Ryan Schlief's Content

Torture in Nepal

Ryan Schlief — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:27:20 -0700

Fifteen minutes of a secret recording on a mobile phone showing severe police beatings of two criminal suspects in Morang District in 2009. Police made them crawl on their knees and elbows for hours and beat them incessantly - all this in public view. Such barbaric practices continue in Nepal unpunished. Those responsible were given a warning by their superiors. Nothing more.

If you have trouble viewing this video, please visit:
http://www.vimeo.com/10589593

Waste recyclers on the frontlines of climate

Ryan Schlief — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:26:20 -0800

In December the world's attention was drawn to Copenhagen for one of the largest international meetings about climate change . Jaiprakash Chaudhary (better known as Santu) representing Safai Sena (a waste recycler association), and Chintan staff person, Malati Gadgil, both actively participated in the climate change talks. Santu and Malati (below, center) were both trained by WITNESS and, with others, made the video on waste recycler rights, Counterbalance.

Malati writes here about their time in Copenhagen, unifying with waste recyclers from around the world, teaching the attendees how to recycle properly and eventually taking to the streets.

Waste recyclers of the world unite!

I went as part of Chintan environmental research and action group along with waste recycler Santu. He has a formal name which does not perhaps go quite as well with his charismatic and very powerful presence – Jaiprakash Chaudhary. We went with similar organizations and partners from two other cities in India, Pune and Mumbai, and in Copenhagen we were joined by many other friends and collegues from Latin America. All of us represented the informal recycling sector – 15 million from across the globe.

It all began with a tatkal (fast track) passport application for Santu which arrived thankfully within days and several frantic trips to get a visa in time. But all is well that.....

The plane ride from Delhi did Santu in and he arrived in Copenhagen with a raging fever. We were then stranded at the airport for hours before all our colleagues from various parts of the world arrived.

Santu spoke in Hindi, so I translated what he said into English and another colleague from WIEGO translated what I said into Spanish. This was how the next 7 days would be – a little taxing on the translators and listeners and noisy!

Thankfully, Santu very quickly recovered, but unable to sleep due to jet lag, he took to singing at wee hours in the morning.

Three wastepickers from Pune and Mumbai, three coordinators, Santu and me shared a two bedroom apartment in Copenhagen. It had one bathroom, which became a logistical nightmare. While logistics were a challenge, food was not. In true Indian style we had packed for an army. There were ready-made packages of upma, daal makhni and poha. We actually brought much of it back with us to India.

Our Demands in Copenhagen

First thing on the agenda was to continue talks between the various contingents who had previously met in Bonn in the lead up to COP15.

After several meetings as a global alliance of waste recylers and allies, we came up with a list of demands the heads of state and climate change negotiators:

Approve a Global Climate Fund that will invest in resource recovery programs that ensure decent livelihoods for all workers and wastepickers in the recycling economy, and is directly accessible by waste recylcers and other informal sector groups.
Recognize the critical and productive role that the informal recycling sector contributes to climate change mitigation and to a healthy economy.
Exclude waste disposal technologies (including incinerators, landfill gas and incinerator variants such as pyrolysis, gasification and plasma) from the Clean Development Mechanism (an arrangement that allows certain industrialized nations to fulfill their carbon reduction commitments by purchasing carbon credits from certain developing nations) and other climate funds.

Can people at COP15 recycle properly?

While walking around the conference halls, Santu noticed the haphazard way in which trash was being disposed. While there were three trash bins for segregated garbage it “wasn’t done properly” according to Santu. He said that if the folks at COP15 were actually serious about recycling, they needed to be taught how to segregate waste. So on Dec 11, we grabbed a corner and the waste recyclers showed everyone how segregation is done! It was a huge success.

Watch the video from COP15 of Santu speaking about the contributions of waste recyclers (you may need to install a plug-in to view this video).

Individual meetings

We were not able to meet with our Indian delegation, but had a briefing with Jairam Ramesh, the Minister for Environment and Forests. He said mitigation (reducing carbon emissions) can only be achieved through technology. He still doesn't see that mitigation is possible with the help of thousands of informal wastepickers who are making their living and saving greenhouse gases by using low-tech but high yield processes. He unfortunately did not take any questions from waste recyclers.

Indian economist Nitin Desai, an official negotiator for India who was part of the press briefing by India's lead negotiators, said that we have to incinerate – in fact he said it is considered a "green technology". He said: "there is so much waste lying around. We can't afford to make people sick." This means that Nitin Desai again does not see that there are existing solutions, including recycling and composting.

