Conference Opening Ceremony

27 September, Penang - The Asia Pacific Conference officially opened with colourful and lively cultural presentations featuring Malaysian performers at the Copthorne Orchid Hotel Penang.

The conference started with a lion dance by the Xuan Gang Sport Entertainment group welcoming the delegates and Y.B. Pee Boon Poh, Penang State EXCO for Health, Welfare, Caring Society and the Environment who graced and opened the event. There were Malay dances performed by the Serih Pinang Group and playing of traditional Indian instruments by Premkumar s/o Sockalingam and Kumaran s/o Rajangam.

There are about 100 delegates from 22 countries gathered with the aim of strengthening people's movements in asserting and advancing food sovereignty and climate justice and in confronting the food crisis and climate change.

Dr. Irene Fernandez, chairperson of Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN AP) welcomed the participants and set the tone for the conference. She hoped that the conference will be a good venue for discussions on how we can forward the struggle to ensure that there is food for ourselves and the generations to come, as well as, a safe and healthy environment for us to live in.

Sarojeni V. Rengam, executive director of PAN AP, presented the context of food crisis and climate change, as well as, the objectives of the conference.