It all began when Mirva, a world-class freelance journalist from Finland, became aware of the plight of small islands after attending a press conference at the United Nations headquarters held by AOSIS (Alliance of Small Island States).

Mirva was disheartened to learn how island nations such as the Maldives were already feeling the effects of climate change, though they aren’t the ones polluting the world. Thinking of her own home island and how climate change might affect it in the future, Mirva felt that she needed to start raising awareness on a global scale about this issue before it’s too late.

Though she was eager to tell the world about sea level rise and other problems that impact small islands, Mirva came to think that she needs to do more.

What small island nations such as the Maldives really need are well-trained local reporters, who can then generate constant coverage for international media outlets.

That was when Mirva decided to create the Maldives Project: a series of journalism workshops that will take place in the Maldives.

With much dedication, her project proposal won a Davis Projects for Peace grant.

To accompany her in the project, Mirva decided to invite Brazilian journalist Mariana, a talented multimedia journalist and a former colleague at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.

Both Mirva and Mariana are incredibly excited for this amazing opportunity to come to the Maldives to share their journalistic knowledge with the local youth. Being young themselves, they are confident that they will be able to bond with their students really well and will get the youth to understand why citizen journalists are needed in the Maldives. The workshops will focus on teaching the students the principles of journalism and the basic tools of multimedia reporting. There will also be a specific lesson on how to cover environmental issues affecting small island nations such as the Maldives.

Mirva and Mariana are eager to train the youth in a profession that they strongly believe in. Even if the students don’t go on to become professional journalists, at least they will become well-trained citizen reporters who will seek out truth and objectivity. As so many non-journalists run blogs and websites these days, the demand for citizen bloggers with knowledge of journalistic values and integrity has never been greater.

Yet another reason why Mirva and Mariana are excited about this project is the possibility it presents for them to develop professionally. The teaching experience accrued through running the workshops will be invaluable, and will help the two in deciding whether a career as a journalism teacher is something to consider later on in life.

Upon planning the lessons, Mirva and Mariana will also get a chance to reflect on everything they themselves have learned over the years while working as journalists, as well as while studying at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. The school is known as the leading multimedia journalism school in the United States. Mirva and Mariana are thrilled that students as far away as in the Maldives will be able to benefit from the school’s cutting-edge teachings via their journalism workshops.