2023 Films
Directedby David Ruck, 72 mins
In 2014,the citizens of Toledo, Ohio, had to go without running water for three days when a bloom of toxic algae entered the drinking water plant from Lake Erie.
This should have been a wake-up call for politicians, big agriculture, and citizens everywhere that freshwater resources are at risk of becoming toxic worldwide.
The ErieSituation exploresthe confluence of science, public sentiment, politics, and the powerful farming lobby as Ohio wrestles with how to confront the drivers of toxic algae. What's at stake? Who's at risk? And will volunteer measures be enough to confront this growing crisis, both in Ohio and further afield?
Directed by Lansana Mansaray(Barmmy Boy), 49 min
The New Boats isan investigative documentary that presents an eye-opening look at the impact of international industrialized fishing in West African waters and its disastrous effect on local communities at a critical point in Sierra Leone's history.
The village of Tombois one of the largest artisanal fishing ports in Sierra Leone - providing nearly 90% of the protein eaten in the country. Tombo had flourished in theFreetown Peninsula since pre-colonial times but in recent decades this prosperity has been on the decline due to an influx of Asian trawlers overfishing
on its shores with clandestine support from corrupt officials.
As a result, local fishermen ofall ages are frequently forced to abandon life in Tombo and migrate in search of work. The women of the village have also lost their traditional livelihood, processing the catch and selling at market. Sulaiman Kamara and other localfishermen are passionately advocating on behalf of Tombo, in a desperate attempt to prevent an environmental disaster with West African fisheries on the brink of collapse.
18.00 - 19.15 Film The Erie Situation
19.15 - 20.00 Break with food & drinks
20.00 - 20.45 Panel discussion
20.45 - 21.45 Film The New Boats
The panel discussion will be led by Babah Terawally and he will be joined by Elena Alam & Jeffrie Quarsie
Babah Terawally is a journalist, columnist Trouw, author, trainer and Program manager New Dutch Connections.
Jeffrie Quarsie is a Public Health Doctor in the Netherlands with a background in international affairs and health at Science PO in Paris. He has recently done research and published articles concerning the climate change and its effects on health; such as : "The environmental risk factors of birth defects in Iraq" and "The impact of climate change on health in the Netherlands: the latest insights".
Elena Alam is a medical student at the university of Leiden and Youth Delegate to the World Health Assembly 2022-2023 for the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations, The Netherlands (IFMSA - NL). She has a strong interest for the effects of climate change on (global) health.
Stay Informed