LFP: A future for people and forests
Nepal is deservedly famous for its spectacular Himalayas, Mount Everest and being the recruiting ground and home of the British Ghurkhas. However, these romantic images of hardy mountain peoples living in pristine environments contrast starkly with the reality of the after-effects of 10 years of civil conflict. Many thousands of people are internally displaced […]
Music from the streets of Congo
Recorded on the streets of Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
The worst airport in the world
Ouessa airport in the Republic of Congo earns its award as the worst airport in the world for one simple reason…it’s not really there. Well it is there, only its wrapped in tape, sealed from the outside world.
The Intercontinental Hotel
One goes through a process of heckling the Nigerian peacekeepers who protect the building and lounge around in the old lobby, their equipment spread about them as though they themselves are newly arrived guests awaiting the doormen and staff to carry their gear in through the foyer. After the usual talk and introductions they wave us through the protective cordon and we are free to wander about the vast crumbling emptiness.
Mae Sot
Mae Sot the border town between Thailand and Burma is a weird place. The town, despite being in Thailand, is mostly populated by Burmese. It stands at one of the few international land crossing points, the main crossing being a heavily fortified concrete bridge across a narrow litter strewn river. The crossing is merely a symbol of official recalcitrant between the two countries. It certainly offers no control over the contraband which freely flows beneath it.
The Knasaimos People
The Knasaimos people live surrounded by lush tropical forests. For the most part their lives have remained unaffected by the rest of the world. They live in harmony amongst the impenetrable greenery. Their survival and way of life is determined only by the continued welfare of their ancestral forest.
The story of Bukit Lawang
For two days it had rained heavily. Few of the locals along the Bahorok river in northern Sumatra showed much concern. Indonesia’s riverside communities have grown familiar with flooding during the rainy season. This time, however, things would be different. On the night of 2nd November 2003 a massive flash flood swept through and devastated settlements along the banks of the Bahorok. The epi-centre of the tragedy was a small village, the tourist resort of Bukit Lawang.
KHJL Sulawesi
In a crowded office shaded from the stifling midday sun the local heads of community organisations sit around a long table. There is very little space, they sit pressed shoulder to shoulder or stand along the walls, while others peer in from the doorway. Despite the humidity, the room is a bubble of chatter and laughter. There is a palpable sense of confidence amongst these men and women, a feeling of communal strength and unity. One of the group bangs his fist on the table and exclaims ‘Tabang satu tanam sepuluh (for every tree cut down, we plant ten)!’ There is a chorus of approval from those around him.
The Dayak Meratus
Borneo contains one of the most bio-diverse rainforests on the planet. In a single 10-hectare area over 750 different species of trees can be found. The island has in total over 3,000 types of native tree (the UK has only 33), 13 species of primates including the endangered Orangutan, 222 mammals, 420 birds, 100 amphibians, 394 fish and 15,000 plant species. Scientists readily agree that these figures are at best a rough approximation. Since 1996 a further 361 species have been discovered. This unique habitat could well disappear within the next decade.
Wassa Akropong, Western Province, Ghana
Wassa Akropong is a pleasant little town hidden in the lush green of Western Province Ghana. Its main street seemed, at all hours including long into the night, to be filled with the cheery hustle and bustle of a busy market. All manner of produce was available from the makeshift stalls, kiosks and counters. Live poultry competed with great stacks of smoked fish; bags of peppers and black-eyed peas nestled amongst roped bundles of sweet potato and cassava leaves; there were mobile phone top-up cards and greasy bottles of clearly diluted kerosene; plastic household commodities alongside traditional brightly coloured kente cloth.
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