The islands of Kiribati in the Pacific have been inhabited continuously for 4,000 years. Now climate change and rising sea levels mean they may be the first to be abandoned. Elected in 2003, President Anote Tong must decide the fate of his people. Should he plan for an orderly evacuation of the islands? Or should he persuade his people to tough it out instead? Tong believes that it's ordinary people like the Kiribati islanders who are too often forgotten as countries negotiate measures to combat climate change. Life looks at the challenges Tong faces from the climate, the wider world and from his own people.
The other titles in this series are:
1. Moments of Truth - Charles Stewart, whose 1984 film alerted the world to the Ethiopian famine, returns to check whether the people he filmed then are now free from danger.
2. Reclaim the Condom - Trained advice columnist Sheila launches a campaign in Mozambique to promote condoms as sexy contraceptives - not weapons in the fight against HIV and disease.
4. Grace Under Fire - Dr. Grace Kodindo explores what help is available for the people, particularly women, affected by the ongoing and bloody conflict in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo.
5. Darkness on the Edge of Town - Hungarian filmmaker Arpád Bogdan sets out to discover what's behind the new wave of anti-Roma sentiment in Hungary today.
6. Silk Ceiling, Part 1 - Ritu Bhardawaj is an Indian TV reporter who has broken through the silk ceiling which narrows the prospects for so many women in the Asia Pacific region.
7. Silk Ceiling, Part 2 - Indian TV journalist Ritu Bhardawaj goes to Bihar to investigate the invisible barrier that confronts so many Asian women.
8. How to Become a President - Former World Soccer Player of the Year, George Weah, is running for president again his native Liberia. Is he out of his depth?
9. The Elephants' Dream of Peace - In Ivory Coast the national soccer team, the Elephants, helped stop a civil war in 2005. Can the efforts of their top players avert disaster this time?
10. Sorie K and the MDGs - Blind musician, Sorie Kondi, from Sierra Leone looks at what's happening with girls' education in his country 10 years after civil war.
11. Trawler Girl - A female trawler captain in Namibia exemplifies goals set forth for women in the Millennium Development Goals.
12. Biker Boys of the Dirt Island - In Nairobi's Korogocho slum, a group of former thieves trying to go straight now provide an informal motorcycle taxi service.
13. Hassan and The Graduates - As Egyptian industry is undermined by Chinese imports, Hassan, a university graduate, takes up the government's offer of free land to farm.
14. Scent of the Streets - Nigeria has had some success in getting more women into government and business. But what about in the crowded and often violent slums of Lagos?
15. Nottingham Lace - With unemployment figures rising across Europe, is there still a place for the niche craft skills of Cluny Lace in the U.K.'s East Midlands?
16. Looting The Seas - Investigates the looming collapse of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna stocks and the role EU policies have played in the crisis.
Grade Level: 10-12, College, Adult
US Release Date: 2011
Copyright Date: 2009
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-983-6
Reviews
"The President's Dilemma is another triumph for the makers of the Life series. It is inspiring and tragic, uplifting and aggravating. One applauds President Tong for his forward thinking and determination, but one cannot help but feel sad for the loss of another diasporic people, who at best will be flung around the globe. Surely the plight of the Kiribitians reminds us all to think globally--and not to act as locally as we usually do. Level/Use: Suitable for high school and for college courses in cultural anthropology, environmental anthropology, development anthropology, and Pacific Island studies, as well as general audiences." Jack David Eller, Community College of Denver, Anthropology Reviews Database
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