In 2001-2002, the Truth Talking Project of TVE Asia Pacific supported indigenous film-makers in six countries across the region to produce half hour documentaries that looked at how local communities are responding to natural or man-made crises that threaten their lives, lifestyles and livelihoods. The resulting package offers a glimpse of the multitude of issues and complexities confronted by the world's largest region -- home to more poor people than all other regions combined. These programmes portray stories of resilience, extraordinary courage, leaps of human faith and glimmers of hope.

Cambodia: Small Arms, Big Problems (26') After three decades of armed conflict, Cambodia is awash with large numbers of sophisticated small arms that can be bought in the market for a few dollars. Many have started using these weapons to settle personal or property disputes. The civil wars have ended but violence continues, with women and children among the worst affected. Concerned citizens are now working with the government to round up as many weapons as possible. But some trigger-happy Cambodians are not easily convinced.
Cambodia: Small Arms, Big Problems (26') After three decades of armed conflict, Cambodia is awash with large numbers of sophisticated small arms that can be bought in the market for a few dollars. Many have started using these weapons to settle personal or property disputes. The civil wars have ended but violence continues, with women and children among the worst affected. Concerned citizens are now working with the government to round up as many weapons as possible. But some trigger-happy Cambodians are not easily convinced.
South Pacific: Voices from the Waves (25') Global warming will raise sea levels, wreaking havoc on the small island nations in the South Pacific. Some low-lying islands will be submerged completely while others will suffer massive damage. These impacts will change forever the Pacific islanders' natural environment, culture, livelihoods and lifestyles - all of which are intricately linked. This programme sees these complex survival issues through the eyes of two teenagers -- Dilagi, a Fijian girl, and Bernard, a boy from Kiribati. Their plea: relocation is not a viable option, and our way of life is not negotiable.
	India: Rebuilding Hope (26') What defence can ordinary people have when the earth itself shakes, shattering in a few minutes what they have been building for decades? Life would never be the same for millions of people in the western Indian state of Gujarat after the devastating earthquake of January 2001. But as soon as the dust settled, communities started rebuilding their lives slowly but steadily. Sometimes they worked with the government, and at other times in spite of the government. Within a year, the landscape had been transformed.
Nepal: Love for a Longer Life (26') The invisible human immunodeficiency virus, which causes AIDS, is shaking up the entire social fabric in the Asia Pacific. With more and more people living with HIV, countries have been challenged to come to terms with the pandemic, and to begin to care for affected persons. After being shunned for years, Nepalis with HIV are now slowly being integrated back into the community's fold. In cities and villages, courageous men and women with HIV are raising awareness, counselling others and valiantly leading positive lives. People like Rajiv Kufle.
Laos: Roads to the Future (26') The young people in Laos would like to earn more money and embrace the material world. But most are poor and uneducated, and have few options to pursue their dreams. Crossing over to nearby Thailand as unskilled workers, they become easy prey to narcotics, crime, prostitution and HIV. Concerned community groups have recently moved in to help those affected, while others are trying to prevent thousands more from making the same mistakes.
	Bangladesh: Facing the Future (26') Women have come increasingly under acid attacks as a form of retaliation, killing some and disfiguring many for life. Most victims are young women like Kakoli, who was attacked for spurning a fellow student's marriage proposal. As the attacks increase, Bangladeshi civil society is agitating for stricter punishments for the criminals and greater care for the victims. Meanwhile, survivors have joined hands with citizen groups to raise awareness.