By Mariam Namakula
One of Uganda’s leading and youngest media houses, News 24/7 together with other partners have launched the first ever Eco film festival.
The event that is supposed be held annually is geared towards driving the public’s attention towards the much pressing issues of climate change, the small individual actions that can mitigate its effects but also draw stakeholders closer to the young people that have created solutions.
Ms Amy Petersen, Cultural Affairs Officer at the US Embassy credited the fest for their great connection between the works of journalists and conservation to investigate and inform the community on how to combat its effects.
“The USAID is looking in the same direction of sustainable economic growth, critical climate adaptation and conservation including the latest program that involves strong agriculture development investment through sustainable seed development resistible to climate changes. The News 24/7 is doing exactly what many other media houses should be doing,” she said.
Ms Etsegenet Bezabih Yimenu, the Ambassador of the Republic of Ethiopia welcomed the move of considering the climate and conservation as one of the critical issues around Africa which leaders must take seriously.
“This is a conversation which should have started like yesterday because where I come from, we are also grappling with these problems but if the media is taking it up like then we are on the right path,” Ms Estegenet said.
The first ever Eco Film Festival launched at Fairway Hotel was attended by Mr David Kabanda, Executive Director Center for Food And Advocate For Human Right Grace Bwenje, National Planning Authority and among others Bridget Kyalikunda an Environmental Scientist.
The festival included showcasing of five investigative documentaries like; The Wasted Crane which unearths the extinction of Uganda’s National bird, Hunger and Kampala’s Air pollution which tackles bees and their importance in the ecosystem.
Another documentary was titled “A Bat Valley Without Bats”, Bird Man Conflict and Snake Man among others.
The Eco films were produced by journalists from News 24/7 which say they want to take it across the country to schools and thereafter to the entire region. They however decry lack of funding for the projects.
Ms Vanessa Nakate, a climate activist, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador who gave the keynote address said that it’s key that everyone used their voices, platforms and resources to address the crisis since no one was too small to transform the world and that no action was not too small to make it a better place for everyone.
“We want a world that is clean, healthy and sustainable and whatever action you take today will challenge the fate of millions of people across the world. Find something to do, we need to do something not only for the present generation but also for the future, she asserted.
Speaking during their launch on Friday 28, the Managing Director News 24/7, Mr Daniel Lutaaya noted that as media they had long been sidelined on issues to do with climate change and have always done the reporting for the others
He noted that as part of this festival, was the need to use journalistic tools to also engage directly in climate change activism so as to ignite the required change but also transform.
“As journalists, we have to lead the perception of the public. We decided deliberately to have Eco film festival annually so that there is an opportunity that serious stories that can change the world be told and in the most compelling ways possible,” the ED suggested, adding that they were now fighting bubble gum journalism were every journalist was looking up-to the latest scandal but however conveying news that could only be consumed for a while and without impact.
Mr Derrick Wandera, General Manager News 24/7 said that the media has not prioritized the issues around environmental conservation indicating that they should be at the forefront because of the effects they have on everyone across the world.
“When you look at Uganda’s dailies, if you have a chance to see a story about the environment or Ecosystem you will have to flip the paper to page 63 or if it were in the news bulletin of TV, it will be in the fourth segment. This is very risky because these matters need urgent attention,” Mr Wandera said.
Shaban Senyange, one of the panelist however noted that the issue with conservation was not that Ugandans cared less about nature but it was difficult to tell the ordinary Ugandan about conservation without having a conversation of how they benefit from these resources
“Its going to be very difficult to tell people to care about the animals when the first thing that comes into their mind is to sustain a living and that has been the missing link,” Shaban emphasized.
