The Green Gold Rush
The Green Gold Rush is the name of a video documentary about bioprospecting (the exploration of biodiversity for commercially valuable genetic and bio-chemical resources) and indigenous peoples that was realized in October-November 2008 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The production of this film is the first result of a project between a Swiss NGO and the national government of Bolivia, that is being realized since October 2008 and till July 2009.
The entire movie can be watched here or downloaded on the Green Gold Rush website.
About the Project
This project is the result of a collaboration between the Swiss NGO Group of Volunteers Overseas - GVOM and the Vicepresidency of the Republic of Bolivia.
It is financed by the Service of International Solidarity of the Canton of Geneva, the Delegation for Cooperation of the City of Geneva, and the Municipalities of Genthod, Jussy and Meinier, Switzerland.
In Switzerland, the project has been realized with the support of the Mission of Bolivia before the UN Office and other International Organizations, CETIM – Europe-Third World Centre, SOPAM – Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, CIEL – Centre for International Environmental Law, DOCIP – Indigenous Peoples' Center for Documentation, Research and Information, and Third World Network.
In Bolivia, the project is realized in coordination with COINCABOL – Coordination of Indigenous Peoples' and Peasants' Organizations of Bolivia, and various governmental agencies and NGOs that work on these issues.
The objective of the project is to stimulate the debate about the protection and valorization of traditional knowledge and biological resources in Bolivia.
It is articulated in two phases.
During the two first month in Geneva, Switzerland (October-November 2008), a video documentary was produced and information about international experiences and strategies was collected.
During the next six months in La Paz, Bolivia (January-June 2009), various public presentations of the video documentary and debates, weekly meeting of experts, seven workshops with more than 700 delegates of indigenous peoples and a national encounter of 50 delegates of indigenous peoples, are going to be organized.
The national encounter will take place in La Paz during three days of the first week of June 2009 in coordination with a regional encounter of 180 indigenous peoples' delegates on “intellectual property and traditional knowledge” organized by COINCABOL. It is also expected that various international experts, intellectuals and activists will be able to come this week to La Paz, Bolivia, and participate to a seminar to debate these issues.
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