Untitled Document

The objective of the Guiana Shield Media Project is to produce information for regional and international distribution about environmental issues in the Guiana Shield territory. This objective will be realized by:

1. Production of VIDEO NEWS RELEASES ( VNR's ) to be distributed to broadcasters worldwide
2. A series of documentaries
3. Multi Media production including: Internet, CD ROMS, News releases, Photography for regional and international education.
4. Training of media workers in the region.

The Project will produce, work and train with members of communities and organizations in the region. Providing skills and modern tools for communication thereby enabling the people of the region a voice for participation in national and international debates regarding the future of their environment.

The GSMP will provide skills and modern tools for communication to enable the people of the region participation in the national and international debates regarding the future of their environment.

Recently several international environment organizations have chosen to make the Guiana Shield territory a focus of attention and to discuss and take actions concerning the changing conditions and needs of the area from a regional perspective, rather then one grounded in the politics of the nation state. Black Eye International is a media cooperative located in the Netherlands. Over the past 15 years members have produced several programmes in Guyana and Suriname. From these experiences Black Eye established the Guiana Shield Media Project.

Two years ago Black Eye produced the programme POISON IN THE LIFELINE which highlighted the events and consequences of the Omai Mine disaster in Guyana (1995 ), tracing the history of the disaster and examining the situation of extractive industries in relation to the 40,000 Amerindian people who live permanently in the interior.

OBJECTIVES OF THE VNR's

The VNR's will be 1 minute, 3 minute and 5-10 minute edited stories as well as 10-12 minutes of B roll material (extra shoots and interviews). They will be made available to broadcasters in the region and distributed world-wide.

We wish to focus on an issue/story from all dimensions - not just problems but also proposed and active action which surrounds the issue/story.

The VNR's will not be DOOM AND GLOOM stories...
The story's should emerge from the people living in the front line of the extractive frontier, describing and presenting social and cultural change from the bottom up. The presentation of these stories, to an international as well as local audience, will contribute to the debate concerning the social, cultural and physical future environment of the Guiana Shield.