We did, however, meet with some members of the CDM board. They took questions from the audience and Santu bravely got up and asked: "How do you support incineration? (incinerators are waste-to-energy plants that produce electricity from burning of waste) It directly conflicts with our work. The incinerators need the dry waste to burn, but we can recycle it. In fact - we do a much better job in mitigating. So how can you still support these projects?”

Some of the board members were so intrigued that they caught up with us and wanted more information. A baseline modification for CDM projects which would include the work done by wastepickers was suggested by our group and we intend to follow up on it.

Unfortunately, due to an ill family member Santu left ahead of us and was not able to join us in a protest march.

March against the lack of real progress

On Dec 12 we partook in what I am still convinced was a peaceful rally to protest the failure of the climate change talks. Our entire group displayed banners and chanted slogans to recognize the work of waste recyclers. The Latin American contingent learnt Marathi and Hindi slogans and we learned theirs.

Halfway into our march we saw about five people running, within seconds our street block was cordoned off. The sniffer dogs were brought in, armed police stood like pillars in front of us. The wastepickers looked stricken. Over the next 1.5 hours that we were detained it got cold. I just got angry and demanded to one of the policeman that he let us go since the saree-clad women in our group were not equipped for the cold. After haggling, they eventually let us go.

So when I asked Santu how he would remember Copenhagen, this is what he said, “I will tell people that there are bicycles everywhere and they even have a special lane. I can't imagine people living here, it is too cold and there are no people on the street. I will be happy to return to India.”

We had solidarity with waste recyclers from around the globe and continue to build on our collective strength. Nationally Santu (as part of the Safai Sena waste recycler association), Bharati Chaturvedi, Director of Chintan, and I have met lead negotiators post-Copenhagen and we hope these talks will result in real progress for recyclers on the ground. But it's too soon to tell...

Santu's visit to Copenhagen was reported in international and Indian press as well as numerous blogs.

During February, Chintan and waste recyclers will be screening Counterbalance, the video co-produced with WITNESS, in its advocacy campaign to incorporate waste recyclers into Delhi's waste management plans as entrepreneurs. Chintan's latest report, Cooling Agents, makes the case for broadening the climate justice agenda to include the most at-risk populations and those whose work is protecting the environment.

Centre for Minority Rights Development

Counterbalance begins screenings

Ryan Schlief — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:09:01 -0800

On 14 November in New York City, the 8th Annual Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council (MIAAC) Film Festival will screen Counterbalance, the co-production between WITNESS and our partner in Delhi, Chintan. After the screening of Counterbalance and two other films (see below), I will join Professor Lauhona Ganguly from the New School and film maker Sunil Gupta on a panel about Video for Change in India.

Visit Quad Cinema for tickets -- $15 general admission, $12 students and IAAC members.

Just a few days later, Counterbalance will also be shown to activists by Chintan at the 6th Zero Waste International Dialogue from November 18 to 20 in the Philippines.

COUNTERBALANCE (NAYA SANTULAN)
Directed by Chintan/WITNESS
US/India, 2009, 15 min. US Premiere

Every day, tens of thousands of waste pickers and waste recyclers in Delhi earn their income from collecting, selling and recycling trash. Their work, measured to be highly efficient, has not only been undervalued but even marginalized with the introduction of large private companies. This is the story of two municipalities in Delhi: one that has incorporated the work of the waste recyclers as part of the formal waste system, while the other has taken another direction.

Chintan, a non-profit organization in Delhi, was trained by WITNESS to use video for its advocacy work. Ryan Schlief, Asia Coordinator, WITNESS, in person.

With: FAITH IN CHANGE
Directed by Dave Thoudam.
India, 2009, 15 min. US Premiere.
A glimpse into the intimate lives of three people and their families in Manipur who kicked their drug addictions under the Drug Substitution Therapy Project of the Emmanuel Hospital Association.

And: I WANT TO LIVE
Directed by Sunil Gupta
India, 2009, 39 min. Festival Premiere.
In visual artist and photographer Sunil Gupta’s documentary film, conversations with people living with HIV across India, and from a wide range of professions and social classes, are woven into a composite portrait, making a powerful plea for HIV Patient’s Rights. The film was commissioned by the Human Rights Law Network, New Delhi. Sunil Gupta in person.

After the screenings please join us for a panel discussion presented by WITNESS on how video and media can be used to promote social change in India. Professor Lauhona Ganguly from the Media Studies Department at the New School will moderate the panel.

