The Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme Dominica, which is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNEF-SGP), has partnered with Dominica-based CultureMedia Services Inc. in order to address communication and messaging gaps on environment and sustainable developments issues in Dominica. This partnership will begin with two webinars and a face to face training workshop in April 2022.
The capacity building project entitled Increasing visibility of SGPs in Dominica and Enabling Greater Access To Information on Environmental Matters Through Environmental Education Programme with Local Languages. Empower Civil Society Partners for Community Action A virtual webinar for civil society organizations will be offered. Wednesday 13ThApril, 2022,On Wednesday, 20th, a second webinar is scheduled to be held that targets national media and major national agencies.Th April. Both webinars will take place between 10 a.m. and 1:00 pm on the designated dates.
These activities are part a larger programme of sensitisation, capacity building and environmental issues in Dominica. They also serve as a way to increase the visibility of GEF-SGP and showcase the work of the programme.
As we are fully aware, our environment is imperilled as a result of climate change because of global warming and therefore it is imperative that every sector and every segment of the population understands the impacts that this is having on our country and the need to be fully mobilised, especially at the organisational and community levels to take action to preserve our environment and help us develop best practices to adapt to and mitigate against these impacts,” Director of the CMSI, Sobers Esprit stated in a press release.
He said, “The programme will also draw attention to the many man-made activities that have negatively impacted our environment, including issues like the indiscriminate and poor waste disposal practices and land degradation issues. The GEF SGP has provided funding to us to help draw attention to the very important issues that affect our ability to build a climate resilient country and pursue sustainable development.
The webinars will be followed by a training workshop on April 27th. This workshop will target media, public, and private sector entities with communications capability, SGP Grantees as well as representatives of womens’, youth, indigenous, disability, and other civil societies partners.
These sessions will raise awareness, educate and skill citizens to steward the environment. They also build capacity and provide sustainable solutions to the intractable problems posed by climate change and other natural or human actions.
Participants will have the opportunity to use the best media and communication tools available to mobilize local people and groups. The webinars will feature presentations from a variety of public sector institutions, including the SGP Dominica, grassroots organizations involved in advocacy and community-based action, and technical experts from CMSI. The training workshop will offer participants the unique opportunity to create creative and culturally appropriate content to inform, educate, mobilize and mobilize local communities in order to address the impacts of the climate crisis as well as other major environmental issues that continue to affect Dominica.
After these initial sessions, environment-related messaging will be developed using the main languages of Dominica, English, Kweyol and Kalinago, and using a variety media formats. These messages will be distributed via traditional media, social media and collateral media products over the coming months. The programme will also involve young people in a performing arts program where they will be able create performance-poetry or songs using the themes from the education sessions.
The education program will, in general, aim to fill the information gap about the vital work of the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme Dominica.
Register now to join the webinar at the link below.
https://undp.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0tf-qgrzwuHdOWCzK-7rNIR-zuLZ_ucm7x
