ARTICLES: Setting standards for media coverage of children’s issues (INDIA)

What should a journalist do when reporting on a child identified as a victim of sexual abuse or exploitation or HIV positive/living with AIDS or charged/convicted of a crime? Always change the name and obscure the visual identity of the child.

Experts say that often, many journalists were unaware of legalities involved when reporting on issues concerning children and end up violating the children's rights and privacy. It is for this that the Press Institute of India and UNICEF have come together with a handbook on child rights for journalists.

Highlighting the role of media in protection and promotion of children's rights during the launch on Wednesday, Caroline Den Dulk, chief, Advocacy Communication, UNICEF India, said, "The media should ensure that the rights of children including their right to expression and opinions are protected. Their right to privacy and identity should be respected," she stressed.

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JOBS: Internews Europe is hiring three country project directors for its new “Child Rights Connect” programme in India, Brazil and Kenya

Internews Europe is hiring three country project directors for its new "Child Rights Connect" programme in India, Brazil and Kenya. 

Likely to run till 2018!

More info:

http://www.internews.eu/Careers/Project-Director-India/

http://www.internews.eu/Careers/Project-Director-Brazil/

http://www.internews.eu/Careers/Project-Director-Kenya/

SOCIAL MEDIA: Social media used by youth to air social concerns

NEW DELHI: Is it okay for your boyfriend to know your email password and check your mails or for your girlfriend to track your SMSes and screen your friends?

Taking a different perspective on gender violence in a youngster's everyday life, 'Must Bol' - a by the youth, for the youth campaign - is creating ripples in Delhi's youth circuit. Started in December 2010, and having entered the virtual world the very next month, the campaign has hit an instant cord with the youngsters because of the relevance of the issues and the non-preachy manner in which messages are being put across.

full article on the Times of India website

PROJECTS: Citizen Journalists from Afghanistan, Pakistan and India Connect on “Bridges of Youth”

Growing out of a Kabul-based master class on peace and citizen journalism, Pul-e-Jawan(Bridges of Youth) has become a platform and ongoing exchange of ideas for young people involved in media in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.

"Pul-e-Jawan is the only platform that I know where nationals of the three nations discuss and share their thoughts on regional issues," said Hameed Tasal, a web developer and blogger from Kabul. "It provided me with an opportunity to share my own experiences and thoughts with this special group."

Fifteen young bloggers, citizen journalists, filmmakers and technologists gathered together for the first time last fall to discuss security issues with policymakers, NGO representatives, academics, journalists and experts in the field. The workshop focused on how to use online and social media tools to address social causes, common challenges, and shared aspirations in the three countries.

Part of InternewsNext, a series highlighting 30 youth-led media initiatives.

read the full article on the Internews website

ARTICLES / NEWS / PRINT: Smart newspapers win at attracting youth

I-Next of India has been designated the 2012 World Young Reader Newspaper of the Year in the annual Young Reader Prize competition from the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), which awarded 21 prizes to newspapers and a printing plant that have found innovative ways to attract young people to the news.

“Prize winners show that newspapers can successfully appeal to younger audiences in the digital age,” said Aralynn McMane, executive director of WAN-IFRA young readership development.

“This year’s winners offer a fantastic set of examples for how to capture and captivate this audience at that key point in their lives when they will or will not become interested for life in a multiplatform relationship with their newspaper.”

A full list of winners can be found here


Source

NEWS / TV: Discovery to produce children’s programmes

Discovery is to enter the genre of children's television in the second quarter of this year, with launches of Discovery Kids in India, Indonesia and the Philippines.

"Discovery Kids will offer Indian children the ideal combination of learning and entertainment. A unique network in the kids' genre, Discovery Kids will offer children in a fun and entertaining way to satisfy their natural curiosity with stimulating and imaginative programming," said Mark Hollinger, president and chief executive, Discovery Networks International, during his keynote address at FICCI Frames 2012 in Mumbai.

"The network will ignite viewers' imagination through its compelling and differentiated content. In light of the massive digitisation drive in India, we believe viewers will express their demand for such distinct television networks. I cannot think of any other country more poised for the launch of such a remarkable network."

