COMPETITIONS: UNICEF competition urges youth to think about tomorrow (EGYPT)

CAIRO: Over 350 media students submitted films relayed their aspirations for the future as well as the challenges that face Egyptian youth and children today in the first edition of the Universities’ Movie Festival for Youth and Children.

The festival, which aims at supporting university students and recognizing their work, is organized by the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM), Egypt’s National Child Rights Observatory and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and is supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation (SIDA) and the Italian Cooperation.

Films were submitted under three categories; documentaries, short films and public service announcements in the competition titled “What do you see for tomorrow?”

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ARTICLES / PROJECTS: EU, Save the Children plead for children's rights respect in SA, Zambia media,B

By: Issa Sikiti da Silva

The European Union (EU), Save the Children, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) , South Africa's Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) and Zambia's Media Network on Child's Rights and Development (MNCRD) last week jointly launched a daring project, 'Children and Media: Championing Best Practice', which aims to work with 570 children and 500 journalists to ensure children's rights are respected in the media, and a more representative and ethical journalism is practised in both countries.

Critics continue to deplore the increasingly 'unethical' behaviour of most African media houses, which sensationalise children's stories to boost circulation, viewership and listenership in the view of making huge profits.

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PROJECTS / RADIO: Youth radio initiative spreads health messages in Lao People's Democratic Republic

LUANG PRABANG, Lao People's Democratic Republic, 16 January 2009 – The thought of going live on the air might be daunting to most people, but not to Pany Vilaychith, 18. Despite her youth, she is the lead presenter on 'Smile of Hope', a weekly broadcast from a radio station covering Luang Prabang province, a mountainous area of northern Lao PDR.

The programme is part of a four-year-old initiative run by Lao National Radio with backing from UNICEF, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

“I’ve been involved with the radio project for four years now,” Pany explains, taking a break from recording in the station’s small studio. “What I like about it most is that it gives me the chance to share information on lots of different issues with young people.”

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