This past November, we announced the winners of our ViewChange Online Film contest - a competition to find stories of progress in tackling the UN Millennium Development Goals around the world. Our winners represented the best diversity of themes and styles we could have asked for: an animation about female empowerment, a music video about recycling, a comedy about HIV awareness, and much more. And now that the contest is complete, we've seen our winners receive some much-deserved viewership and press. Most recently, each of the six winners was invited by the Huffington Post to write about their filmmaking experience. What inspired them to pick up a camera? What issues were they trying to tackle?

Robby Bresson is a filmmaker in Kenya and the head of the production company X Media. He became very interested in the role that witch doctors play in many African cultures, and in the interplay between witchcraft and modern medicine. In East Africa, says Bresson, witch doctors can employ some bizarre and violent practices to treat illnesses like HIV. In his January 4th Huffington Post article, Bresson writes,

Bresson took these questions and created The Witch Doctor, a comedic short about a man diagnosed with HIV who turns to witchcraft for help. The witch doctor's advice, however, is not what he expects. Watch The Witch doctor below:

Read Robby Bresson's complete article in the Huffington Post.

Tuesday, December 7th, in downtown Cancun, thousands of locals, NGOs and community groups took to the streets, mobilizing for climate justice in the wake of the UNFCCC negotiations. People carrying large banners, beating drums and chanting in unison, marched through busy streets filled with curious onlookers for almost two miles to draw attention to various issues surrounding climate change and its impacts. Countless local and state groups from Mexico and other parts of Latin America joined together, including the Mexican Action Network on Free Trade, the Indigenous Group Tepehuano of UNORCA (National Union of Autonomous Regional Peasants Organizations), and the Indigenous and Ecological Federation of Chiapas. Mexican chapters of organizations like Friends of the Earth, 350.org, Oxfam, and Greenpeace were also present and adding to the commotion.

While the nuances of their causes varied, the tone of the people gathering was clear: urgent action on climate change is vital. Perhaps the most vocal of the groups present at the march were the Mayan community members, who were teamed up with the International Forum on Globalization (IFG) and the Organization of Forest Producers' Cooperatives of the Zona Maya (OEPFZM), to express their dissatisfaction with the Mexican government for withholding compensation owed to them for an extreme decade-long drought, which has devastated corn crops, food security, and Mayan livelihoods.

The Mayan community is calling for drastic cuts in greenhouse gases by industrial countries, and immediate assistance for adapting to impacts of climate change, like the drought. Some feel it is possible that come Friday, when the UNFCCC talks come to a close, negotiations will establish a fund that will adequately help vulnerable communities cope with their changing climate. State Secretary Emiliano Ramos, felt fairly optimistic that progress could be made on issues that affect the world's poorest (he gauged his level of optimism at a "5" on a scale of one to ten), but others were not so hopeful. A man representing an indigenous group of UNORCA, had lost all faith in negotiations and just wanted emergency help of some kind for his climate-related hardships.

Victor Menotti, Executive Director of IFG, felt what was needed most from developed countries was real commitments, not just pledges. He expressed hopes that there would be "goodwill and cooperation [in talks] and that governments would come to their senses" but that it would take "a lot of noise on the street to make that happen."

As we marched with the people through the avenues of downtown Cancun under the hot midday sun, the energy of the group seemed endless. Our final destination was the Palacio Municipal where we expected people to disperse, or at least sit down to rest. But upon arriving, there was a stage set up complete with live music and MC, and giant house-sized corn cob structures illustrating (with a touch of humor) the plight of the indigenous Mayan farmer. The crowd was instantly reinvigorated and the mobilization continued on for hours.

With Friday's outcome still hanging in the balance, the fate of the Mayan farming community and many other vulnerable areas around the world that are most heavily affected by decreases in rainfall and other environmental changes, is unknown. Hopefully Tuesday's noise on the street caught the attention of negotiators not far down the road at the Moon Palace conference center.

After almost 12 hours of traveling due to flight delays, my colleague and I completed our journey from San Francisco to Cancun, Mexico. We were greeted by a warm ocean breeze, friendly helpful locals, and banners for the COP16 UN Climate Change Conference decorating every inch of the city. We instantly knew we were in the right place.

Our studio is situated on the west end of the hotel zone, closer to the Cancunmesse and Moon Palace conference centers than the infamous discoteca nightlife. But, famished, we ventured toward the bright lights in the hopes of finding an authentic Mexican dinner. Despite humble requests to our cab driver to take us someplace "tranquilo," we found ourselves dropped off in the heart of Cancun among giant, warehouse-sized designer shops (Louis Vuitton, Chanel), American chain restaurants (Outback Steakhouse, Applebees), and gargantuan night clubs with bumping baselines audible from miles away. This was not the Mexico either of us had ever been to -- or imagined. In fact, it bore a greater resemblance to Las Vegas.

