SITUATION ANALYSIS OF THE SMALL-SCALE GOLD ... - WWF

critical, as use of their infrastructural resources that are already in place can significantly
reduce the cost of setting up a national system.
7.6 Outline of a short termed Action Plan
The draft or approve mining laws or regulations is the role of The National Assembly and
the NH. The GMD with the assistance of its partners especially the WWF-Guianas
Regional Program can, however, immediately develop an awareness campaign that will
drive the point home that retort use is cheap, technically feasible and urgently needed.
Such a campaign will not only influence miners but also members of the National
Assembly, the administration and, who, in turn, could be motivated to draft a short and
approve a brief law mandating the use of retorts.
The first battle is a mental one, the attitudes, beliefs, knowledge levels and practices have
to be changed. Knowledge levels are relatively easy to influence, if culturally appropriate
material is used that is attuned to the educational level of miners. Beliefs are much harder
to change, but they too can be changed. Attitudes are the hardest to change, and if no
results are achieved the rule of law is often the only way out.
The following is an outline of a proposed action plan that could be developed and
executed under the on-going WWF-Guianas/GMD financial and technical assistance and
support program:
1) Immediate action – a retort media campaign extolling the virtues of retort use,
but also showing how easy it is to acquire and use a retort. A cartoon figure
and a corresponding campaign could be developed by one of several
advertising agencies. The character could have a funny name such as
“Barbosa Bibber” („Shaking Barbosa‟) who learns about retort use from a
sexy lady. The campaign should also use rhetorical strategies to expel
inappropriate beliefs about mercury and perhaps even satirize miners with a
bad attitude.
FRAME 9: WWF GUIANAS RETORT
PROGRAM AT NIEUW KOFFIEKAMP
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