UNESCO Green Citizens pathfinders are winners at the Deauville Green Awards!

On 8th June 2023, Arnaud and Perrine Delorme won the silver prize in the Ecotourism and Sustainable Travel category at the Deauville Green Awards for their documentary film “Ubuntu Overland, l'éducation par l'aventure” (Ubuntu Overland: Education Through Adventure). In addition, on 7th June 2023, Abdou Touré, founder of the UNESCO Green Citizens project #QuartierVertChallenge, took part in the hybrid roundtable discussion "Yes Future".

"Ubuntu Overland" tells the story of Arnaud and Perrine Delorme’s adventure through East Africa, with their two young children Abel and Mahaut. In 2021, the Delorme family left their home comforts in Paris, France to spend a year in their 4X4 and trailer, where they visited and got involved with environmental projects along the way. There, they met 5 UNESCO Green Citizens projects; Closing the Loop on Waste Plastics Through Heritage Boat Building (Kenya), Monavale Vlei Biodiversity Project (Zimbabwe), Ocean Guardians (Mozambique), WESSA Eco-Schools programme (South Africa), and NaDEET (Namibia). These innovative citizen-led projects have a positive impact on their local communities and are dedicated to protecting the environment every day. The moving film documents this journey to reconnect with nature, to have amazing encounters, and teach their children about the essential. 

Abdou Touré, from the UNESCO Green Citizens project #QuartierVertChallenge also had the opportunity to participate in the roundtable “Yes Future!” The discussion focused on the future of the environment and geopolitical situation, and their impacts on the next generation.

During this hybrid roundtable, Abdou shared what urged him to mobilize citizen action and make a positive change in his neighbourhood in Dakar, Senegal. Realising that there was a complete lack of waste management systems and vegetation in the city, he took matters into his own hands. After removing waste from his terrace and replacing it with plants, he shared it on social media to encourage others to do the same with the hashtag #QuartierVertChallenge, and the movement was born. Abdou discussed the obstacles he faced on his journey, including its initial reception, but thanks to his awareness raising efforts, this pivotal sustainable education initiative has since spread to 15 other African countries. The Deauville audience was presented a clip of his film, where they had the pleasure of seeing the activities of #QuartierVertChallenge in action, which now include urban agriculture, micro-gardening and educational programs for schools.

The Deauville Green Awards is an international film festival, which has been highlighting the best advertising, institutional and documentary films dedicated to ecology and social responsibility for over a decade. The event offers the opportunity for all stakeholders in the field of responsible filmmaking and communication to raise awareness about their cause, to network, and to get inspired.