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This page gives summaries of projects which have received funding through APE from the sales of Rhythms del Mundo Cuba. If you wish to apply for funding, click here.
Projects Selected for RDM Funding |
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GLOBAL CORAL REEF ALLIANCE Only by combining the best of traditional and modern
knowledge can communities hope to avoid severe ecological and economic disruption and adapt to future changes.
 This project works with Aboriginal peoples of Northern Australia, documenting traditional knowledge and its relevance to climate change. It looks at proven techniques in coral restoration and demonstrates the capacity of indigenous people to adapt and survive in the face of great odds.
This project will focus attention on the extraordinary knowledge of the Arnhem Land aboriginals & Torres Straits islanders (the only two areas of Australia that have remained in native hands) and the value of this knowledge in the face of our shared global crisis. The project ties together the ancient traditions of aboriginal peoples, long-term observations of climate change from photography, scientific data, and unrecorded observations, and proposes strategies to protect and restore ecosystems that are severely threatened by global warming and sea level rise. The project will also prepare the first photographic database of long-term change in the entire Great Barrier Reef, initiating pilot projects in reef restoration at Mer in the Torres Straits and Millingimbi in Arnhem Land, and will measure the potential of tidal energy resources .
http://www.globalcoral.org |
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HEART OF BRAZIL EXPEDITION Satellite images of the Amazon demonstrate that occupation
by indigenous people is by far the most effective way to
preserve the rainforest. The Amazon forest is at risk of drying out as an early result of climate change. This is made worse and is accelerated by logging and deforestation. Destruction of the forest will damage the climate system which provides rainfall to the south of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, putting the whole of this huge, agriculturally-productive region at risk of desertification, bringing it into line with other land areas in the same latitude such as the Atacama desert, Namibia and the Australian outback. |
Worse still, the destruction of the Amazon rainforest will release an inconceivable amount of carbon into the atmosphere as a potent mix of carbon dioxide and methane, causing a rapid increase in global warming, which will affect the entire planet. It is therefore vitally important to take every possible step to reduce and ultimately to halt completely the destruction of the Amazon forest. The Heart of Brazil Expedition will navigate an open boat along the entire length of the Amazon's Xingu River and will visit around fifty Indian villages along the way, with the objective of highlighting the important part the Indians play in maintaining and conserving the Amazon rainforest, thereby mitigating the effects of climate change. The research and information gathered from the boat journey will result in a public education/information programme in the UK and Brazil using various media such as radio and television broadcasts and documentaries, a book, a travelling exhibition, talks and seminars. Other projects will provide assistance to the indigenous communities in policing the boundaries of their land, and in developing appropriate sources of income to sustain their way of life without endangering their culture or their environment. Indigenous communities are key to reducing and ultimately to halting the destruction of the Amazon forest; “If the Indians go, the forest will fall”. www.ipcst.org
www.ipcst.wordpress.com
www.ipcst.org/dailylife/
www.bbc.co.uk/portuguese...
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COECO COSTA RICA Making the link between forests, bio diversity and climate change. In Costa Rica, a region with pristine rainforests and incredible bio diversity,
climate change is not yet part of the political or social agenda. Through publications,
radio programs, research and workshops into climate change, forests and bio
diversity, this project hopes to build a social ‘climate change movement' in
Costa Rica. COECO plans to facilitate and co-ordinate an agenda to combat climate change which is not compromised by the conflicting self-interests of government and some environmental organisations.  Using current campaigns in Costa Rica, such as those that are developing sustainable energy models, campaigns against plantations and deforestation , the protection of bio diversity and the sustainable community management of natural resources, COECO hopes to build dialogue and facilitate the linking of these disparate projects under one umbrella. An important focus is to link the advance of monocultures for biofuels with the loss of forest and biodiversity, and ultimately, to climate change. It will also act as an advocate for climate change issues by systemic analysis of current governmental policies and laws, with the aim of raising awareness and building social alliances which support conservation and appropriate development.
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CLIMATE ARK PORTAL The most used, comprehensive and up to date source of climate change
information on the internet. The Climate Ark web site promotes reductions in carbon dioxide and greenhouse
gas emissions, renewable energy, energy conservation and the end of
deforestation, in order to begin the process of climate stabilization. Climate Ark
provides unprecedented climate change search engines, news tracking and archiving,
blogs, links, action alerts and more.  The project's activities will focus on the continued development and implementation of a toolbox of information, strategies and products that harness emerging internet communication technologies to bring about positive climate change policy developments. It hopes to facilitate increased awareness of the all parties that are actively working towards mitigating climate change and to support grassroots climate campaigns.
This important work is almost entirely supported by small donors and is currently under-financed. So, supporting this project will enable the improvements that need to be made in order for Climate Ark to fulfil its potential as the best internet source of information on climate change. www.climateark.org |
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JOHN SEED AUSTRALIAN ROADSHOW
Tools for Transformation: participating in real, grassroots,
community-based solutions.
John Seed's ‘Climate Change Despair & Empowerment Roadshows' aim to catalyse,
invigorate and support a dynamic and strong climate change movement across
Australia. Through the existing network of Climate Study/Action Groups in Australia, the Roadshows raise awareness and inspire political action for real, grassroots, community-based solutions and they also provide resources and information to facilitate these projects.
