The Project, which is funded by the EU ECCP, started on 1 January 2005 and aims to mobilise civil society in India on a range of enviromental issues by drwaing on the expertise of a four-way partnership to build capacity in the media and NGO sectors.

It envisages practice-based training for 108 print and TV journalists and media skills training for up to 90 NGO staff in 9 states.  So far the programme has been completed in six target states - Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Karnataka, New Delhi and Tamil Nadu. 

Three more target states are to follow in September - November 2006: West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. 

NGO staff who have attended the training have expressed delight with their newly acquired skills of generating effective press releases, presenting aspects of their work in front of a large audience and organising media campains.

The journalists have used their new skills to produce 10 TV documentaries on key environmental issues and 3 newspaper campaigns.  The print campaigns in Bangalore and Chennai are to take place in the near future.

As part of the training, state level seminars have been organised in each state, bringing together NGOs, journalists, Indian government and state officials and EU experts.  TERI has produced and presented scientific papers on the key environmental issues for each state.