Introduction
Making a documentary about the deeper backgrounds of inequality in the world has been on our minds for over ten years. Traveling extensively to locations where people endeavor to survive under incredibly rough circumstances raises questions that demand answers.
On a global scale, individuals are developing unique projects to improve lives. Many of these projects work brilliantly. Initiatives such as Band-Aid and Live 8 were sincere cries from the heart - beautiful, indispensable initiatives - but a global change has never come about. It boils down to the fact that humanity accepts unnecessary suffering of their fellow man.
This is unjustifiable. The documentary we want to make - on the largest scale possible - will stimulate awareness and change this pattern.
Awareness has to be more than triggering an emotion. It is also about education. Most people in the Western world think that we just donate a lot of money to Africa, but they do not realize that in fact we gain back in multiples. They do not realize that the fuel for many African conflicts is, no more or no less, our demand for African resources. Consumers in USA, Germany, France, et cetera are handling stolen goods on a daily basis - without knowing. Furthermore, a commonly heard argument is that in many African countries there is always war. Correct. That is the picture always portrayed of Africa. But that picture only shows part of reality; many African countries do not suffer from war or dictatorship. Moreover: according to many specialists, trading ties and relations can, if equal, be an excellent way of improving the stability of developing countries.
If civilization is what it pretends to be, we can only rest after sincerely trying to end the most severe problems in our world.
The Conscience Project team