Links and Resources

- Learn more about the WITNESS and Chintan partnership

- Watch an interview with the director of Chintan and clips from the WITNESS training

- Follow us on Facebook!

Chintan Recycling Center

Ryan Schlief — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:25:49 -0800

Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group runs a small recycling center on the outskirts of Delhi, India, handling upwards of 800 kilograms of waste per day. Many of the employees at the unit are wastepickers from the local area.
This video was filmed by Advocacy Project fellows who worked with Chintan in 2009.

Borei Keila: Fighting for Health and Home

Ryan Schlief — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:28:26 -0700

*UPDATE, 27 July: 100+ HIV/AIDS and human rights organizations - including WITNESS, Human Rights Watch, and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance - co-sign a letter to the Royal Government of Cambodia expressing "deep concern about the discriminatory and potentially life-threatening treatment of HIV-affected families from the Borei Keila community." The statement says that "there has been no consideration of the impact on health of the poor living conditions at Tuol Sambo [the relocation site]" and notes that the risk to those living with HIV can be life threatening. The organizations are calling on the Royal Cambodian Government to cease moving HIV-affected families to Tuol Sambo; ensure full access to quaiity medical services for those families; and improve conditions at Tuol Sambo to meet minimum standards for adequate shelter, sanitation, and clean water. Read the full statement here and continue reading this blog post to learn how you can take action.

7 May, Original Post: In the center of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, are two green sheds. For two years, the green sheds have been a makeshift shelter to 47 families, 32 of which are affected by HIV/AIDS. They were relocated here after their homes nearby were demolished to make way for apartment complexes and commercial enterprises as part of a land concession agreement. At the time, the green sheds were presented as a temporary measure by the government who promised to solve their housing situation.

The families of the green sheds live in appalling conditions and the land sits precariously on the construction site for Cambodia's new Ministry of Tourism.

As new apartments rise around where their homes once stood, some residents here qualify for these new apartments under a 2003 agreement, however the community contends it has not been screened for eligibility. This month, plans are to forcibly evict and to move the families 20 kilometers outside the city to Toul Sambo - away from schools, work and the hospitals and medicines many need to survive - where living conditions are not adequate even for perfectly healthy individuals.

WITNESS partner, LICADHO, in its campaign work on forced evictions, takes us to Borei Keila to meet the residents living in the green sheds who are resisting this relocation.

LICADHO, as part of the Land and Housing Rights Working Group, Cambodia, submitted a parallel report in April 2009 to the UN Committee on Economic and Social Rights (CESCR) on the failure of the Cambodian Government to comply with its international legal obligations on the right to adequate housing. The report sited several examples from throughout the country including Borei Keila, Dey Krahorm, Group 78 and Boeung Kak Lake. Videos and information on each is on The Hub - including the recent shootings in Siem Reap Province - just follow the links.

The CESCR was informed that while there are some limited yet positive aspects to the development of Borei Keila, it is a project "marred by corruption and poor planning" and that "scores of families have been left ‘off the list' to receive housing and hundreds of families live in deplorable temporary shelters on the site's construction zone..." The CESCR is meeting this month in Geneva to review the government's commitments under the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

In a statement issued 6 May, the UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, Raquel Rolnik, reported that "the pattern of evictions, affecting many of the poor, in [Cambodia]- and the apparent lack of due process in that regard - suggests that [the Cambodian Government] may be tolerating, even perpetrating, the forced evictions prohibited by international human rights standards."

Instead of evicting the over 1,700 families of Borei Keila, the Prime Minister Hun Sen in June 2003 authorized a private company to develop part of the land for commercial purposes in exchange for building apartments for the original residents. Many of those eligible, however, are still waiting for apartments. The HIV/AIDS affected families living in the green sheds believe discrimination against their health status has prevented them from proving their eligibility for housing.

"From a legal point of view, such as eviction is not tolerable and is in fact illegal. It would be a contravention of everything that has been preached in the last few years," as quoted by Manfred Hornung, an advisor with LICADHO, in the Phnom Penh Post in April. The article also references a 2002 law, which prohibits discrimination of persons based on their HIV status and further states: "All persons who have HIV/AIDS shall have full rights to freedom of residence and of movement".

LICADHO also reported:

"Throughout the whole development of Borei Keila the HIV/AIDS affected families have been largely excluded from the screening and allocation process for apartments. At least some of them are known to be eligible for apartments, but have so far been deprived of them."

