How Climate Week changed my world. (by Pag) At the outset the idea of an fm license- as a fundraising target might seem to have been a small hobbyist opportunity or potentially a community asset, at best. The Kingston Environment Centre is, after all, a small insignificant building on the unremarkable roundabout by the Fountain in New Malden. Sometimes the obvious nature of excellence in Community-building role models can also go unnoticed. Other drama can mean that the best moments in life are not always given adequate media coverage or even any at all, maybe this is unavoidable? Not so with Kingston Green Radio Climate Week 87.7fm. This was one week of ground breaking features and star studded community celebrity action that packed more punch than most media events you could stumble upon. If celebrity glitz was what you sought, Arthur the panda dished out more photo opportunities than most WWF enthusiasts could wrestle with- and he never stopped smiling! For me, one of a growing number of Green Firefighters who enjoy the association with strong Community-based green events, I gained the valuable opportunity to present a short programme on the UK Chagos Support Association, interviewing the Chair Sabrina, and an original British Chagos Island resident and deportee (at 5 yrs old) Bernard. Behind the scenes Kingston Environment Centre Manager Jean Vidler kept an over-arching eye on how the programme unfolded, and ensured that Sabrina and Bernard were given a thorough welcome amongst the KGR Community. This culminated in a Chagos Football Team challenge against Gurkha Gam - presenting a parallel British Human Rights interest event opportunity. Station Manager Sam Hermitage ensured that this interview was correctly presented and adequately supported and promoted... Etc... The technical challenge with getting the usually web based GFF Radio and BHC Radio stations onto fm required his close attention right down to the last minute detail. Of course the technical genius of community radio - Mr Sean Creed (Holistic Engineering) was never too far away, providing a standard which regular presenters all do well to emulate as best they can. Close personal support in structuring the interview and musical advice from experienced regular presenter Catherine Lawrence (Esoteric Repast) meant that when the time came to paddle my own boat and solo-present, I had the basic understanding and confidence to create the right environment in which to host the Chagossian VIPs. Tim Bell stepped in to lend last minute cueing of the musical interlude, just to ensure a smooth programme. The KGR characters mentioned above form part of a Holistic approach to Community Radio which considers the whole problem and develops everyone involved. Many people make all this happen behind the scenes. In this way, the objective of bringing the media voice to British Chagossians also benefitted everyone involved- and this was one tiny element of a Giant Week of Community Green Radio! What was this interview about then? 1. Chagos homeland was stolen from 5000 British Citizens by British Forces, in order to serve the US Military in the 1970s. They understandably want their homes back. 2. UK Chagos Support Association has been campaigning through British Parliament since then, and the British system continues to block them from returning home. The idyllic archipelago of 65 Islands was home to a peaceful self-sufficient community who are remarkable in being a unique culture who developed a symbiotic relationship with dogs, hunting and diving for fish. Of course their dogs were all shot or gassed in the process of eviction from the islands, making way for the American Military Air base. 3. Currently the British Government is misusing a conservation issue (protection of fish) to keep their interest in the American Airbase protected. At the end of March we are challenging that Marine bill- false flag in High Court. They need your support. They want to go home. The moving report will be replayed so you can catch it again on Green Futures Radio soon, and hear: What that was like to live on Chagos? What sort of thing are the Americans using Chagos for? How have campaigns have been organised in the uk, and elsewhere? How is the British system blocking this? Why do Chagossians want to go home? What has life been like there, how idyllic would it be when Chagos is restored? What does the current environmental impact include? What environmental impact would returning Chagossians home look like? How environmental are Chagossians today? What is happening at up the end of March and how listeners can get involved? How else people can support UK Chagos support Association? Where we can find Chagossians? How can they be contacted? I know that we all have challenges in our own lives. I know that we are often powerless to resolve difficulties that arise in life, dramas get in the way and the issues of the modern world are many. So the platform of Kingston Green Radio during Climate week achieves no small thing by bringing out this voice, and it really has changed my world (just a little bit). Thank you KGR! Pag
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 14:17:40 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015