Mekong Grass Roots Awareness, cooperation and fundraiser initiative |
Spreading the word within the Mekong Nations ‘The Mekong Mega Dam Regional Awareness Initiative’
Lack of information amongst local Mekong peoples is one of the main reasons that the Mekong Dam Cascade has developed to its current status with limited public outcry. This project is aimed at addressing this issue by developing widespread awareness and concern within the region so that more concrete efforts will be taken to address the challenges faced by the Mekong subsistence peoples and their environments.
It is the most vulnerable peoples and environments who will be hardest hit by the dams Photo’s: Marcus Rhinelander and Mick O’Shea
Why is this initiative needed?
The Mekong public and policy makers need to know about the Mekong Mega Dam issues if they are to take appropriate action to protect peoples and environments. Over the years various organizations have produced brochures, web pages, CD ROM’s, short documentaries and promotional videos in an effort to help inform the Mekong public about major food security and environmental issues such as the Mekong Cascade that will come to affect the region. Despite these efforts, most of these mediums have lacked the ability to engage the public or the policy makers en-mass due to the fact that they were not appropriate for broadcast by the regional mass media and because most Mekong people possess poor levels of education and therefore have a limited attention span for ‘NGO talk’.
A unique opportunity now exists to create widespread regional awareness and concern for the Mekong cascade issues using an effective mass media delivery format and a series of seminars.
Mekong Mega Dam Awareness Initiative
Primary Goal: The primary goal of this project is to utilize an educational and entertaining film medium, the power of the mass media and the impact of seminars to create widespread awareness, concern and action amongst the different Mekong region stake holders and communities.
Methodology: To achieve this goal the critically acclaimed environmental documentary film ‘Exploring the Mother of Waters’ will be edited to ensure it will pass regional sensors, dubbed into the 5 major Mekong languages and used as a powerful awareness building tool via the mass media and a series of seminars in order to develop awareness, concern and action aimed at ensuring the Mekong subsistence peoples and their environments are helped to overcome the challenges they face as a result of the cascade.
About the critically acclaimed film: ‘Exploring the Mother of Waters’
The historic first full exploration of the Mekong River by Australian adventurer, author and film maker Mick O’Shea from the source in Tibet to the South China Sea is used as a medium through which to expose the natural and cultural wonders of the region and some of the more pressing issues surrounding the Mekong mega dams.
The 45 minute version of the film has received international acclaim by reaching the finals in no less than 6 international film festivals in the USA, Australia the UK and Canada. The film is currently on a 300 city, 30 nation tour with the Banff Mountain Film Festival. With some modifications to content it will be possible to ensure the film effectively exposes many of the main environmental and social issues the cascade poses in a format that appeals to the people of the Mekong region and will pass the sensors.
Three stages of the Mekong Journey Photos: Stanislas Fradelizi and Hutch Brown for MFDP
12 Primary Steps in the Project:
The rights to the film are to be purchased for unrestricted broadcast throughout each Mekong nation.
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The narration of the film will be edited to be less controversial so that it will pass all sensors while still delivering an important awareness building message.
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The film is professionally dubbed into the 5 national languages of the Mekong nations
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The film is passed through the relevant censorship boards, further editing completed if required.
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The film is to be distributed free of charge to 10 Relevant government ministries in each Mekong nation
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The film is to be distributed free of charge to 10 Universities or higher education facilities in each Mekong nation
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The film is to be distributed free of charge to 20 High Schools in each Mekong nation
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The film is to be distributed free of charge to up to 5 major free to air television networks in each Mekong nation
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The film is to be distributed free of charge to 10 relevant NGO’s in each Mekong nation
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The film is to be distributed free of charge to 20 DVD rental shops in each Mekong nation
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The film is to be distributed free of charge to 5 radio stations in each Mekong nation
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The Director, Producer and Presenter of the Film, Mick O’Shea will travel to each of the Mekong nations and hold at least 3 separate seminars at which members of the Government, NGO’s, Education Facilities, Community leaders and members of the public will be invited to attend.
Budget for Purchase, Production, Sensor Clearance, Distribution and Seminars in Each Mekong Nation.
$2500.00 for purchasing the broadcast rights to the film for perpetuity in each respective Mekong nation.
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$2500.00 Budget for dubbing and publishing film into the national language of each Mekong nation.
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$1000.00 Budget for works related to clearing film for broadcast through the government regulatory body in each nation
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$2500.00 Budget set aside for editing content to attain clearance from regulatory body and mastering / printing DVD’s for distribution.
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$1000.00 Distribution budget to supply the above mentioned organizations with a free copy of the film and supporting materials. Note: Any excess funds that remain from other areas such as editing or language dubbing will be used to broaden the distribution of the film to a larger audience.
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$3000.00 Management budget for Mekong Descent Foundation for overseeing process.
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$3,000.00 Budget for Mick O’Shea to visit each nation and host 3 x separate seminars attended by Mekong stake holders.
Total budget for each target nation of the Mekong $15,500.00 x 5 = $77,500.00
The Mekong Descent Foundation is currently seeking expressions of interest from potential funders in order to make this initiative a success. For Further Information Please contact us at: info@mekongdescentfoundation.org
