Laureates of the Right Livelihood Award from China, Japan, and India came together last week to participate in a seminar in Kathmandu, Nepal, where they shared their expertise and supported 2010 Laureate Shrikrishna Upadhyay of SAPPROS-Nepal in the ‘Make Nepal Green’ initiative.

The initiative, launched in the aftermath of the April 2015 earthquake, consists of a realizable vision of a ‘Green Nepal’; one that combines rural rejuvenation with renewable energy. Solar energy entrepreneur Huang Ming from China joined Lobzang Tsultim of India’s Ladakh Ecological Development Group and representatives of the Seikatsu Club Consumers’ Co-operative Union in Japan as featured Laureates.

Outcomes of this meeting included the creation of a ‘Make Nepal Green Fund’ and a ‘Kathmandu Declaration’, which was designed to serve as a roadmap for the future. The Declaration was presented to the Prime Minister of Nepal Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli by Dr. Monika Griefahn, Chair of the Board at the Right Livelihood Award Foundation. Laureates and press representatives also participated in a field visit to areas near Pokhara, where they examined renewable energy, eco-tourism, and organic farming initiatives and discussed ways in which they can be promoted.

Right Livelihood Award