Contact: Lindsay Duffield
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Email: Lindsay@fern.org
New film shows EU at front-line of efforts to end illegal logging
BRUSSELS, 12 March 2015: A new film “Stories from the ground” is launched today ahead of a
week-long conference of forest experts in Brussels.1
The film shows that the EU’s Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) process is
having a real tangible effect in forested countries, with governments listening, often for the first
time, to those who live in and depend on the forests.
Lindsay Duffield of Fern says: “The root causes of deforestation are complex, but this film explains in
a simple way that unless those who rely on forests for their survival are heard and have their rights
met, forests will disappear.”
Stories from the ground is introduced by Sorious Samura, 2 the Emmy and Bafta winning journalist,
best-known for his film Cry Freetown. He explains that forest destruction is “a disaster for the fight
against climate change and the millions of people who rely on forests for their survival.” Other
interviewees include Goldman Prize winner Silas Siakor and Fern founder Saskia Ozinga, who states:
“These stories show that the FLEGT programme is working to strengthen the rights of communities
over forest resources. This is the only way to keep forests standing.”
Fern is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and a Dutch Stichting created in 1995 to make the
EU work for forests and people. Our work centres on forests and forest peoples’ rights and the issues
that affect them such as trade, investment and climate change. All of our work is done in close
collaboration with social and environmental organisations and movements across the world.
1
2
www.flegtweek.org/
http://insighttwi.com/sorious.html
Notes to Editors:
The video is available in English here: www.fern.org/storiesfromtheground
The video is available in French here: www.fern.org/fr/storiesfromtheground
The video is available in Spanish here: www.fern.org/es/storiesfromtheground