Amnesty International described the relocation site, Tuol Sambo:

"The proposed resettlement site, Tuol Sambo in Dangkor district, sits on a landfill, and forms a separate enclave of housing. The housing, made of green metal sheets, looks different from other housing in the area. The living space is not sufficient for an average family, and buildings are too close together for safety and ventilation. Both the land and the buildings are unstable. In addition, the proposed site has no clean water, sanitation, or electricity. Such conditions would pose serious dangers for opportunistic diseases. The families, most of whom are living in severe poverty, strongly fear they will face further stigmatization and discrimination at Tuol Sambo because of their HIV status. Villagers in the vicinity already call it the 'AIDS Village'".

In October 2008, nineteen local and international groups, including LICADHO and organizations specializing in human rights and HIV/AIDS, appealed to the Prime Minister on behalf of the residents of the Borei Keila. Among their concerns was the continued discrimination against the HIV/AIDS affected families:

"(We) are deeply concerned that the relocation plan would see a large number of HIV-affected families segregated together in one place at Toul Sambo. Such a segregation - as well as refusal of abode to those qualified for apartments in Borei Keila -- violates the Law on Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS. They will be known - as they are now in the green shed - as the HIV-positive families, and poverty will further stigmatize them. The result will almost certainly engender discrimination."

For more background on Borei Keila and forced evictions in Cambodia, see these resources:

LICADHO's paper, Borei Keila: Cambodia's Social Housing Project Five Years On

The Land and Housing Working Group submission to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on Land and Housing Rights in Cambodia from April 2009.

The 2008 Amnesty International report, Rights Razed: Forced Evictions in Cambodia and from May 2009 AI's campaign document, Borei Keila - Lives at Risk.

Articles from The Phnom Penh Post

Life in limbo continues for Borei Keila's HIV+ families 29 April 2009
With looming evictions, families haunted by an uncertain future 23 April 2009
As prices rise, the slums move out 28 November 2008

JOIN THE CALL TO ACTION FOR THE RESIDENTS OF BOREI KEILA!

Act on AI's campaign document, Borei Keila - Lives at Risk and send a letter to the Prime Minister Hun Sen:

* Calling on the authorities to protect the 32 families living at Borei Keila from forced eviction, and to immediately determine their eligibility for flats in the new buildings which are being built as part of the 2003 social land concession;

* Calling on the authorities to guarantee adequate alternative housing with security of tenure for those found to be ineligible, including access to health services for anti-retroviral treatment and treatment for HIV and AIDS related illnesses or opportunistic infections;

* Calling on the authorities to ensure that the families are not discriminated against because of their health status;

* Calling on the government to end all forced evictions as a matter of urgency.

Also, if you haven't yet - join the Facebook group "Cambodia Evictions Update".
Read the updated blog post Borei Keila: Forced Eviction Date Delivered.

LICADHO video shows eviction of Group 78

Ryan Schlief — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:21:44 -0700

From WITNESS partner LICADHO:

At 4 am this morning [July 17, 2009], dozens of armed police took up positions around Group 78 in order to enforce a municipal order that they dismantle their homes or be forcibly removed. This followed 53 families yesterday "agreeing" to the authorities' demand that they accept an offer of $8,000 compensation or their homes would be forcibly destroyed. Negotiations this morning with the remaining 7 families who had not "agreed" led to a final offer to them of up to $20,000 in compensation which they all accepted, except for one family whose home was destroyed against their will.

As the sun rose on Friday July 17, 2009, dawn bore witness to the heart wrenching sight of the homes of the Group 78 community being dismantled piece by piece.

LICADHO captured footage from Friday's eviction:

Click To Play

LICADHO and a coalition of NGOs in Cambodia issued a joint statement:

Joint civil society organizations strongly condemn the 3-years-long coercion campaign of Group 78 residents to leave their homes and land, culminating in this morning's final eviction of the area.

Over the years, Group 78 families were served with a number of eviction notices by local authorities while witnessing two violent forced eviction that took place in the same area, namely Dey Krahorm and Sambok Chap.

"Today is yet another black day for land rights in Cambodia," said LICADHO director Naly Pilorge. "Once more, some of Phnom Penh's poorest and most vulnerable residents have been forced off their land in return for grossly inadequate compensation."

"The eviction of Group 78 represents another violation of the basic human rights of the people of Cambodia." said Dan Nicholson, COHRE Coordinator. "This eviction will have a broad impact on the lives of those affected: it will make families poorer, jeopardize their physical and mental health, disturb children's education and make families more vulnerable to other violations of their human rights."

...

