, GSCC
6. Laila Iskandar – Communications Manager, SCPH
7. Oliver Lacey-Hall – Senior Adviser, SCPH
8. Jemilah Mahmood – Executive Director, SCPH
9. Nik Nazmi bin Nik Ahmad – Member of Parliament for Setiawangsa; former Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, Malaysia
10. Shweta Narayan – Campaign Lead, Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA)
11. Revati Phalkey – Director, International Institute for Global Health, United Nations University, Malaysia
12. Railla Puno – Strategic Initiative Manager, Jade Dialogues, Philippines
13. Kuntal Roy – Climate and Energy Communications Specialist, GSCC
14. Jaya Shreedhar – Health Media Consultant, Internews
15. Shreeshan Venkatesh – Global Policy Lead, Climate Action Network
16. Shailendra Yashwant – Senior Advisor, Communications and Advocacy, Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA)
This lineup of speakers and facilitators is more than a roster—it is a movement in motion. Each name represents a distinct field, yet together, they embody the interconnectedness of planetary health: the way climate, policy, science, media, and justice weave into one story—the story of our survival and our future.
For the media professionals attending, these voices are not distant experts. They are guides, allies, and mentors who will equip storytellers with the narratives, tools, and truth needed to cover the defining crisis of our generation.
Because in the end, planetary health is not a topic. It is the lifeline that binds humanity and nature together. And in the hands of those who inform the world—the media—it becomes a story that can save us all.
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The Scientific Minds: Bridging Knowledge and Advocacy
At the heart of the workshop are scientists and researchers who turn data into purpose. Dr. Fatimah Ahamad, Chief Planetary Health Scientist at the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health (SCPH), embodies this role with her groundbreaking work linking environmental change, public health, and sustainable living. Her research and advocacy are rooted in resilience—building communities that thrive amidst climate disruption.
Beside her, Dr. Revati Phalkey, Director of the United Nations University’s International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH), brings the weight of over two decades of global health expertise. As a physician and epidemiologist, she bridges the worlds of science and policy, ensuring that evidence informs governance and global health systems remain resilient in the face of planetary crises.
Together, their voices remind us that knowledge is power, but knowledge coupled with action is destiny.
The Strategists: Turning Ideas into Policy
No transformation happens without systems change, and here, Maisarah Faiesall, Head of Policy, Strategy, and Advocacy at SCPH, leads with precision. Rooted in global health and human rights, she works to elevate planetary health across ASEAN while empowering youth and ensuring equity lies at the center of sustainability conversations.
Adding depth is Railla Puno, a Filipino lawyer and Strategic Initiatives Manager for JADE Dialogues. Her career, which includes steering the Philippines’ ratification of the Paris Agreement, highlights how legal frameworks can be wielded as tools for climate justice. From Manila to international platforms, Railla demonstrates that policy is not merely governance—it is an act of stewardship for generations to come.
And then there is Nik Nazmi bin Nik Ahmad, Member of Parliament for Setiawangsa and former Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability. His presence underscores the importance of political leadership in planetary health, anchoring the workshop in real-world governance where decisions ripple across millions of lives.
The Communicators: Guardians of Information Integrity
In an era of misinformation, climate denial, and fractured discourse, communicators stand as the vanguards of truth. Devin Bahceci, Information Integrity and Anti-disinformation Manager at the Global Strategic Communications Council (GSCC), takes on this challenge by designing rapid-response strategies and coalitions to counter false narratives. His mission: to restore credibility in climate communication.
He is joined by Gunjan Jain, GSCC’s India Lead, whose two decades of experience in journalism and strategic communications demonstrate the power of narrative in shaping public opinion. Similarly, Kuntal Roy, a climate and energy communications specialist at GSCC, continues this charge, leveraging his background in journalism and advocacy to advance equitable climate action across South Asia.
At SCPH, Laila Iskandar, Communications Manager, ensures that science does not remain locked in laboratories. She translates complex ideas into human stories, bridging planetary health research with public understanding.
And guiding the bigger picture is Oliver Lacey-Hall, SCPH’s Senior Adviser, who has spent over 30 years in humanitarian communications, including leadership roles at the UN. He co-authored the Planetary Health Roadmap and Action Plan (2024)—a compass for global efforts in sustainability and health.
The Campaigners: Driving Justice and Mobilizing Communities
Beyond the ivory towers of academia and policy halls, change is forged on the ground. Shweta Narayan, Campaign Lead at the Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA), has dedicated more than 20 years to mobilizing communities around fossil fuels, air pollution, and health justice. Her advocacy amplifies the voices of those most affected, proving that climate justice is inseparable from human rights.
Shreeshan Venkatesh, Global Policy Lead at Climate Action Network, brings the keen eye of a former investigative journalist to global negotiations. From COP summits to UN assemblies, he translates opaque policy into strategies that citizens and activists can act upon.
Meanwhile, Shailendra Yashwant, a veteran journalist and photographer, has spent three decades documenting environmental struggles across South and Southeast Asia. As Senior Advisor for Communications and Advocacy at Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA), he continues to shape narratives that inspire action at the grassroots and international levels.
The Trainers: Equipping Media to Lead
A workshop for media professionals would not be complete without those who sharpen the skills of storytellers themselves. Dr. Jaya Shreedhar, Senior Health Media Advisor at Internews, embodies this role. A former physician turned award-winning health journalist, she has trained reporters in over 20 countries, ensuring that health reporting remains accurate, ethical, and people-centered. Her expertise provides participants with the tools to not only report, but to report responsibly.
The Leaders: Steering the Planetary Health Movement
At the helm is Dr. Jemilah Mahmood, Executive Director of SCPH and founder of MERCY Malaysia. With a storied career spanning health, disaster response, and humanitarian leadership—including a stint as Special Advisor to the Malaysian Prime Minister—she embodies what it means to lead with both vision and compassion. Her presence at the workshop anchors it in experience and global credibility.
A Convergence of Minds and Missions
This lineup of speakers and facilitators is more than a roster—it is a movement in motion. Each name represents a distinct field, yet together, they embody the interconnectedness of planetary health: the way climate, policy, science, media, and justice weave into one story—the story of our survival and our future.
For the media professionals attending, these voices are not distant experts. They are guides, allies, and mentors who will equip storytellers with the narratives, tools, and truth needed to cover the defining crisis of our generation.
Because in the end, planetary health is not a topic. It is the lifeline that binds humanity and nature together. And in the hands of those who inform the world—the media—it becomes a story that can save us all.
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Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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