 The Roadshows consist of multi-media presentations, discussions on the psychology of despair and empowerment, and how to get active and participate in the myriad solutions that are emerging within local climate study/action groups.
www.climate.net.au
"Our previous roadshow was one of the factors which led, a week or two before the Australian elections, to Bob Carr promising to protect all remaining old-growth forests in northern New South Wales and a few weeks after the elections honouring this with the reservation of 65,000 hectares. APE's grant will help us to continue this vital work." John Seed, Founder |
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KYOTO2
Setting the framework for a second Climate Change Protocol.
Kyoto2 aims to come up with a set of proposals for a second Climate Protocol
under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Kyoto1 expires in 2012 and there is a need for Kyoto2, a system for the global regulation of greenhouse gas emissions that has a real chance of being effective while also potentially raising billions of dollars a year to invest in tackling the causes and consequences of climate change.
 Kyoto2 proposes some radical and profound changes to the existing climate protocol which will enable it to build on the progress already made. These include creating a unified global system for regulating greenhouse gas emissions, the allocation of greenhouse gas production quotas and caps and the allocation of funds raised from emissions quotas.
Funding this project will enable further research and development into the complex issues of creating global regulatory systems, and will facilitate the understanding of the economic implications these systems will have. It will also help in the promotion of Kyoto2 via meetings, symposia and conferences.
www.kyoto2.org
"This grant represents an important vote of confidence in the Kyoto2 initiative and one that comes at a critical time. The funds provided will be the first received and will therefore enable us to extend our activities and campaigning into new areas where lack of finance had previously blocked participation." Oliver Tickell, Kyoto2 |
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CLIMATE OUTREACH INFORMATION NETWORK (COIN)
Achieving permanent reductions in household greenhouse gas emissions
by working directly with individuals and households.
COIN's focus is action-centred and their approach is to educate and inform people on the impacts and challenges of climate change, demonstrating the practical steps that people can take to reduce these impacts.
COIN identifies both the opportunities that enable people to reduce their emissions and the many obstacles that hold people back, and devise innovative and effective ways of communication that encourage people to share their experiences. In recognition that individuals cannot make the required changes on their own, they aim to create a powerful and vocal community of people working together to move technology, government and business forward to reduce emissions and make real and lasting changes to the way we live.
 Supporting COIN will enable the growth of its climate change awareness projects, and organisational capacity-building. Amongst many ambitious programmes, the Climate Change Speaker Training aims to train over 1000 members of the public during 2007 to address public meetings with concise and accurate information about climate change. The Climate Change Speaker Series in partnership with the Bristol-based NGO, Agora, will deliver a series of speaker events in both Oxford and Bristol with well-known public figures attending and speaking.
Their Ecovation Initiative has numerous examples of ‘eco-renovated' homes from across the UK, and the ‘Ecovation' website launched in early 2007 represents one of the only resources in the world allowing ordinary members of the public to highlight their own work on mitigating their climate impact, and to exchange information with each other. Whilst the COIN Low Carbon Learning Network through partnerships with OneWorld, the Co-operative Group, and Hamlyn, hopes to build a network of people across the UK interested in learning about climate change solutions. www.COINet.org.uk
ecovation.org.uk
'APE's generous support of COIN will allow us to continue the expansion of our speaker training project, which teaches people how to speak effectively on climate change issues to their community.'
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CAMPAIGN AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
Initiating, co-ordinating and sustaining the Global Climate Campaign.
The Campaign Against Climate Change aims, quite simply, to mobilise the greatest
number of people possible – both nationally and internationally – to put pressure on world leaders to take the necessary action for an effective and equitable emissions reductions treaty, with appropriate mandatory targets for all the nations of the world. To this end they organise ‘Global Climate Demonstrations' – that are synchronised all around the world at the time of international Climate Talks.
 On April 6th 2007, there is a planned demonstration at Exxon Mobil HQ, drawing attention to their covert efforts to undermine a workable climate treaty. A Climate Conference is also planned in collaboration with London School of Economics in May.
Funding for CCC will allow for more effective co-ordination of the local groups network, mobilising them around a campaign to pressure councils into adopting annual emissions reductions targets – something that will feed into the campaign spearheaded by Friends of the Earth, for annual emissions reductions at the national level in the upcoming Climate Bill.
www.campaigncc.org
www.globalclimatecampaign.org
"With APE's grant, Campaign against Climate Change will be able to realise the potential more fully of the unique position it has established for itself on both the national and international climate campaigning scene." |
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FRIENDS OF THE EARTH: ASIA PACIFIC OCEANA REGION
To achieve climate justice, all peoples of the world must enjoy their fare share of the world's carbon resources within ecologically sustainable limits.
Friends of the Earth (FoE) is an international federation of environmental organisations that have a dual interest in social justice and environmental justice. The decentralized structure of FoE International means that campaign and project work is driven largely by national and regional groups. While Friends of the Earth has built an international climate campaign over the past ten years, there has been only limited engagement with member groups in the southern regions
 FoE in the Asia Pacific Oceana region believes that climate change is not just a scientific and economic preoccupation, but a humanitarian, social justice, economic and ecological issue of global proportions: climate change has the ability to threaten all other FoE campaign areas (such as wildlife conservation) and so must become a regional priority.