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NEWS / PROJECTS: Underserved youth showcase their movie making prowess through 'Adobe Youth Voices'

Adobe Youth Voices (AYV), the signature philanthropic initiative by the Adobe Foundation celebrated the completion of six successful years of the program in India by screening over 22 short films made by children from the underserved community. Touching across a range of social topics like gender discrimination, education and corruption the short films highlighted issues that that are core to the hearts of these children.

Further, the foundation also announced the first ever Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards, a global online media festival honoring young people who creatively communicate their vision for change in their communities and their lives. Students aged 13-18 are invited to compete across eight sub-categories – animation, documentary, music video, narrative video, poetry-experimental video, audio, graphic design and photography and can submit their entries through an educator or mentor by April 20, 2012.

AYV is a partnership between the Adobe Foundation and the American India Foundation (AIF) and empowers youth to comment on their world using multimedia and digital tools to communicate and share their ideas, demonstrate their potential, and take action in their communities. The AYV global network includes more than 750 sites, grantees, and organizations, across 50 countries engaging over 150,000 youth and 8,200 educators in schools and out of school programs. In India, the program is currently operating in 70 sites reaching out to more than 3500 children and 84 educators across the country. The Adobe Foundation also announced scholarships worth Rs.125,000 for meritorious AYV students.

full article - Adobe Youth Voices website

RESEARCH / SOCIAL MEDIA: Youth sickened by social media (INDIA)

New Delhi, Jan 22: Youngsters in urban India have started experiencing social-media fatigue as excess use of these sites has started telling on their mental and physical health and even their professional, academic and personal lives.

The youngsters said they tend to log onto social networks like – Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Orkut, Linkedin, Myspace, Friendster, Hi5, BigAdda and others less frequently than earlier when they had initially signed up, according to a recently concluded survey carried out by apex industry body ASSOCHAM.

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) conducted a survey under the aegis of ASSOCHAM Social Development Foundation (ASDF) to examine current usage trends vis-à-vis social networks among youngsters and time spent on these websites.

Majority of all the respondents said that compulsive social networking has led to insomnia, depression, poor inter-personal relationships, lack of concentration, high level of anxiety, ignorance and rudeness in their general behavior as they tend to replace real-life social interactions with online social media.

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NEWS / WORKSHOPS / ONEMINUTESJR / PROJECTS: Young women in India learn to express their views through film

By Anjali Singh

LUCKNOW, India, 14 December 2011 – Nineteen-year-old Laxmi Nishad had wanted for years to talk about the burden of caring for her five family members, including her alcoholic father. Her chance finally came at the OneMinutesJr. workshop organized by UNICEF in Lucknow, India.

Along with 14 of her classmates from Prerna Girls School, Laxmi was given the chance to create a one-minute video about her life, which she titled ‘Me and My Life.’

“My sister was just 11 months old when my mother died, and my father, who drinks all the time, refused to give us any money or even look after us,” says Laxmi. “So it was my responsibility to help the family survive. I was just 13, and I began to work as a housemaid in people’s homes to earn money. But I always yearned for a proper home, and I finally found it at the Prerna Girls School, where I study in now. I wanted to tell people my story and now I did that through the OneMinutesJr. workshop.”

The OneMinutesJr. is an arts-based initiative that teaches young people how to creatively express their views through video. During a five-day workshop, video artists from the One Minutes Foundation help youth participants each create one-minute films.

full article

CAMPAIGNS: Training held to launch UNICEF’s Meena project

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: UNICEF's unique animated communication initiative 'Meena' to protect the girl child in Kerala began with the training of resource persons here on Sunday. It will be followed by a state-level children's parliament or Balapanchayat to identify atrocities against children, violation of their rights and to evolve a protective mechanism.

As many as 33 resource persons from across the state participated in the training session. "The training focused on the communication aspect, listening skills, counseling with booklets on Meena and on the mode of introducing it among kids at the district-level," said A J Ranjit, state consultant for Balasabha.

