EVENTS: Children’s media experts to converge in Kuala Lumpur for Asia’s first WSMC

Registration has opened for the seventh World Summit on Media for Children (WSMC), taking place for the first time in Asia in September this year. More than 1,000 producers, broadcasters, media regulators, educators and community leaders are expected at the event in Malaysia.

In sending out invitations around the world, ABU Secretary-General Dr Javad Mottaghi said the event in Kuala Lumpur from 8-10 September will offer "an important opportunity to evaluate the health of children's media". "The ABU, together with its partners RTM and the World Summit on Media for Children Foundation, is especially proud to be organising this event during our 50th Anniversary year," he said.

"The Summit aims to address issues such as funding quality content, keeping pace with children's use of technologies and the gap between the haves and the have nots. As well as shining a light on children's media, we hope WSMC 7 will create a charter of guiding principles and produce practical outcomes for everyone involved in this crucial field."

This is the first time the summit will be held in Asia and it will provide a great networking opportunity for content producers, broadcasters, media regulators, media professionals and community leaders committed to a positive change in the quality of media for children in the Asia-Pacific and the world at large.

"Already this Summit is shaping to be one of the most important events of its kind, with more than 100 experts from around the world sharing presentations in 14 conference sessions," Dr Mottaghi said. In addition to the main program, the event will feature more than 10 high-level workshops, a number of side events and an extensive exhibition.

"If you and your organisation have anything at all to do with media and children, this World Summit is for you," Dr Mottaghi added. 

The World Summit will be hosted by the Malaysian Ministry of Communications and Multimedia and Radio Television Malaysia (RTM).

Registration details and more information is available at the WSMC website.

"My village" - Behind the scenes of a children's TV show from Laos

NEWS / AWARDS: Little girl’s struggles wins 2013 Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award

The heart-rending story of a small girl's struggle in a Manila slum has won this year's Asia-Pacific Child Rights Awards for broadcasting.

Reel Time: Bone Dry, a documentary by GMA Network, spotlights child malnutrition in the Philippines, where two in ten children are undernourished. 

Filmed in the Tondo district, one of the most poverty-stricken areas in the country, the documentary tells the story of Mary Rose, a 10-year-old whose height and weight are those of a five-year old child. She lives with her five siblings, who have all been diagnosed as severely malnourished.

The award, created by the ABU, UNICEF and the CASBAA media association in 2001, is given annually to the best television program produced in the Asia-Pacific with a focus on children's rights. It is being presented on 24 October during the CASBAA Convention in Hong Kong.

full article

ARTICLES / PROJECTS: Children make the news in Bangladesh

Children are generating, writing, shooting – and headlining – a popular primetime television news programme in Bangladesh.

By Arifa S Sharmin

DHAKA, Bangladesh, 27 February 2013 – “This is Shampa Islam reporting from the slums of Geneva Camp, Mirpur, Dhaka, for ATN Bangla.”
With that, the journalist signs off her television news report on the unhealthy and unsanitary living conditions of children in Geneva Camp, a low-income housing area.

It has been a good piece of television reporting. But what grabs the viewer’s attention is that the reporter is only 16 years old.


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RESEARCH: Twitter main social media choice of Japanese youth, says survey (JAPAN)

A poll of young Japanese Internet users showed Twitter is by far their most popular social network, with many saying they want to try Facebook in the future.


The survey shows that 42.5 percent of those around 20 years of age use Twitter more than any other networking site. Only 13 percent of respondents said Facebook was their favorite. The survey was jointly conducted by Nifty, a Japanese search engine, comnico, an online marketing firm, and Lifemedia, a service that pays users to take online polls.

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NEWS: DSWD-6 briefs media on reporting children’s cases (PHILIPPINES)

ILOILO CITY, Nov. 17 (PIA6) -- Media institutions should maintain the highest ethical and professional standards in reporting of children's cases, said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 6. 

DSWD gathered representatives from media outfits here, to dialogue among themselves and among children representing various institutions in a forum on Social Media Ethics. 

The forum yielded a guide as to how media practitioners, in the exercise of their work, can become a partner in the promotion of children's rights and prevention of child delinquency. 

May Castillo, DSWD information officer, said the media guidelines focus on children's absolute right to privacy, and respect for his dignity at all times.

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ARTICLES: Govt and Parents Urged to Keep Kids Safe on the Internet

More monitoring and supervision is needed from both the government and parents to protect children from objectionable online content and cybercrimes, as a growing number of Indonesians gains access to the Internet. 

