EVENTS / OPPORTUNITIES: Apply for the 2011 European Youth Media Convention - "Whistleblowing - A New Competition for Journalists?"

Journalists are facing competition: Platforms like wikileaks reveal scandals, allow unprecedented insights into political strategies, and begin to impinge on the role of the journalist. Apparently, the public receives an additional level of control and knowledge.But is unconditional transparency of political systems, that so-called whistleblowers usually strive for, always beneficial for democracy? And how should journalists respond if they want to prevent a takeover of their distinctive role?

During this year's European Youth Media Convention, which will take place between the 3rd and the 6th of August in Berlin (Germany), we will try to find answers to these questions and outline the future for young media makers. Participants will have the opportunity to meet up with 39 other young media makers from all over Europe and outline the situations of their own country.

You can attend lectures and discuss with experts. In addition, you will get the chance to produce journalistic print-, video-, audio- or photography content according to your interest at the event.

If you want to be a part of the convention, already have experience in journalism, and if you are between 18 and 25 years old then apply online by sending us a short motivation letter to participateEYMC2011@jugenpresse.de .

There is no participation fee. Free board and lodging is provided. Travel costs are not reimbursed

The application deadline is the 30th of July. For further questions about your application or the event, do not hesitate to contact Sebastian Schütz ( s.schuetz@jugendpresse.de ).

The European Youth Media Convention is organized and funded by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the Youth Press Germany and the European Youth Press.

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OPPORTUNITIES / CALL FOR ENTRIES: Tagd launches film-making competition (UK)

UNICEF UK and Tagd have launched a film-making competition for young people which challenges them to look at the quality of life of children around the world.

The Article 27 competition asks young people, aged 11-18, to create an idea and storyboard for a short film (about 3 mins long) about children’s rights.

The competition is limited to one storyboard per school, and a teacher must submit each entry. If you are interested in entering you should tell your teacher about this competition, and ask if your class or a group of pupils can work on it together.

The winner will have the opportunity to work with a professional film maker to turn their storyboard into a short film.

This film will be included in Just Living, a new teaching resource produced by UNICEF UK based on Article 27 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Article 27 says that: “every child has the right to a standard of living that is good enough to meet their social, physical and mental needs”.

The film idea should:

• look at what kinds of things stop young people in different parts of the world from reaching their potential and achieving a decent standard of living
  
• show how rights can improve your life
• encourage people to think about the impact their choices can have on others
  
• inspire young people to act to make Article 27 a reality for children worldwide

The winning entry will be chosen by young people, UNICEF’s Rights Respecting School team and media experts. The winner will also get the opportunity to visit UNICEF UK and their winning film will be included as part of the Just Living teaching package.

Just Living is part of a project called Building Young Futures which provides young people across the world with the support and skills they need to achieve their potential through education, employment and entrepreneurship.

Entries should be submitted on A4 sized paper - you can use more than one sheet. Click here to view a blank storyboard on the BBC website, and here to view an example of a completed storyboard.

Please also include an A4 covering sheet giving:

• your school name, address, telephone and email contact details
• the names, ages and year groups of students working on the project
• a teacher's name and email

Please post your finished entry to:

Rebecca Nkata,
Article 27 Competition,
UNICEF UK,
30a Great Sutton Street,
London EC1V 0DU

Closing date: 21 April 2011

If you have any questions about the competition, please contact jillyh@unicef.org.uk.

NEWS / EVENTS: Child rights and the media (PAKISTAN)

PESHAWAR: Speakers at a workshop on child rights said Thursday the media could play an important role in raising awareness about children’s rights. The capacity-building workshop on child rights was organised by the Children’s Complaint Office, Peshawar.

“Pakistan is among the countries that signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, but violation of the rights continues and only the mass media can play a positive role in bringing about a change,” said one of the speakers.

Another participant said Article 17 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child recognised the important function performed by the mass media and stressed upon the states to encourage the mass media to disseminate information and material that is of social and cultural benefit for children.

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OPPORTUNITIES: My Story, our history – European memories

"Do you remember your first day at school? Do you remember what you have done and thought when the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain came down?"

You are not alone with your thoughts about those days. Those events remain unforgettable. But there are other events which we forget or even try to eliminate. At the European Youth Media Convention we want to discuss how individuals or societies deal with memories. Taking the peaceful revolution in Eastern Europe as an example we want to question different ways to remember, e.g. oral history reports or memorials. What do we remember? Do you want to join our research about individual and collective memories?

Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation, German Youth Press and European Youth Press would like to invite you and 24 other young European media makers to this European congress about "My Story, our history – European memories".

You will be a representative of your country and thus report about local memories as well as history. In this way the congress offers you the chance to get connected with young media makers from all across Europe. You will get the opportunity to listen to presentations of experts and moreover discuss and exchange different perspectives with them. Afterwards you will create media products in four workshops. Due to interests and skills you can chose between print, radio, TV and photography.

The European Youth Media Convention will take part from November 3rd until the 6th 2010. There is no participation fee. Accommodation and catering are organized by Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation Berlin. The travel costs will not be paid.

Please submit your application to eymc2010(at)jugendpresse.de until August 10th 2010 at the latest. You need to send a short letter of motivation including your CV with your experiences in media and project work.

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CRC: General Comment on Article 12: The right of the child to be heard

In Geneva, during its 51st session, 25 May-12 June 2009, the Committee on the Rights of the Child adopted the General Comment on Article 12 on the rights of the child to be heard. The overall objective of the General Comment Art No.12 (2009) is to support States parties in the effective implementation of article 12. In so doing it seeks to:
• Strengthen understanding of the meaning of article 12 and its implications for governments, stakeholders, NGOs and society at large;
• Elaborate the scope of legislation, policy and practice necessary to achieve full implementation of article 12;
• Highlight the positive approaches in implementing article 12, benefiting from the monitoring experience of the Committee.

The general comment on Art 12 is available to download at
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/docs/AdvanceVersions/CRC-C-GC-12.pdf.

For further information please contact Victor Karunan, ADAP, UNICEF-HQ, New York, vkarunan@unicef.org

More about the CRC