Name of Project: “YOUNG ZOOM” on Garbage, a Digital Photography and Garbage Awareness Workshop 2009
Location of Project: Thimphu, Bhutan
Project Starting from: 6th June 2009
Project Completion Date: 30th August 2009
Name of Implementing Agency: VAST Bhutan
Number of Beneficiaries: 60 Children aged 10 to 25, Thimphu
Person Responsible for Overall Management of the project: Kama Wangdi, Founder, Project Director
Name, Title and Organization of Focal Person for day-to-day Project Management : Tenzin Norbu Manager, Sangay Dorji Manager,Dorji Wangchuk Manager.
Total Funds Requested (in Ngu.) : Nu. 695,000/-
Background Information/ Statement of the Problem:
Waste in urban Bhutan is a significant and growing environmental and social problem. Household waste, plastic, PET bottles, clothes, card board/papers, debris from construction and many more are dumped in streets, streams, rivers, and forests. With more than 30% of Bhutanese live in urban areas the problem of waste is expected to grow substantially.
Solid waste disposal poses serious concerns especially in the urban centres, due to inadequate service for disposal and also the lack of involvement of agencies in both private and public sector. Most of the garbage is dumped in the numerous streams flowing through the towns. Reports on the status of environment in Thimphu and Phuentsholing indicate that the Municipal Authorities now collect 37 and 25 tones of solid wastes respectively which accrue to more than three times the amount that was produced in 1998 (Public Private Partnership for Urban Environment, RSPN). Although there has been small scale projects and campaigns organized by RSPN, UNDP and other autonomous agencies, the awareness of environmental impact in the long run due to this problem, is yet to reach the mass in the country. The main causes of this is the heavy reliance on the public sector/municipality as their mandate for solid waste disposal by the public, or just the attitude and behavior of people and also the fact that there has been not much co-operation between people and agencies in advocacy on this issue.
“YOUNG ZOOM on Garbage” is an initiative taken by VAST Bhutan to engage young people to tackle some of the issues mentioned above and ultimately contribute to the society through artistic endeavors. The workshop will be conducted in 3 to 4 stages in an informal way by professionals such as artists, photographers, environmentalist and concern people from RGOB.The young participants will be provided with enough information, guidance, artistic approaches both in basic digital photographic techniques and ABC (Advocacy Behavioral Change) towards Garbage issue in Thimphu. They will see through their camera and embrace the alarming issue and challenges in dealing with the NGP (National Garbage Problem). The result of their understanding and findings will be expressed and captured through their cameras which will be shared in form of exhibitions/awareness campaign and pictorial book with facts, findings and views for the mass.
As part of its regular activities, VAST organizes special Art Workshops, Camps, Talks, Exhibitions, Weekend Classes and Design and implement projects to promote culture, health, environment and extracurricular activities through out the year. The overall aims of these endeavors are to provide opportunities to young school children to participate and develop their life skills, confidence, talents through interaction and participation of learning art in experiential ways. As always, it is in-line with the goal of positive adolescent and youth development. These types of experiences are also an efficient medium of promoting social, emotional and mental development of individuals and communities.
Stage One
The first stage of this workshop will be to provide the participants the basic artistic approaches to digital photography through experiential, talks and demonstration and simple exercises. The participants will be guided by visiting professionals and local volunteers with diverse skills in visual arts and in the field of photography.
Stage two
In this stage many technical, artistic personals and waste management specialists will come together and brief the participants on alarming issue of garbage in Thimphu. There will be interactive talks and presentations and discussions to tackle the over all NGP. This stage is the core section of the workshop where the artistic, technology, creativity and the subject matter (garbage) will meet and merry. By the end of this stage all participants and resource personals should have taken the ABC (Advocacy for Behavioral Change) to their heart and be ready to journey into the field equipped with cameras and critical minds.
Stage three
For a period of 2 to 3 weeks in this stage, all participants will be capturing, observing and analyzing the real situation through their cameras. Occasional one to one discussion will be arranged in the studio.
Stage four
This stage is the final stage where all the efforts and results of the workshop will be shared through a grand exhibition cum Campaign on ABC approach to garbage problem. Many facts, visuals, information and findings will be displayed in world class standard through various medium of art.
Engaging young people and creating a wider awareness which will feature creative, interactive and mass participation of the general public are the key strategy of this final out comes of the Grand Exhibition. Perhaps this grand exhibition can travel to other urban areas in Bhutan.
Program Activities:
Sl. No
Activity
Date
Person Responsible
1.
Intro. to the workshop
6th June 2009
Kama Wangdi
2.
Basic Photography
June 2009
Yannick
3.
Digital Photo mediation
June 2009
Pierre
4.
Hands on exercises
June 2009
Pierre/Yannick/Rajesh
5.
Intro. to subject (garbage)
June 2009
Asha/RSPN/TCC/NEC
6.
Visits and group reflection
June 2009
All participants
7.
Field Actions and shooting
July 2009
All participants
8.
Production/post production
August 2009
VAST
9.
Grand Exhibition
End of Aug.
Open to all
Tentative Budget Breakdown:
Sl.No
Description of Expense Budget
Budget
1.
Purchase of 20 Digital Cameras
270,000
2.
Purchase of colour printer
75,000
3.
Purchase of photo papers
10,000
4.
Workshop expenses
45,000
5.
Exhibition
200,000
6.