Fearing our search for authentic Mexican food would end at a Taco Bell, we asked a nearby club promoter for advice, and after some labored thought, he pointed us to our only option: a pricey, upscale restaurant complete with Mariachi band, white linens, and an indoor fountain. After dinner (which was delicious), we were saddened to see among the glitz and scantily clad club-goers, several child beggars, and mothers with infants in tow, selling trinkets to tourists. The stark contrast, though not so different from that of many large cities, hinted at an interesting parallel to the conference in town. I was instantly reminded of an article I read on the trip over here that described Cancun as the "suicide capital" of Mexico. Climate change is contributing to the migration of many people out of rural areas of Mexico where crops have become harder to manage and resources harder to gather. But, as people have moved into the city, the divide in urban areas between locals and tourists has led to a culture of extreme poverty, hopelessness, and depression.

As week one of the conference wrapped up, the divide between rich and poor, and inequalities within negotiations were also apparent in many ways. Talks appear to favor the rich, as developed countries have a much greater number of participating delegates and negotiators than developing countries, thus stacking the cards against poorer countries with fewer resources to attend meetings and interpret information.

Also, the Kyoto Protocol has become the subject of heated debate, as Japan, Russia, and Canada have all rejected a second commitment period under the agreement. This move has sparked objections from developing countries who feel major emitting countries should continue to be held accountable for the targets set under Kyoto.

The impacts of climate change, as we know, disproportionately affect the poor, who are more reliant on natural resources and less able to cope with environmental changes and natural disasters. And the impacts are growing. As was reported in talks this week, an estimated 1 million deaths a year by 2030 and $157 billion in damage will result from climate change. Also reported, was the likelihood that 2010 would rank among the three hottest years in recorded history, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
 
Speaking with a few locals during our first days here, we received mixed responses to the conference which has invaded the town. One cab driver didn't actually believe that climate change was happening, but more importantly he didn't appreciate the inflated security around Cancun which was making it hard for the locals to "party" -- and thus harder for him to run his business. Apparently, groups of machine gun-toting policemen are a deterrent for the normally hassle-free recreational drug use in Cancun's Party Central. We're looking forward to gaining further insight to the local views of the conference this week ... outside of Party Central.

4REAL is a fresh-faced documentary series with an urban feel that transports you across the globe, connecting with young leaders making a difference in their disadvantaged communities. Series host Sol Guy is joined by some of his celebrity friends--including Eva Mendes, Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers, K'naan and Joaquin Phoenix--as they learn about an area's culture and history, and volunteer much-needed services with locally-run humanitarian groups, ranging from the Portland Hotel Society in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside to Carolina for Kibera in the Somali-populated slums of Nairobi.

From the City of God favela in bustling Rio de Janeiro to the remote Yawanawa tribe in the Amazon rainforest, the communities we see in 4REAL are challenged by poverty, hunger, disease, addiction, homelessness, and the effects of war. However, the strength and resilience of these people become apparent in the work done by their determined youth. These young visionaries have helped their communities achieve economic independence, have set up medical services and education, inspired and guided their children, and above all, have given their people pride and hope.

4REAL does a great job of familiarizing viewers with each community and the issues at hand through the eyes of the celebrity newcomers, and the stars are paired well with the communities they visit. Sunny SoCal native Cameron Diaz meets with medicine man Puma Singona and his Quechuan youth group Cusi Huayna ("Happy Youth") in the picturesque Andes, while rapper M.I.A.--who spent her early years in the midst of the Sri Lankan Civil War--works with child rights leader Kimmie Weeks to help Liberian schoolchildren, who are themselves war survivors.

Each episode is lighthearted and full of fun, keeping in the spirit of its youthful vibe and hip-hop soundtrack. But occasionally an interview with a local child or volunteer suddenly turns somber, reminding us of how difficult the circumstances truly are, and how much more work there is left to be done.

4REAL is now airing on Link TV, and the episodes are also available to watch online. Check out the 4REAL homepage for tips on how you can help and to learn more about the series. And right now, we're offering a 4REAL gift pack for a donation to Link TV--support the only channel bringing you unique international series like this one!

With the close of week one of climate negotiations in Copenhagen, parties are beginning to come forth with proposals of what their countries are prepared to do...or not do, depending on who you ask. Japan's targets, for example, while ambitious, come with conditions. The Japanese Prime Minster has declared he would not sign an agreement extending the Kyoto Protocol that did not hold big emitters like the U.S. and China accountable. The EU, on the other hand, made what some call a bold leadership move by pledging 7.2 billion euros over the next three years in international adaptation funding. Developing countries, however, claim it's simply not enough.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Obama received his Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, which was partly awarded to him based on his work on climate change. In his acceptance speech, Obama identified climate change as an international security issue due to the threats of forced migration and further instability within already volatile areas that face diminishing natural resources, famine, and disease.

To wrap up the week, a "draft final text" was released, raising questions about nuclear power funding, global temperature targets, and plans for long term adaptation support. This was followed by yet another draft which appeared as a rebuttal to the controversial Danish Text leaked earlier in the week. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out next week!

In the meantime, keep following LIVE coverage of the events on Copenhagen 24/7 and check out this video on the effects of climate change on "Dead Zones" in American waterways. These are very real places!