Social Networks Provide an Ideal Scenario by which to Raise Awareness about Environmental Issues

Santo Domingo, September 7, 2012

This Friday, September 7, the Second Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) organized the workshop “Social Networks as Generators of Environmental Impact,” which featured presentations by Farah de la Mota, Isaolym Mieses and Lorna Aquino, and a video presentation by Sebastián Bustamante. The workshop took place at the Headquarters of Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE) in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Sebastián Bustamente opened the workshop with the presentation of his project “Verdéate” (“Get Green”), an online movement of people and institutions that accept green challenges with the objective of reducing CO2 emissions. Each participant in the platform verdéate.com has his or her own profile.

Each time a participant accepts a challenge, he or she can see how much his or her environmental footprint has been reduced. These results can be automatically shared with followers on Twitter and Facebook.

With these green challenges, explained Bustamante, the project seeks to help people to understand about how they can reduce their impact on the environment and execute these changes in a social environment.

Continuing the program, Farah de la Mota presented her television program Panorama Verde, which broadcasts current news on the environment, socializing information related to both positive and negative environmental impacts. She conveyed that Panorama Verde seeks to promote respect and care for the environment and environmental education. The program is presently the local commercial representative of “Verdéate,” and has a long-standing relationship with them realizing activities in the country.

“Social networks mark a milestone in the way in which social and economic systems are organized, allowing them to really reach citizens,” expressed Isaolym Mieses during her presentation. Referencing the use of social networks by government institutions, she maintained that they should consider them as complementary activities, mentioning that they are already thought to be scenarios of excellence for environmental groups.

Concluding the workshop, Lorna Aquino introduced her project Green Love, a waste management initiative which functions as an intermediary that collects and classifies waste so that it can be ultimately correctly deposited for recycling.

The workshop promoted a culture of responsible consumption, ecological consciousness and social responsibility, through actions realized through active profiles such as Twitter and Facebook.

About the panelists

Sebastián Bustamante González: Director of the VERDEate.com portal - He has experience in project management, consulting, foreign relations and online projects. Part of his professional development has taken place in Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Barcelona. He is an Administrative Engineer from Universidad Nacional de Colombia and is a consultant for startups of companies related to technology and the environment.

Farah De la Mota: Presenter, journalist and correspondent in the Dominican Republic for news channel NTN24 - She graduated in communications from Universidad Católica de Santo Domingo and holds a Master Degree in Marketing Direction from Barna Business School. She has worked for important media outlets such as Listín Diario, CDN and Informativo Diario Libre, and in public relations for institutions such as Universidad INTEC, Grupo Ramos and Cámara Americana de Comercio. At present, she is the face of Periódico El Nacional for Telesistema Canal 11, where she is also a news anchor for Telenoticias. Since 2011, she has been producing and presenting the weekly show Panorama Verde, which seeks to bring education, awareness and information on the environment to the Dominican population.

Isaolym Mieses: Former Communications Director for the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources. She is an expert in communications projects in the fields of public relations, mass media relations and content broadcasting. She has experience in plan development and communications strategies for government entities and non-governmental institutions. A graduate in journalism, she has earned respect in the mass media arena, collaborating with important national and international print media.

Lorna Aquino: Executive Director at Green Love. Graduated in tourism and hotel management. She has experience in business management, field in which she has led projects seeking to increase productivity and enhance workplace performance.. Together with her mother, she manages an ecological project, which has been operating successfully for the past three years. This project fights for social inclusion, economic development and green culture.

Collaborators:
The realization of DREFF 2012 has been made possible thanks to support and contributions from our collaborators:

Centro Cuesta Nacional (Arrecife), Banco de Reservas (Colibrí), Fundación Vida Azul, Panorama Verde, Odebrecht, Uepa.com, Uepa Radio, PUNTACANA Resort & Club, el Proyecto Nautilius, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of the Dominican Republic, Sueños de Colores (Dreams in Color), la Revista Flow (Flow Magazine), el Centro Cultural Perelló (Perelló Cultural Center), the Embassy of Spain in the Dominican Republic, , Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU) (Pedro Henríquez Ureña National University), the Ministry of Culture of the Dominican Republic, Clúster Turístico del Destino Puerto Plata (Tourism Cluster Destination Puerto Plata), la Universidad Católica Nordestana de San Francisco de Macorís (Catholic University Nordestana de San Francisco de Macorís), el Centro Cultural Narciso González (Narciso González Cultural Center), Centro León, CEDAF, Terra and RENAEPA, among others.

Related links:
www.drenvironmentalfilmfestival.org
www.environmentaldictionary.org
www.globoverdedominicano.org