From January to March 2005 BBC World will profile examples of the kind of project we are looking for in the Hands On
short form programmes. These examples will also be profiled in Newsweek in a special advertising feature.

Click an image below to view project.

2. DOLLARS FROM SCENTS:
Preserving The Rainforest In Brazil

The Amazon rainforest is home to the oldest and largest assortment of plants and animal species on earth. Yet logging, mining and exhaustive farming is destroying this bountiful environment. What's more, local inhabitants are at risk of losing their time-honoured knowledge of the jungle's rich resources.

On Brazil's Silves Island, a group of women are working to preserve
their culture and produce eco-friendly forest products. They call
themselves the Green Life Association of Amazonia (AVIVE). In less
than three years, more than one hundred women have had the chance
to earn a steady income and respect their precious ecosystem.

From the Macacarecuria tree, the women harvest giant seed pods, which they fashion into candle holders. Local Peshury trees, prized for their dyes are grown and replanted in the most ravaged places. And in another village, women gather wild melon leaves to make a traditional soap used to treat dermatitis. Thanks to careful use of the forest's resources, the future of the Amazon and its people is growing more secure.