Digital Storytelling and Caribbean Sustainability

Naniki is a sci-fi/fantastical love story and multi-media eco-adventure. It is a survival tale set in the future and begins underwater in the Caribbean Sea basin. Two transformational water-beings and their animal familiar or naniki, ‘discover’ mechanized islands and a beautiful sustainable island, when an oil and ‘development’ monstrosity erupts. They are sent on an amazing journey to save the seas and all organic species. Their mission takes them back in time through the history of the Caribbean islands to the Orinoco River, the Essequibo River, and the interior of Guyana, B.C. Oonya Kempadoo, writer and social development researcher, conceived and wrote Naniki. She fostered its growth through collaboration with the Naniki project network and the visual and musical contributions of students at Naugatuck Community College and Capital Community College. This project is a creative story approach to collaboration for Caribbean sustainability and includes: interdisciplinary and cross-sector exchange, data collection and interactive mapping; education (interdisciplinary teaching module and online platform); art and entertainment (enhanced e-book, anime, graphic novel, digital game, etc.) linked to environmental and social development projects in the Caribbean region. This presentation will include an overview of the Naniki storyboard, its visual and musical materials. Naniki is an interdisciplinary resource that integrates humanities and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), entrepreneurship and environmentalism. Further, as a digital project, the story and education module presents a unique opportunity to connect Caribbean environmentalism with scholars, artists, and writers of the Caribbean living and working transnationally. Beta website: http://www.nanikistory.org