Environmental conflicts are coming to a head in the countries of the Amazon basin. Illegal mining and deforestation are rapidly destroying local livelihoods with repercussions for the global climate.
Port of Leticia, a city in the Amazon region in Colombia: traders from the Andes meet indigenous communities inhabiting the rainforest
Colombia is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for environmental activists. Those who resist environmental destruction are often threatened or even murdered. Media workers are also targeted by violent groups. As a result, there are hardly any local media outlets that report on environmental degradation and human rights violations. Furthermore, the major national media outlets often face conflicts of interest, as they are owned by conglomerates that also pursue economic interests in areas such as mining.
Together with its partner organizations from Colombia (Agenda Propia), Peru (Servindi) and Ecuador (Corape), DW Akademie promotes close cooperation between media and civil society to encourage a public dialogue on environmental conflicts. Indigenous communities are both involved and consulted while advanced training in environmental journalism ensures high quality reporting. Journalistic research is always developed with its potential impact in mind, focusing on making local conflicts visible at the national level and motivating political decision makers to take action for the preservation of the Amazon rainforest.