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NEWS / SOCIAL MEDIA: Social media is the space for change, says the youth of India

NEW DELHI: In a nationwide survey conducted amongst the youth of India, nearly 76 per cent of youth believe that social media empowers them to bring change to the world we live in. 

They are convinced that causes for women and movements against corruption can be driven through this medium that is now growing as a source for information. In fact, as many as 28 per cent source information from social media sites whereas around 54 per cent prefer a mix of print, television and social media.

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CALL FOR ARTICLES: The Peace Gong

Keywords: children's newspaper, volunteerism, child reporter

Description: 

Be the change you wish to see in the world”- Mahatma Gandhi Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore Foundation in association with UNV India and Anant Vikas Trust is bringing out a special issue of “The Peace Gong-the children’s newspaper” based on the four objectives of IYV+10: recognition, facilitation, networking and promotion of Volunteerism.

In view of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets, IYV+ 10 offers an opportunity to celebrate but also to assess the progress made towards achieving the objectives of IYV.The aim of this issue is to capture the voices of children across the world on VOLUNTEERING to facilitate efforts by children for a peaceful world. Preparing children for a global non-violent future is a significant of volunteer promotion initiatives.

The Editor of The Peace Gong, a class XI student of Kolkata, India evocatively points this out, “Through the Peace Gong we hope to bring together our friends not only across the country but also abroad to be catalysts for a non-violent world with a foundation of equality, justice and universal understanding of each other’s concerns.” This children’s newspaper is a Media and Information Literacy initiative of the Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore Foundation. The special issue on VOLUNTEERING will be published in December. We request you to facilitate writings/cartoons/comic strips/posters/poems by children from your country for this special issue. The writings by children could focus on: a) Child-led/other volunteer initiatives in your city/country which inspired you most. (500-600 words) b) Interview of a child or group of children/ other volunteers who are volunteering to bring change in their community. (300-500 words) c) Perspective- small perspective pieces by children on what they think on volunteering. (100-200 words). d) Poems and/cartoons/ posters/ comic strips on volunteering

It would be great if each contribution is accompanied by relevant photographs. Do not forget to mention the name and contact details of the child who contributes a particular story/poem, cartoon etc. along with her/his class, name of the school and the city/towns. Please note that, only children up to the age of 18 are eligible to contribute, as it is a children’s newspaper. For parents and legal guardians Participants will be identified as the authors of the drawings and texts only with their first name and their region or country of origin. At the time of submitting a drawing the parents or other legal guardians of the participating children are deemed to have read, understood and be in agreement with the contents of this leaflet. 

Please show this text above to your parents before you submit your work.

Send your entries to: amita.dahiya@undp.org or rabindranathtagorefoundation@gmail.com

The last date to receive the entries is December 15, 2011.

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ARTICLES: UNICEF gets 'Meena' to protect girl child (INDIA)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With an alarming increase in child abuse cases in the state, mostly girls for domestic and commercial sexual exploitation, the UNICEF is set to launch 'Meena' a unique animated communication initiative for girl child protection in Kerala, in coordination with the state government.

"UNICEF has found this initiative exceedingly successful in other states and now plans to take it forward in Kerala. We have written to the state government about the strategy to protect the children through awareness creation and on strengthening the rescue efforts," UNICEF programme officer on child protection told TNN here on Friday. "Over the next two months, this unique initiative will be implemented in Kerala, she said. This communication campaign focusing on key issues relating to the protection of the girl child through animated stories from an image of an empowered girl child Meena.

full article

NEWS / PRINT / TRAINING: IGNOU, UNICEF sensitise scribes on infant deaths

New Delhi: The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) along with UNICEF sensitised media personnel on the high infant mortality and low immunisation levels in Madhya Pradesh, a statement said Thursday.

"A 20-member team comprising national, state and district level media visited Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh and observed the low rate of routine immunisation and high infant mortality in the state," a varsity official said.

The journalists visited the state-of-the-art special care newborn units, set-up by the National Rural Health Mision (NRHM) and UNICEF, as well as the cold chain vaccine storage units in the district.

According to IGNOU, the visit was part of second phase of its partnership with UNICEF launched a month ago to address the issue.

