Anwar Fazal

Anwar Fazal, 63, is among Malaysia' leading civil society figures whose contribution to the community in areas of consumer, environment and human rights issues has brought him both local and global recognition. He is particularly skilled in articulating complex multi-disciplinary issues and provide global leadership on public interest aspects of these issues.

Anwar Fazal is a founder and one of the prime movers of nearly a dozen local and global citizens movements (including the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP), Pesticide Action Network (PAN), Health Action International (HAI), and the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA). More recently, he has been involved with setting up 'Water Watch Asia', the Sustainable Transport Action Network (SUSTRAN), Waste Wise Asia, the Asian Partnership for International Migration (APIM) and Transparency International, Malaysia. Anwar Fazal is also a former President of the International Organisation of Consumers Unions (IOCU), based in the Netherlands, Environmental Liaison Centre International (ELCI), based in Kenya and Wetlands International Asia Pacific, based in Malaysia. Since 1991, he has also been a key role player in two United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) projects - Asia Pacific 2000 and The Urban Governance Initiative (TUGI).

He was a key player in developing global codes and guidelines on civil society and human rights relating to breastfeeding, pesticides and other toxics and pharmaceuticals. He initiated several global popular mobilisation initiatives including World Consumer Rights Day (March 15th), World Wetlands Day (February 1st), World Breastfeeding Week (August 1st to 7th), and World Migrants Day (December 18th).

He is a recipient of numerous honors and awards, prominently among them the Right Livelihood Award, popularly known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize", and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) "Global 500" honour. He has also been inducted into the Mother Earth News Hall of Fame.

Anwar has also initiated and chairs the 'Taiping Peace Initiative', a programme based in the town of Taiping (which means 'everlasting peace') in Malaysia to promote the triple culture of inner peace, peace with other people and peace with the environment.

Anwar is also chairperson of the new Malaysian Interfaith Network (MIN) and Sustainable Penang Initiative. He lives on the island of Penang, Malaysia where he is Chairperson Emeritus/Director of World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA).

===n===