"The authorities cannot claim that what happened at Group 78 this morning, and over the past months and years, was 'voluntary' on the part of the residents," said Yeng Virak, CLEC Executive Director.

"The families of Group 78 were never given any real choice - they were just subjected to a campaign of intimidation and threats by the authorities, which lasted for years, in order to wear them down into submission."

...

"Invariably, the government claims that evictions such as that of Group 78 are necessary for so called 'development' of the country, but this is not about development for the people - it's development for the rich and powerful," said Naly Pilorge, LICADHO Director.

Civil society organizations welcome yesterday's public statement by the World Bank, Asia Development Bank, United Nations and other donors which called for a morotorium on involuntary evictions.

"We are glad to see that many of Cambodia's key donors now recognize the seriousness of the land situation and the consequences for poverty reduction and economic growth," said Mr. Ou Virak, Executive Director of CCHR. "The international community must continue to urge the government to rectify its disastrous land policies."

Amnesty International issued a press release on the eviction:

The forced eviction of 60 low-income families in central Phnom Penh on Thursday and Friday has been strongly condemned by Amnesty International.

The families dismantled their homes after three years of government harassment and intimidation, with no choice but to accept inadequate compensation rather than have their homes demolished.

"Amnesty International strongly condemns this forced eviction and the deeply flawed process that led to it," said Brittis Edman, Amnesty International's Cambodia researcher.

Before dawn on Friday, at least 70 security forces, some armed with guns and electronic batons, moved in and blocked off the area known as Group 78 where four remaining families were holding out, with human rights workers and journalists monitoring the situation. Dozens of hired workers demolished what was left of the dismantled houses. Within hours, the resisting families had agreed to leave.

The families in Group 78 had been living under the threat of forced evictions for three years, with the Cambodian authorities following none of the safeguards required under international law.

"Group 78 was clearly cut off from due process and denied justice. The Municipality of Phnom Penh made no attempts to properly consult with the affected community or explore any feasible alternative to eviction," said Brittis Edman. "This makes a mockery of the government's obligations to protect the right to housing."

For more informaition on the recent call by several countries, the UN, the World Bank and others to the Cambodian Government to halt all forced evictions, read Thursday's blog "Cambodia: Gov'ts and UN demand halt to forced evictions"

Over the past year, LICADHO has produced several video on forced evictions in Cambodia, including the communities of Borei Keila, Dey Krahorm, Group 78 and Boeung Kak Lake. Videos and information on each is on The Hub - including the shootings in Siem Reap Province - just follow the links - and please circulate this blog post.

Join "Cambodia Evictions Update" on Facebook!

Cambodia: Gov'ts and UN demand halt to forced evictions

Ryan Schlief — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:42:31 -0700

Government representatives of 7 countries, as well as the World Bank, United Nations and others, are calling on the Government of Cambodia to stop all forced evictions in the country.

This announcement comes on the heels of yet another imminent forced eviction in Cambodia, this time in the area called "Group 78." WITNESS partner LICADHO has been actively working with Group 78 and uploaded this video to the Hub on 16 July detailing the community's ongoing fight to keep its land. The video features scenes from the community and includes interviews with a local resident and the representative of Group 78.

Click to play

On 13 July, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court of Appeals dismissed the community's application for an injunction to stop the forced eviction. As you heard in LICADHO's video, the community had been warned that 500-700 armed forces and bulldozers were prepared to forcibly evict the community on Friday 17 July unless the community accepted the Municipal Government's compensation offer. Many in Group 78 had rejected the compensation offers as inadequate and, as you saw in the video, some members received threats directly from officials of the Municipal Government.

On 15 July Amnesty International reported:

"Last week, officials from the Phnom Penh Municipality met with some Group 78 residents in an attempt to coerce them into accepting compensation for the highly valuable land in the centre of the city. A community representative described the meetings as very intimidating, with officials, including Phnom Penh’s deputy governor, warning that police and military police would demolish their community if they did not accept the compensation on offer. The residents were not allowed to speak at the meeting."

Activists reported on 16 July that most of the remaining residents accepted the compensation offer after continued threats. Apparently, the residents were still told to move off the land immediately.

The statement on 16 July by the "Development Partners," which includes the embassies of Australia, Bulgaria, Germany, the UK, the USA, Denmark, the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), the Delegation of the European Commission, the UN, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, addressed the dismal record of the Royal Cambodian Government on forced evictions. The Development Partners called on "the Royal Government of Cambodia to stop forced evictions from disputed areas in Phnom Penh and elsewhere in the country until a fair and transparent mechanism for resolving land disputes is put in place and a comprehensive resettlement policy is developed."

