Prof Dr Nina Clara Tiesler             Dr Leopoldo Amado

4^th-17^th May 2008

The Amazon Paradox ♫

I spent two weeks in May in Brazil, in the heart of the Amazon rainforest for a series of special programmes on the region.

The BBC marked Amazon Day on 15th May, and I produced a number of special programmes focusing on the current pressures on the region and, especially, on whether the Amazon can be developed economically without destroying it.

My goal during these two weeks was to get as true a picture as possible of what the Amazon means for those from within and outside the region.

While in São Paulo, in the first leg of our trip (there were about a dozen of us) I met several people - some with inside knowledge of the Amazon, others just with a keen interest in it - who helped me produce a 10 minute-feature ♫on the mainstream views on the importance of the rainforest and the current political mindset on what should be done to preserve/develop it.

We flew to Manaus to meet local activists, environmentalists, indigenous people, local politicians, businessmen and others with something to say on regional development and its impact. With several interviews scheduled by a very efficient Brazilian fixer, the days were short in sunlight but long in working hours. I collated invaluable information for packages I produced throughout the trip and conducted interviews with key people in the ongoing Amazon development debate. Some of this material I used to produce our weekly programme Perspectiva ♫, a 10-minute debate on "Bolsa Floresta", the new government assistance programme to isolated communities in the Amazon River region which we aimed to digest and dissect!

We sailed on to Santarém, a journey that took us three nights and four days, to see up close & personal how "Bolsa Floresta" is (or is not) working on the ground. We visited isolated communities, floating villages and remote hamlets where we were able to get a real taste of the Amazon - literally! (I'm not just talking lemon and passion-fruit caipirinhas, I'm talking of mari-mari - an Amazon fruit -, wild farofa - wild manioc which needs to have its poison extracted - and pirarucu - the Amazon cod, which can reach lengths of 3 metres!)

With the "local flavour" I managed to produce five packages on the lives of the "Amazonenses" and the "caboclo", the traditional inhabitant of the Amazon:

Tuesday 13^th May: Programme 1 ♫ 

Wednesday 14^th May: Programme 2 ♫ & Programme 3 ♫ 

Thursday 15^th May: Programme 4 ♫ & Programme 5 ♫

In the Amazonas state our focus was how to deal with the pressure coming from the neighbouring states - from Soya plantations in the state of Pará (where, already in Santarém, I produced packages on the opposing views and players on the issue), to cattle ranching and deforestation (another issue covered in another 5-minute package I sent from Santarém).

Apart from the reports produced during there two weeks I was able to present my findings live, in our three transmissions (listen to the morning live here ♫ & the evening one here ♫), via sat phone from Manaus (and here I have to acknowledge the sterling work of our indefatigable techie guys, Simon and Morgan) on whether or not the rainforest is economically viable and looking into the future of the region and issues such as sustainability, environmental protection, minorities' rights, etc.

The Amazon proved to be an incredible source of raw material, some of which I have kept to produce more packages in the future, namely the profile of a prominent and award-winning local activist who today lives under police protection after a series of death threats; a 10-minute cultural feature ♫ on the Amazon Theatre and its Opera Festival , and the Casa das Áfricas project in São Paulo ♫, the largest reference library in Portuguese-language in Brazil dedicated exclusively to Africa; and two other special programmes profiling the - very kind and helpful - local people and their - spectacular - natural setting.

In sum, an amazing experience which am delighted to have been part of.

And which eventually landed me the Best Creative Radio Feature award at the AIB's 2008 International Medial Excellence Awards... Hooray!

22^nd December 2008

Postcard from the Amazon

For this Christmas's documentary I revisited the journey to the Amazon, this time focusing on the people I came across during my travels there: their dreams, their complaints, their anxieties and ideas.

Listen to the first part here ♫ and the second here ♫.

22^nd June - 4^th July 2009

Hoping for Change in Guinea-Bissau

Voters in Guinea-Bissau went to the polls on 28th June hoping presidential elections will be a turning point for this deeply troubled state which has become a major transit route for cocaine smugglers and witnessed a spate of political assassinations.

President Vieira was killed in March in apparent revenge for the death of the head of the army in a bomb blast.

The mood was somber than usual but at times took a distinctly carnival atmosphere as 11 candidates contested the election.

I spent two weeks covering the elections during which I produced features on:

- Sports ♫  or read the story here

- The arts ♫  and musical traditions ♫

- Health ♫ 

- Education ♫  or read the story here

- Socio-economic conditions ♫  or read the story here

- The state of the press ♫  or read the story here

- Election preparations and observing missions ♫  or read the story here 

- and our weekle debate programme Perspectiva ♫

I also did live broadcasts, prepared interviews and features with the Portuguese, English and French services and wrote pieces for BBCparaAfrica and BBC News online.

Read some of these stories here:

Hoping for Change in Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau votes for president

Instability still reigns in Guinea-Bissau

Countdown to election day

Campaign in photos

Or listen to the interviews and lives here:

Guinea-Bissau goes to the polls, Focus on Africa Sat 27 June ♫

Guinea-Bissau goes to the polls, Network Africa Sun 28 June ♫

BBC para África Jornal da Tarde Tue 23.06.09 ♫

Live for BBC para África Londres Última Hora Tue 23.06.09 ♫

BBC para África Londres Última Hora Thu 25.06.09 ♫

Live for BBC para África Londres Última Hora Fri 26.06.09 ♫

BBC para Africa Jornal da Manha Mon 30.06.09 ♫

BBC para Africa Jornal da Manha Tue 30.06.09 ♫

BBC Para África Jornal da Manha Wed 01.07.09 ♫

BBC para África Jornal da Manhã Fri 03.07.09 ♫

Focus on Africa 0530 GMT Fri 24.06.09 ♫

Focus on Africa 1700 GMT Fri 26.06.09 ♫

Network Africa Weekend 0400 GMT Sun 28.06.09 ♫

Focus on Africa 1500 GMT Tue 02.07.09 ♫

Focus on Africa 1700 GMT Tue 02.07.09 ♫

Lives:

BBC para África Jornal da Tarde Mon 14 .12.09 ♫

BBC para África Jornal da Tarde Tue 15.12.09 ♫

BBC para África Jornal da Tarde Wed 16.12.09 ♫

BBC para África Jornal da Tarde Thu 17.12.09 ♫

BBC para África Jornal da Tarde Fri 18.12.09 ♫

BBC para África Londres Última Hora Fri 18.12.09 ♫

Packages:

BBC para África Jornal da Manhã Mon 14.12.09 ♫

BBC para África Jornal da Manhã Tue 15.12.09 ♫

BBC para África Jornal da Manhã Wed 16.12.09 ♫

BBC para África Jornal da Manhã Thu 17.12.09 ♫

Read some of these stories here:

Mon 14.12.09 Acentuam-se as incertezas em Copenhaga

Mon 14.12.09 Copenhaga: negociações a meio gás

Tue 15.12.09 Brown antecipa visita a Copenhaga

Tue 15.12.09 Tensões na cimeira do clima, em Copenhaga

Wed 16.12.09 ONU critica 'lentidão das negociações' sobre o clima

Thu 17.12.09 Cimeira de Copenhaga marcada por protestos

Thur 17.12.09 Expectativas relativizadas em Copenhaga

Fri 18.12.09 Impasse continua a pairar em Copenhaga

21^st December 2009

Hunger for learning

In this Christmas special the idea was to tell how it is like to study in the PALOPs (Portuguese-speaking countries) and to tell short stories of those young people who would like to study but can't for a variety of reasons. This is their story.

Listen to the first part here ♫ and the second here ♫