Linda Amalia Sari Gumelar, the minister for women’s empowerment and child protection, said in Jakarta on Monday that the government and the community needed to work “hand in hand” on the issue.

full article on the Jakarta Globe website

NEWS: Kids’ summit caps national children’s month (PHILIPPINES)

Monday, October 8, 2012 - KIDS will have the last say - at least chronologically - in this 20th National Children's Month that adults launched through a "Kapihan" media forum last Wednesday morning at the City Social Welfare and Development Office.

The young will express their thoughts and sentiments at a Children's Summit on October 25-26 and then show off their artistic expressions at the "Children Got More Talent" city level competition on October 29 to cap the month-long observance.

full article

VIDEO: Meena, India's Dora the Explorer, Helps UNICEF Promote 'Child Rights'

UNICEF launched its annual Child Rights Week this week in Bangladesh. The program is a part of an ongoing grass-roots initiative to educate children and their families about urgent social and public health concerns that range from neonatal health, nutrition, and early childhood education to the practices of dowry and child marriages.

In a country where the literacy rate is still a struggling 53 percent, and the average age that a child drops out of school is 8 years old, mass media as an instructive tool is vitally important. The cartoon heroine Meena, an Indian girl around the age of 10 who lives in a rural village with her family, is the stand-in for a multitude of girls and boys across the subcontinent facing the same issues highlighted by UNICEF — issues which Meena routinely dramatizes on her show.

"Meena is now a daughter not only of Bangladesh but the whole of South Asia," said the UNICEF representative to Bangladesh, Pascal Villeneuve, in a statement on July 27. "She talks about issues affecting girl children in particular, such as education, early marriage, and unequal distribution of household chores."

full article

NEWS: Feature: Children’s Month celebration underscores media role in protecting children’s rights (PHILIPPINES)

This year's Children's Month celebration in October underscores the important role media plays in protecting the rights of children. 

Department of Social Welfare and Development Regional Director Leticia Diokno said that in celebrating the 20th Anniversary of National Children's Month, the agencies and local government units are guided by the theme, "Bright Child ay Siguraduhin, Responsableng Pamamahayag ay Palaganapin!" 

The celebration, Diokno said, aims to promote and protect the physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being of the Filipino children. Likewise, this year's celebration intends to emphasize the role of media in protecting the children's rights.

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NEWS: Young citizen journalists training comes to an end

Islamabad - The first-ever Youth TechCamp in Pakistan concluded Saturday after three days of hands-on, interactive training in civic journalism and social activism, says a press release.

“I am really excited about Youth TechCamp because I believe I can help my community and my country as a whole through social media and citizen journalism,” said a young boy named Ali from Quetta, beaming with excitement at the event on Thursday.

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EVENTS: Children’s film festival underway in Lahore

LAHORE: The Little Art group in collaboration with Teacher's Resource Center, is holding 4th International Children's Film Festival, Geo News reported.

Held at the Ali auditorium at the Ali Institute of Education, the ceremony marked the second day of the six-day long film festival in which 86 films from 32 countries will be screened.

The organizers here on Tuesday said the festival is aimed at enhancing media literacy of young people, fostering children's creativity and imagination by showcasing the very best in filmmaking for and by children and young people.

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NEWS / PROJECTS: UNICEF launching children's news service

Dhaka, Sep 5 (bdnews24.com)—The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and bdnews24.com, the first Internet newspaper and the largest news agency of Bangladesh, are jointly launching a news service for children. 

The programme will be launched on Thursday through signing of an agreement by the two organisations at a ceremony at the newspaper's Mohakhali office. 

UNICEF is considering the initiative as an opportunity for children to contribute in making a child-friendly news industry and for strengthening their rights. 

Children can participate in the service through browsing http://kidz.bdnews24.com, a section devoted for children by the newspaper.

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The Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF / “Believe In Zero, Make A Video” Competition

The Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF / “Believe In Zero, Make A Video” Competition

Action! Create Your Own Superheroes!

21,000 children under 5 die of malnutrition and preventable diseases every day. We believe that our work is not achieved until there is ZERO MORTALITY from preventable diseases.Together, we could achieve our Believe In Zero’s goal.

Universal Children’s Day marked the enactment of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on 20 November. As a celebration of the Day, UNICEF HK will join hands with Academy of Film, Hong Kong Baptist University, co-organising “Believe In Zero, Make A Video” Competition. We are recruiting vigorous and creative young people to raise public awareness on children’s right to survival by video production with the slogan of “Action! Create Your Own Superheroes”, and ultimately, to motivate Hong Kong people to achieve ZERO SUFFERING for children with UNICEF. More >>

• “Superhero”, the epitome of justice, always devotes to rescuing people in danger without hesitation.
• “Video” facilitates messages delivery, and is particularly powerful in influencing people’s mind, faith and even their ways of thinking.