The Development Partners said the uncertainty for many Cambodians living under the threat of forced evictions "is a result of policies and practices that do not reflect good international practice in dispute resolution and resettlement and do not make effective use of the procedures and institutions allowed for in Cambodian law."

Read the updated blog post"LICADHO videos show eviction of Group 78" from 17 July.

Over the past year, LICADHO has produced several videos on forced evictions in Cambodia, including the communities of Borei Keila, Dey Krahorm, Group 78 and Boeung Kak Lake. Videos and information on each is on The Hub - including the shootings in Siem Reap Province - just follow the links - and please circulate this blog post.

Chintan begins editing wastepicker video

Ryan Schlief — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:40:51 -0700

A few months ago I wrote about our new partnership with Chintan in India. Lots of planning, training, and shooting have happened since then and now I am back in beautiful Delhi to facilitate the editing of the first video co-produced by Chintan and WITNESS. The video focuses on the rights of wastepickers, specifically those in the informal sector who go door-to-door collecting household trash and recyclables in Delhi. Check out my blog post from earlier this year for more information about Chintan's work.

Most door-to-door waste collectors in India receive a small amount of money from households and from selling recyclables. According to some estimates, 1% of Delhi's population handle at least 20% (and up to 59%) of the city's waste - a major contribution without which the city would literally be covered with mounds of trash and recyclables. However, because they are poor and work with waste, wastepickers face harassment from police, private waste management companies, and the general population.

The advocacy video we're working on now will highlight the challenges many door-to-door collectors are facing as a result of waste management in parts of the Delhi being contracted out to private companies. In these areas, many door-to-door collectors are seeing their income drop significantly and their livelihoods become restricted.

The advocacy video we will finish in the coming weeks will be screened to five key decision makers in the city as part of Chintan's campaign to ensure the interests of door-to-door collectors are included in the city's waste management plans.

When we launched our partnership with Chintan, we spoke to Chintan Executive Director, Bharati Chaturvedi, about the rights of wastepickers and Chintan's programs. In part two of the interview, I really like the perspective she shares on how video offers an opportunity to be more democratic. Watch part two of that conversation for yourself (part one here in case you missed it):

In March, WITNESS and Video Volunteers hosted an 8-day production training, where Chintan staff learned the basics of camera work and editing. Video Volunteers sets up media units within non-profits and trains them to use video in their work - it is great to be working with them on this project! As part of the production training, Chintan staff took part in a filming exercise in which two film crews shot and edited a short video profiling two door-to-door collectors. Stalin from Video Volunteers accompanied one team and I went with the other. Both teams did an amazing job!

Check out the video below from the filming exercise with Chintan:

Since then, Chintan has worked diligently over the past months to shoot the necessary footage for the video. Before filming, Chintan staff often traveled the day before to the shooting locations and briefed the interviewees on the video advocacy project. It's important to note that some locations are an hour away from the Chintan office. More than once, conditions did not allow the shooting to take place, so the Chintan staff returned again and again. I was able to accompany two film crews last week: one filmed a door-to-door collector selling the recyclables he collected and the other film crew shot interviews at a meeting of wastepickers. I was really impressed with how professionally the Chintan film crew conducted the shooting.

With the filming done, now it's time to edit! Two Chintan staff will be editing the advocacy video along with an editor from IMAK News and Entertainment. I'll be working with them out of the IMAK office for the rest of July. IMAK has worked with Chintan on its previous video projects and has been a helpful resource for this project.

Stay tuned to my blog for an update on the editing process with Chintan in Delhi!

India: Production training with Chintan kicks off in Delhi

Ryan Schlief — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 07:42:10 -0700

In March, WITNESS and Video Volunteers hosted an 8-day production training, where Chintan staff learned the basics of camera work and editing.

As part of the training, Chintan staff took part in a filming exercise in which two film crews shot and edited a short video profiling two door-to-door collectors. This video was produced by one of the film crews.

India: Part II Interview Bharati Chaturvedi, director of Chintan

Ryan Schlief — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:39:06 -0700

Chintan is a Delhi-based organization that uses waste management as a tool to address urban poverty in India. Chintan assists wastepickers and waste recyclers in organizing collectives in the Delhi Capital Region and it also advocates for their rights at the city and national levels.
Chintan and WITNESS have just joined forced in a partnership that will produce a new video advocacy campaign aimed at pressuring the municipal government of Delhi to include the lives and livelihoods of wastepickers and waste recyclers in the city's development initiatives.