In coastal Mississippi, pollution from the chemical and petroleum industries has for decades caused elevated levels of disease - nervous disorders, asthma and cancer - in African American and other poor communities. Then, the flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina made these medical problems even worse. Now, through their churches, citizens are finding inspiration to conduct their own health surveys, to demand accountability from industry and to insist on action by government officials.
Active Voice, a pioneer in the sophisticated use of documentaries as community organizing tools, has worked with the producers of RENEWAL to design an innovative engagement campaign to increase the impact of the documentary in American communities, houses of worship, business, civil society and governmental settings.
The Center for Independent Documentary is the fiscal sponsor of the RENEWAL Project.
The Forum on Religion and Ecology is an international, multi-religious project exploring religious worldviews, texts, and ethics in order to broaden understanding of human-Earth relations. Through its scholarship, conferences, publications and outreach, the Forum has been an inspiration to the RENEWAL Project.