You and I may not have super power, but through filming innovative videos we could spread UNICEF’s belief on “Believe In Zero”, helpcreate more children’s lifesaving superheroes. Action! Join hands with UNICEF to achieve ZERO Child Sufferings.

EVENTS: CCTV hosts ABU youth documentary series meeting for first time

TV producers from throughout the Asia-Pacific are meeting in Beijing this weekend to launch the latest season of the ABU CARE co-production series.

The theme for Series Three of the Change Asia, Rescue the Earth project is “Youth and Future”. Each participating broadcaster will be required to produce a documentary regarding youth-related issues by early next year and the programs will be distributed to all participating organisations for broadcast.

With the project now entering its third season, the initial Producers’ Meeting is being hosted by China Central Television for the first time. CCTV has assumed the role of Executive Producer for this series, with Korean Broadcasting System as the Project Manager.  

Fifteen ABU members are in Beijing presenting their storyline proposals: NHK-Japan, KBS-Korea, RTHK-Hong Kong, RTM-Malaysia, Metro TV-Indonesia, NBT-Thailand, LNTV-Laos, BBS-Bhutan, THAI PBS-Thailand, VTV-Vietnam, CCTV-China, IRIB-Iran, TRT-Turkey, RTTL-Timor Leste and MEDIACORP-Singapore.

full article on the ABU website

TRAINING: Samar holds Advanced Media Skills Training for the youth

DARAM, Samar, Aug 30 (PIA) -- Thirty children and youth participated in the Advanced Media Skills training conducted on August 24 at Barangay Saugon in the island town of Daram, Samar. 

The participants aged 11 to 17 were from the municipalities of Daram, Gandara and Santa Margarita, all in the province of Samar, according to Janice Tapil, a Plan Philippines youth volunteer. 

The training was led by Plan Philippines, a non-government organization that advocates and protects the rights of children and AnakTV, whose advocacies are for child-sensitive and family-oriented television programs.

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IT/ PROJECTS: Partner Profile: In Malaysia, Youth Use Mapping to Address Religious Understanding

Kota Kita, a youth advocacy organization in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is conducting a series of interactive mapping projects for youth. Young, trained volunteers explore and learn about their communities on foot, noting and logging religious institutions into an online map that highlights the cultural and religious diversity of the area.

"It's a fun and rewarding experience,” said Tay Zhi Cong, an 18-year-old student participant. “I learned about the Hindu religion more in-depth and you start to see the whole picture of the religion. All the rituals and special things in the temples, I have not known it before."

Religion can be a sensitive topic in Malaysia, a majority-Muslim country that is home to a diverse range of ethnicities and religious beliefs. The project is oriented towards dialogue and cross-cultural understanding through media and the arts.

full article on the Internews website

IT / NEWS: Tools for accurate data reporting

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has partnered with leading telecommunications provider Globe Telecom in delivering an integrated mobile and desktop social system that can be used to report real-time data on maternal and child health for improved public health care, particularly in far-flung areas.

Real-time Community Health Information Tracking System or rChits was developed and tested by the University of the Philippines – Manila for the National Telehealth Center (NTHC). It is a five-month project funded by UNICEF with Globe providing ICT support. The project falls under the iAccess pillar of Globe Bridging Communities, the CSR arm of Globe. It enables key agencies to gain state of the art ICT to increase effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian and welfare services and gives opportunities for greater grassroots access to ICT solutions through research and development.

full article on the Manila Standard Today website

NEWS / EVENTS: WAN-IFRA Launches first Asian Young Reader Summit

“Catch them young – or not at all!” is the theme of the first WAN-IFRA Young Reader Asia-Pacific Summit, to be held in Bangkok on 10 and 11 July. The event aims to do provide ideas and strategies for engaging the next generation of news consumers on all platforms.

full article - event website

CALL FOR ENTRIES: Child Rights Award 2012: A call to broadcasters

CASBAA, ABU and UNICEF are calling for entries for the 12th Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award from broadcasters and producers in the region.

Programmes both for children and about children are eligible and can cover any children’s rights issue. Entries can include documentaries that detail the plight of children, dramas that help break down stereotypes and discrimination, or animation that teaches and entertains.


Entries must have been broadcast between June 2011 and May 2012 and must be received by 8 June 2012. The Award will be presented during the ABU General Assembly in mid October 2012.

For further information, click here.

For further information, please contact:

Adela Chen, CASBAA (Hong Kong), + 852 3929 1711, adela@casbaa.com, pr@casbaa.com
Hanizah Hamzah, ABU (Kuala Lumpur), + 603 2282 2480, hanizah@abu.org.my
Kritsada Jirathun, UNICEF (Bangkok), + 662 356 9249, kjirathun@unicef.org