A Filipino has been named as one of the top 10 international finalists to compete at the FameLab Climate Change Communicators Online Final this September 2021.
The British Council announced in a news release that John Leo Algo, a climate and environment advocate and citizen journalist who has represented the Philippines and the youth sector in regional and global UN conferences since 2017, made it to the elite group.
“Communication is key to addressing our problems, big or small. The world needs more people that are passionate about conveying the urgency of addressing the climate crisis,” shared Algo, also the deputy executive director for Programs and Campaigns at Living Laudato Si’ Philippines.
The finalists bested other video entrants from around the world, impressing the judges with their three-minute video talks on the theme “Trust in Climate Science.”
The FameLab Climate Change Communicators received entries from aspiring science communicators from Albania, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Serbia, Turkey, Uganda, Vietnam.
Besides Algo, the other finalists are: Aditi Chandra, engineer and entrepreneur at Kay Bouvet Engineering, India; Arka Chakraborty, a student at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh; Danny Joseph Daniels, CVO at Lombris, Mexico.
Emiliane Daher Pereira, researcher at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Larissa Cunha Pinheiro, PhD student in Nuclear Engineering at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Mayur Bonkile, a PhD student at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India.
Minh Anh Le, research assistant at Institute of Health, Economics, and Technology, Vietnam; Navjeet Kaur, a PhD student at University of Mumbai, India; and Pallavi Pokharel, a recent graduate of Kathmandu University, Nepal.
Their video entries covered a range of climate science topics from clean energy to coral reef preservation, breaking down some of the latest international developments in science and technology to help tackle the climate crisis.
The finalists will undergo online training and networking, including a two-day online masterclass with the leading science communicator Wendy Sadler to hone their skills before the final selection.
“We had a great response to FameLab Climate Change Communicators, and we thank everyone who took the time to create and send us their video entries,” Adrian Fenton, senior consultant in Public Engagement at the British Council explained in a news statement.
“It’s been so inspiring to have received such high quality, personal entries from around the world from individuals who share our passion for building trust in climate science,” Fenton added.
Dr. Ahmed Alboksmaty, research associate in the Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London and member of the judging panel for the FameLab Climate Change Communicators video entry round, said: “It was an honor and a pleasure to watch the video entries tackling a range of climate science-related topics. We had some tough decisions to make but the 10 finalists stood out with their content, clarity and charisma—and really made us want to hear more!”
Global audiences will have the chance to hear the finalists at the FameLab Climate Change Communicators International Online Final, which will be streamed on the British Council YouTube channel on September 28.
Moreover, the top FameLab Climate Change Communicator will progress through to the FameLab International Online Final in November 2021, one of the world’s leading science communication competitions.
FameLab Climate Change Communicators is one of many activities the British Council is delivering as part of The Climate Connection programme: the British Council’s global platforms for dialogue, cooperation, and action against climate change.
