GFDD Joined the Commemoration of International Mountain Day

In an effort to continue raising awareness on environmental issues, Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and its sister organization in the Dominican Republic, Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (Funglode) hosted a special screening of the inspiring Dominican film La Montaña, as part of the activities to commemorate International Mountain Day at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York City on December 12th.

The Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the UN and the organization Hands of New York collaborated with the coordination of this activity, which was held at the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium. The event showcased the magnificence of mountaineering, the importance of mountain ecosystems and the significance of overcoming adversity to achieve one’s goals.

Yamile Eusebio, Director of GFDD New York Office, offered welcoming remarks and thanked the support of everyone, especially the students of the International School for Liberal Arts of New York.After that, Ms. Eusebio presented the guests of the panel discussion, which included Rebecca Byerly, independent filmmaker, multi-media journalist and adventure athlete and Iván Gómez, Dominican mountaineer, participant of the first Dominican expedition to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 2011 and main protagonist of La Montaña.

In her turn to speak Rebecca Byerly, journalist and director of the documentary film Women of the Mountain, talked about her experience as an adventure athlete and mentioned that “ultra-marathons are the most challenging task I have ever undertaken in my life”. Byerly showed still pictures of her documentary and emphasized that “as a journalist she felt compelled to document the of life fellow athletes who like her had run marathons in different ranges ofmountains around the world”.

Likewise Iván Gómez, who in July 2012 became the only Dominican who has climbed the highest mountains of the five inhabited continents of the planet, said that “nothing is impossiblein life, as long as we do it with passion and faith. Perseverance, dedication and hard work are needed to achieve your goals”, he pointed out. Gómez informed the audience about the devastating effects of climate change, when he revealed that “this year the number of avalanches in the Himalayas increased and 16 Sherpas died as a result of one, so we can no longer ignore the effects of climate change”.

He also stated that the purpose of the expedition Excelsior, who on 2011 was the first from the Dominican Republic to reach the summit of Mount Everest, was “to prove that we Dominicans can achieve any goal we set ourselves. I retired from mountaineering, as I found it selfish to pursue a personal dream and not devote myself to my family. That’s why this film is now dedicated to you, the audience, to inspire you to reach your dreams, and never give up.”

After the panel discussion, the audience enjoyed the screening of the film, which documents the adventure of the first Dominican expedition to reach the top of Mount Everest, shows the contrast of the highest mount in the world and the low lands of the Caribbean, as the three climbers surpass the difficult track to the top. At the same time, three Dominican children, son of fishermen, start their own challenge in climbing the highest mountain of their island. Two parallel stories that remind us that from the sea to the sky, everyone has a dream and their own mountain to climb.

In 2003 the United Nations General Assembly designated December 11th as “International Mountain Day”. Since then it has been observed every year, to create awareness about the importance of mountains to life, to highlight the opportunities and constraints in mountain development and to build alliances that will bring positive change to mountain peoples and environments around the world.

Through its Year Round Environmental Film Screenings program GFDD organizes film screenings across the Dominican Republic that bring interesting and important films to new and remote communities, as well as in the USA. By showing a diverse selection of quality movies on critical environmental issues and organizing discussions and workshops, the year-round film screenings program seeks to foster and inspire dialogue, raise awareness and promote sustainable practices.