Keynote Speaker
Josianne Gauthier is a Canadian lawyer with over 20 years of experience in international development and solidarity, with a strong focus on human rights, children’s rights, social justice and faith inspired advocacy work. She joined CIDSE (Coopération Internationale pour le Développement et la Solidarité) as Secretary General in 2017. Before this, she led the Public Engagement, Advocacy and Campaigns teams at Development and Peace – Caritas Canada, the Canadian member of CIDSE, where she spent several years working on a broad array of issues in the field of international development and policy. Since joining CIDSE, she has been actively involved in networks and actions focusing on Climate justice, Systemic Change, and promoting sustainable lifestyles.
A mother of three young children, she is also passionate about engaging and forming youth on issues of social justice and integral ecology and communicating about personal commitment and just relationships in an accessible way to broad audiences
Josianne Gauthier
Secretary General
Coopération Internationale pour le Développement et la Solidarité (CIDSE)
Website: https://www.cidse.org Email: gauthier@cidse.org
Thematic Speakers
Dr. C.T.S. Nair is currently a freelance consultant in natural resources management with particular interest in tropical forestry. With over 45 years of experience in forest management, research and policy making in several countries and institutions, he has a good insight into the changing relationship between society and natural resources and what needs to be done to make resource management more people centric.
During his stint in India Dr. Nair held various positions in forest administration and forestry research at the state and federal levels. His assignment with FAO took him to many countries including Sudan, Thailand, and Italy. After retirement from FAO, he had another stint with the state government of Kerala as Executive Vice President, Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment. Currently he is the lead consultant for the ongoing Pacific Forest Sector Outlook Study being conducted by FAO.
Dr. Nair’s principal areas of interest are assessment of long-term changes in the use of natural resources, policy and institutional analysis and science and technology management. In addition to his consultancy assignments currently he is managing his family farm which includes a well-developed multispecies home garden, rubber plantation and a sacred grove.
Dr. C.T.S. Nair
Former Chief Economist
Forestry Department- Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
Email: ctsnair47@gmail.com
Dr. Artemio Salazar is an expert in plant breeding mainly on special maize types. He obtained his Bachelor’s Science degree in Agricultural Chemistry and Masters degree in Plant Breeding at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) and his PhD in Plant Breeding at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, USA.
Dr. Salazar is the former National Corn Program Director of the Department of Agriculture. He engaged and did research projects with other government agencies such as the Philippine Competition Commission. At present, he heads the Crop Genetics and Plant Breeding Division of UPLB’s Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB) where he conducts research on corn and sorghum. He is also a Professor in the College of Agriculture where he teaches advanced plant breeding methods and basic population and quantitative genetics.
Dr. Salazar is highly recommended by government and the private sector for his extensive research on corn production and its sustainability for the upland communities, as well as his experience and background in agriculture with special focus on food security, food production, and technology.
Dr. Artemio M. Salazar
Former National Corn Coordinator
Department of Agriculture, Philippines
Email: art.salazar@gmail.com
Lillian, or Lan for short, is the Asia Pacific Regional Director of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Prior to working with WWF, she worked for Oxfam as the Regional Director in Asia.
Lan is an activist and a development worker, with over 30 years of experience working with civil society coalitions, environmental movements, and international women’s rights organizations.
Lilian Mercado
Regional Director- Asia Pacific
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
Website: https://www.worldwildlife.org Email: lanmercado.mla@gmail.com