The journalists got a first-hand experience about the micro-planning involved in the handling of cold chain equipment that maintains vaccines at right temperatures.

full article

NEWS: Young reporters trained by UNICEF tackle social issues in rural India

‘The State of the World’s Children 2011 – Adolescence: An Age of Opportunity,’ UNICEF’s flagship report, focuses on the development and rights of more than a billion children aged 10 to 19 worldwide. This series of stories, essays and multimedia features seeks to accelerate and elevate adolescents’ fight against poverty, inequality and gender discrimination.

By Diana Coulter

CHHATTISGARH, India, 6 May 2011 – When Pausha Madharia, 16, speaks, she gives voice to the hopes, dreams and fears of every child in the Indian State of Chhattisgarh.

Standing before the State Assembly recently, she shared her concerns about child labour, discrimination faced by young girls and the troubles that some students encounter when they’re simply trying to attend school. Pausha told legislators that drunken men sprawled on the road outside a wine shop in Murmunda village were regularly threatening local schoolchildren.

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NEWS: Adobe Youth Voices Celebrates 5 Years in India

IT News Online Staff - 2011-04-30

Adobe Youth Voices (AYV), the global philanthropic initiative by Adobe Foundation, announced the completion of its fifth successful year of celebrating young talent and creativity in India. Adobe Youth Voices provides an opportunity for under-served middle and high school youth to communicate their concerns, aspirations and vision using digital media.

The AYV program, which is implemented by American Indian Foundation, runs across 43 schools in India. Seeing the encouraging response and far-reaching impact of the program, Adobe also announced the extension of AYV program for next five years till 2016.

full article

NEWS / IT: Children map their community using innovative technology in India

By Diana Coulter

KOLKATA, India, 27 April 2011 - Salim Sheikh, 13, and his friends are putting their sprawling Kolkata slum on the map – literally. For a year now, they’ve been gathering data about the people, small brick huts, crowded alleys, scattered temples, trees, water pumps and other facts that identify Rishi Aurobindo Colony in eastern Kolkata.

With the support of UNICEF and local non-governmental organization Prayasam, they’ve created a colourful, hand-drawn map of their community. Soon, they will also upload much of the information onto Google Earth, one of the world’s best-known computer mapping systems. When they do, Salim says he will finally feel secure in his bustling universe.

“With this map, everyone in the world will know we are here. We are a community with many issues and ideas, just like anybody,” he says.

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WORKSHOPS / TRAINING: Workshop on storytelling (INDIA)

Jorhat, Jan. 21: After the success of the oral storytelling project to enhance learning of Assamese language among tea community children, an NGO launched the second phase of the UNICEF-sponsored project at Ashray Prakriti here today.

Assam Heritage is organising a three-day workshop to train 20 participants in reading and writing and 20 others in storytelling.

The project is not just confined to developing knowledge of the Assamese language. It has brought about a sea change in the participants from remote garden areas of Titabor subdivision by making them aware of what is equality and what can be harmful for society.

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RESOURCES: Positive Life: New DVD series on HIV and AIDS

26-11-2010 (Paris) - A new DVD series on HIV and AIDS, entitled Positive Life, has been issued by UNESCO’s Network of Young TV Producers on HIV and AIDS in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD).

The eight short films contained in the series were produced at the Workshop for a Regional Co-production on HIV, organized prior to the 2010 Asia Media Summit in Beijing last May. The participants came from India, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Nepal and Vietnam. Their productions, in local languages with English subtitles, are about voluntary testing, safe sex, friendships and personal testimonies.

more info

NEWS: UNICEF initiative: School children turn as film producers (INDIA)

Hyderabad, 10th Nov: Pictures don't lie. So are children. And when they get behind the camera the upshot could be stunning, poignant and true to life stories.

Yes, the little ones have done a wonderful job producing films that tug at the heart. Issues that one comes across everyday and forgets have been captured with telling effect. Thanks to the UNICEF initiative, the city will soon have a film festival for children by children.

The film fest ‘My Frames 2010' will feature 104 short movies on November 15 and 16 at the Centre of Economic and Social Studies (CESS) auditorium in Begumpet.

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