NEWS / WORKSHOPS: UNICEF holds regional workshop for adolescent communicators in Latin America and the Caribbean

From September 1 to 4, the UNICEF Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean held a a workshop in El Salvador for adolescent communicators from different countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (TACRO) in order to coordinate the existent country networks into a regional umbrella that will enable better information sharing, participation and interaction.  Close to 30 adolescents registered to participate in this workshop which named the "Regional Intercultural Workshop for Adolescent Communicators". There were about two teenagers per country between 14 and 17 years old. The following countries participated: Barbados, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Suriname and Venezuela.  In this workshop, participants created the Regional Network of Adolescent Communicators, and during their stay in El Salvador their first task was the coverage of the Third Iberoamerican Forum of Local Governments which took place in San Salvador on the 4th and 5th of September 2008.  For this workshop, UNICEF developed an agenda allowing adolescents to:  - exchange experiences - receive conceptual information on the management of issues such as racism, diversity and multiculturalism - receive training in new techniques of producing short videos, photos (right-based approach), radio and press notes (headlines) with a regional perspective, incorporating the theme of multiculturalism - shape and officially launch the Regional Network of Adolescent Communicators and plan the network's sustainability - put into practice what they learned in the workshop while creating their first regional coverage of the Third Iberoamerican Forum.  Indigenous participants from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Venezuela also participated in the workshop.  Related links:  Link to the regional website which provides general information about the workshop in El Salvador and on the creation of the network. It also includes the agenda in English and Spanish and a link to the adolescent network's own blog.  http://www.unicef.org/lac/young_voices_12993.htm  http://www.unicef.org/lac/english_13063.htm  Videos created by the participants:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZa8VB39-2o  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKDsgWjs2_Q  More info:  Ana M Ortiz Communication Unit  UNICEF Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Office Tel: (507) 301-7482 Fax: (507) 317-0258 aortiz@unicef.org www.unicef.org/lac