The APO region members of FoE, demonstrate huge political and economic diversity from the developed countries of Australia, Japan and New Zealand to least developed countries of Bangladesh and Nepal. This has implications in terms of levels of vulnerability and responsibility to mitigate climate change. To address this, FoE are running an APO climate campaign workshop and strategic planning meeting in Indonesia in April 2007. The objective of this workshop is to develop their regional campaign identity, strategy and actions and is vital for the future participation of this region in climate mitigation projects. http://www.eng.walhi.or.id
http://www.foei.org
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CHINADIALOGUE.NET
Strategically-placed to lead the conversation on China's relationship
with people and planet.
Chinadialogue.net features a daily bilingual news service, regular columns from some of China's most distinguished environmental journalists and a range of non-Chinese authors writing in-depth on issues that range from food security to urbanisation and biodiversity. Climate change is certain to be the most urgent topic of the decades ahead, and China will be at the centre of the debate , as China fast overtakes the US as the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide. As such, the Chinese people's relationship with their government – and the country's relationship with the rest of the world – becomes paramount; ultimately, it may determine if the world can develop sustainably.
 ‘Our Generation, Our Planet' is a bilingual project aimed at young people in China and the English-speaking worlds (aged 14 to 25) that will raise awareness of climate change and promote action. This will be achieved by publishing articles on the internet from young people inside and outside of China on personal consumption and its relation to climate change , and by hosting l i ve web chats with ‘youth heroes' on sustainable consumption and other climate change topics. There will also be a twin project between a school in the UK and a school in China, where participants will look at what would happen to their community as a result of climate change, plus essay and photo competitions, and a bilingual, participatory online guide to sustainable living.
Chinadialogue.net is a fully-bilingual Chinese and English discussion site, with full translation of participatory contributions.
www.chinadialogue.net |
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LACE PROJECT, SRI LANKA
In the aftermath of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, here is a project that
helps secure the future of the women lace-makers of Galle. The objective of the Power of Hands Foundation is to raise awareness of traditional Sri Lankan crafts which are being replaced by mass production and to bring in educational programmes set up by designers from the film and fashion industry, so that with investment and training, crafts-people produce goods which will appeal to the global market.
 The ‘Power of Hands' Galle Lace Project was initiated i n the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, with the intention of helping the many women lace makers in the Galle area of Sri Lanka who were directly affected by the disaster. The PoH Centre in Galle serves the community by being a focal point for training in traditionally-made lace as well as new products and designs; it also serves as both a shop and workshop for lace-makers who live in the Galle area.
The Power of Hands project now meets its basic running costs and wages through the sales of the products of the lace workers, but there are many other areas that need long-term support, such as providing low-voltage solar powered lighting, maintenance of the building using local craftsmen and re-establishing traditional local dyeing techniques.
www.powerofhandsfoundation.org
‘As the founder of Power of Hands Foundation and dealing with finding ways to help the crafts people in the Galle area survive, it is fantastic that we have received this much needed grant from you, it will indeed improve the women's lives and it lifts the spirit of those running the project.' Andrea Galer |
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MUSIC RISING
An instrument replacement fund for musicians of the Gulf Coast of the USA.
 Music Rising is a campaign committed to bringing music back to the Gulf Coast and New Orleans in particular. Launched in November 2005 by U2's The Edge, Gibson Guitar chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz, and producer Bob Ezrin, the initiative has donated instruments to more than 2,000 musicians, schools and churches that lost theirs to Hurricane Katrina. The effort has helped people reclaim their livelihoods, and to re-establish the rich musical heritage of New Orleans.
www.musicrising.org
Projects Selected for RDM special commendation and Bursaries. |
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People & Planet
 A UK students' organization campaigning on world poverty, human rights and the environment. www.peopleandplanet.org
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The Camp for Climate Action (UK)
 Packed with workshops and debates, the camp is a space to pool knowledge, ideas and inspiration to tackle the greatest threat to life on Earth. www.climatecamp.org.uk
"You think you don't have the power as an individual to do something about climate change, but at the camp I learned that you do have that power when you come together with others and take action collectively - you can fight for what you believe in and change things for the better." Participant, Camp for Climate Action 2006
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Storm in a Teacup 
The Women's Environmental Network campaign for climate change. www.wen.org.uk |
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Going Carbon Neutral Riverside 
A community in east Stirling aiming to become carbon neutral. "Going Carbon Neutral Riverside are really excited to have received funding from APE. The new road sign will mean that the community of Riverside will have a very visible message to all visitors that we are the first community in Scotland to make the Going Carbon Neutral commitment.
We hope that this will make other communities throughout the UK realise that the road to carbon neutrality is easy, and encourage other communities throughout the UK to aim for carbon neutrality. " www.goingcarbonneutral.net |
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A drama on the effects of climate change, written by a group of students to be performed in the Greater Manchester area. 
