News Information
- NEWS_POSTED_BY: Haiti Place
- NEWS_POSTED_ON: Jan 02, 2015
- Views : 781
- Category : Haiti News
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Description :
Photo: Screenshot from Daphnée Charles's video “Nou An Danje’ (We are in Danger)
- Location : Port-au-Prince, Ouest, Haiti
Overview
“We’re in danger…now is the time to act,” the music urges as the camera swiftly pans above the russet mountains and dense verdure of the Kenscoff mountains, in a vibrant reminder of all that could be lost.
Led by Daphnée Charles (Agro-Economics 2012), Program Officer with Panos Caribbean, the “Nou An Danje” (We are in Danger) video launched in November as a public service announcement meant to inspire citizens and political leaders to take urgent measures to adapt to climate change, slow environmental degradation, and preserve the country’s biodiversity.
The project began with the recruiting and training of 10 “Atis pou Anviwònman” or Artists for the Environment, including such popular Haitian singers as Bélo, Jean Jean Roosevelt, BIC, Princess Eud, and Nathalie Jean. In July, after a workshop on climate change and biodiversity in Haiti, they worked on the draft lyrics proposed by Panos and created the melody and chorus. Daphnée and the artists then had two recording sessions and after a 13-hour day filming in the mountains of Kenscoff, the first phase of the project was complete.
At the official launch of the video, Daphnée and the participating artists received word of widespread flooding in the North of Haiti. When a Facebook follower sent shocking pictures of an inundated Cap Haitian with a brief note “Men Bagay la” (There it is), the truth of We are in Danger and the necessity of their initiative was clear. The flooding in the north served as an unfortunately compelling introduction of the Artists for the Environment project to the public. In less than 12 hours, the video had an unprecedented impact on the social networks as more than a hundred shares, Tweets, and words of encouragement and congratulation echoed across the country.