Office Expenses
95,000
Grand Total
695,000
Monitoring and Reporting:
For the entire duration of the project upon signing of the Agreement to the submission of the final report VAST representative Karma Wangdi will work in consultation with the donors. The final report (Pictorial written report) along with the expense report will be submitted to all donors within a month of the completion of the project.
All contributions, small and large, are welcomed and will be highly appreciated.Those interested to contribute can remit money as follows:
BENEFICIARY BANK: Bhutan National Bank, Post Box 439, Thimphu, Bhutan
Swift code: BNBTBTBT
Bank Account: 734061
Bank Address: American Express Bank Ltd, 300 Boulevard, East Weehawken NJ 07087-6702
Swift code: AEIBUS33
ABA No: 124071889
Ultimate Beneficary: Account No. 5000035001225 of VAST Bhutan maintained with BNB, Thimphu, Bhutan
Donate ONLINE>> Alternatively, you can donate online through the Bhutan Foundation. Be sure to specify VAST (Voluntary Artist Studio) as the recipient of your donation.
YOUNG ZOOM ON GARBAGE
PROJECT SUMMARY
Background Information/ Statement of the Problem:
Waste in urban Bhutan is a significant and growing environmental and social problem. Household waste, plastic, PET bottles, clothes, card board/papers, debris from construction and many more are dumped in streets, streams, rivers, and forests. With more than 30% of Bhutanese live in urban areas the problem of waste is expected to grow substantially.
Solid waste disposal poses serious concerns especially in the urban centres, due to inadequate service for disposal and also the lack of involvement of agencies in both private and public sector. Most of the garbage is dumped in the numerous streams flowing through the towns. Reports on the status of environment in Thimphu and Phuentsholing indicate that the Municipal Authorities now collect 37 and 25 tones of solid wastes respectively which accrue to more than three times the amount that was produced in 1998 (Public Private Partnership for Urban Environment, RSPN). Although there has been small scale projects and campaigns organized by RSPN, UNDP and other autonomous agencies, the awareness of environmental impact in the long run due to this problem, is yet to reach the mass in the country. The main causes of this is the heavy reliance on the public sector/municipality as their mandate for solid waste disposal by the public, or just the attitude and behavior of people and also the fact that there has been not much co-operation between people and agencies in advocacy on this issue.
“YOUNG ZOOM on Garbage” is an initiative taken by VAST Bhutan to engage young people to tackle some of the issues mentioned above and ultimately contribute to the society through artistic endeavors. The workshop will be conducted in 3 to 4 stages in an informal way by professionals such as artists, photographers, environmentalist and concern people from RGOB.The young participants will be provided with enough information, guidance, artistic approaches both in basic digital photographic techniques and ABC (Advocacy Behavioral Change) towards Garbage issue in Thimphu. They will see through their camera and embrace the alarming issue and challenges in dealing with the NGP (National Garbage Problem). The result of their understanding and findings will be expressed and captured through their cameras which will be shared in form of exhibitions/awareness campaign and pictorial book with facts, findings and views for the mass.
As part of its regular activities, VAST organizes special Art Workshops, Camps, Talks, Exhibitions, Weekend Classes and Design and implement projects to promote culture, health, environment and extracurricular activities through out the year. The overall aims of these endeavors are to provide opportunities to young school children to participate and develop their life skills, confidence, talents through interaction and participation of learning art in experiential ways. As always, it is in-line with the goal of positive adolescent and youth development. These types of experiences are also an efficient medium of promoting social, emotional and mental development of individuals and communities.
Stage One
The first stage of this workshop will be to provide the participants the basic artistic approaches to digital photography through experiential, talks and demonstration and simple exercises. The participants will be guided by visiting professionals and local volunteers with diverse skills in visual arts and in the field of photography.
Stage two
In this stage many technical, artistic personals and waste management specialists will come together and brief the participants on alarming issue of garbage in Thimphu. There will be interactive talks and presentations and discussions to tackle the over all NGP. This stage is the core section of the workshop where the artistic, technology, creativity and the subject matter (garbage) will meet and merry. By the end of this stage all participants and resource personals should have taken the ABC (Advocacy for Behavioral Change) to their heart and be ready to journey into the field equipped with cameras and critical minds.
Stage three
For a period of 2 to 3 weeks in this stage, all participants will be capturing, observing and analyzing the real situation through their cameras. Occasional one to one discussion will be arranged in the studio.
Stage four
This stage is the final stage where all the efforts and results of the workshop will be shared through a grand exhibition cum Campaign on ABC approach to garbage problem. Many facts, visuals, information and findings will be displayed in world class standard through various medium of art.
Engaging young people and creating a wider awareness which will feature creative, interactive and mass participation of the general public are the key strategy of this final out comes of the Grand Exhibition. Perhaps this grand exhibition can travel to other urban areas in Bhutan.
Program Activities:
Tentative Budget Breakdown:
Monitoring and Reporting:
For the entire duration of the project upon signing of the Agreement to the submission of the final report VAST representative Karma Wangdi will work in consultation with the donors. The final report (Pictorial written report) along with the expense report will be submitted to all donors within a month of the completion of the project.
All contributions, small and large, are welcomed and will be highly appreciated.Those interested to contribute can remit money as follows:
Donate ONLINE >> Alternatively, you can donate online through the Bhutan Foundation. Be sure to specify VAST (Voluntary Artist Studio) as the recipient of your donation.