High-impact communication is a two-way process. We design, organise and facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogues, panels and specialist trainings, and conceptualise public awareness campaigns such as action days or exhibitions.
Here are some examples of our work:
ABS & Business Dialogues, South Africa and Denmark
To support the international negotiations for an international ABS regime, GeoMedia organised a first Dialogue on ABS & Business in the autumn of 2009 in South Africa. Ten European industry representatives met with ten African UN negotiators for an informal exchange of views. Intense preparations, diplomatic skill and professional facilitation helped the participants to better understand each other and explore options for the way forward. After adoption of the Nagoya Protocol, GeoMedia supported four more international ABS & Business Dialogues, held between 2011 and 2014 in Denmark, which focussed on implementation issues.
Scoping visit of Danish industry representatives to Southern Africa
In 2017, on behalf of the Danish Industry Association (DI), GeoMedia organised a scoping and matchmaking visit of six high-level members of companies, representatives of the association’s secretariat and the Danish ABS focal point to Namibia and South Africa.
Aiming to identify possible ingredients for ABS-compliant industrial use in Denmark in the cosmetic and detergent sector, the group met with regulators in the two countries, with selected universities and research institutes, with local businesses and communities. To safeguard confidentiality, the contacts made were later followed up on a bilateral basis.
World-wide event: Global Biodiversity Action Day
“Biodiversity is life. Biodiversity is our life,” was the United Nations‘ slogan for the International Year of Biological Diversity 2010. Key themes of that year were the economic benefits of biodiversity and the consequences of the rapid extinction of species.
Commissioned by the Federal Ministries for the Environment and for Development, GeoMedia and GEO magazine conceived of and co-ordinated a global Action Day: Scientists, students, politicians and journalists in 38 countries on all continents gathered with the broader public to experience nature and discuss its significance for human development.
The results were published in national media all over the world, and presented to international audiences at a wide range of events – such as the official ceremony for the International Year of Biodiversity in Nairobi, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), and the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 10) in Nagoya, Japan.
At the time, GeoMedia created and maintained a website for the Global Biodiversity Action Day 2010, where we gathered resources for and compiled detailed reports from all participating countries. The site is no longer directly accessible. However, it has been captured by the internet archive and can be viewed via this link.
GeoMedia also produced a video compilation, based on filmed contributions that had been shared by project partners in the different countries. You can watch the English version (8:50 minutes) by clicking on the video link below. For other language versions on Youtube, please click here: Français, Español, Deutsch.
Information about International Biodiversity Action Days in earlier and later years is available via this link.
The two commissioning German Ministries published a brochure – also prepared by GeoMedia – with background information, summary reports of all 38 national Action Days, and numerous photographs from the events. To download the English and German versions, please click on the cover images.
