NEWS: Students in media training workshop (PACIFIC)

In recognition of their potentials, about 20 students are attending a two-day workshop in Labasa to strengthen their participation in development.

Facilitated by the Live and Learn Environmental Education, the journalist forum is aimed at creating an advanced profile to the central role of children in the pursuit of peace, including children's roles in public education through media and formal education.

Formal education program co-ordinator Makelesi Batimala said the three-year project aimed to benefit more than 25,000 children under the age of 16 and to establish a large-scale network of 1800 schools and 2000 teachers in Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

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NEWS / TRAINING: First Ever Bahamas Youth Media Camp A Success

Nassau, Bahamas - Thirty campers were immersed into the world of media this summer, thanks to a collaboration between the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and True Vision Media Group.  Through the government's free summer programme, children ages 8 to 15 learned about the importance of media; social responsibility and the role of media; careers in media; interviewing skills; writing and presentation skills; how to set up camera equipment and accessories; and photography.  

The camp also contained general and social competency components that allowed the children to combine learning media skills with fun and games, creative writing, conflict resolution, and saving and budgeting skills

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Call for Proposals: Verzio DocFest Workshop

Call for Proposals: Verzio DocFest Workshop

http://www.romadecade.org/verzio_doclab_sep_2012

Verzio DocLab, a four-day workshop taking place in Budapest from November 7 to 10, 2012, for documentary filmmakers, independent producers and festival organizers working on projects regarding minorities, immigration, social justice or human rights issues is now accepting proposals. Participants working on Roma issues, or coming from a Roma background, will have a priority in the selection.

The event is part of the Verzio International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival and will be organized in collaboration with Finnagora, the Open Society Arts and Culture Program, Verzio International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival and Documentary in Europe.

Application deadline: October 10, 2012

OPPORTUNITIES / CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: The Monteverde new media expedition

A new media expedition?

• expand your media skills
• support restoration of habitats
• support conservation of endangered species
• support the livelihoods of local people
• help extend the Bellbird Biological Corridor into schools and homes worldwide

Costa Rica’s Monteverde cloud forest is one of the most biologically diverse places on our planet. But like wild places around the world, its fragile ecosystems are under enormous stress.

Come join our new media expedition in Costa Rica this July 8th-21^st to expand your new media production skills, while helping to create a sustainable environment for animals, plants, and people.

During a one or two-week program, you’ll work with journalists, educators, artists and travelers who’ll create a multimedia project for local conservation and community groups working on the “Bellbird Biological Corridor”– a project to reforest & re-connect a patchwork of forests, farms and communities from the Monteverde cloud forest down to the Pacific Ocean.

The goal of the expedition is to digitally illustrate the ecosystems and communities in the corridor — through short documentary filmmaking, digital animation & mapping, photos, audio and educational resources –  and make these tools accessible locally and to homes and classrooms worldwide.  By creating networks of learning and support, we will join forces with local communities to protect ecosystems and endangered species, and ultimately, the health of our planet.

APPLY NOW!!!

ONEMINUTESJR / WORKSHOPS: Armenian teenagers share their experiences with juvenile justice in one-minute videos

YEREVAN, Armenia, 9 April 2012 - Sixteen teenagers from different cities in Armenia have come together in the capital Yerevan this week for a five-day video workshop as part of the OneMinutesJr initiative. Their aim is to write, film and produce movies that tell about the experiences they have made when coming in conflict with the law.

The young people are from Gyumri, Alaverdi, Kapan, Ijevan, Vanadzor, Chambarak and Yerevan. Most of them have been arrested by the police in their towns and cities at least once for petty crimes, robbery, stabbing other teenagers with knives or in one case also for alleged rape. Since they are all still minors and their crimes were either not severe enough or could not be proven, they were not sentenced to serve time in prison. Instead, they were all handed over to community centers by the police to receive psychological help and/or do community work.

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NEWS / WORKSHOPS: In Lao PDR, media workshop encourages positive, holistic early childhood development

VIENTIANE, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 28 March 2012 – Stunts by a miniature red buffalo stole the show at a recent ceremony held to screen new media productions for children in Lao PDR.

Though the buffalo’s performance – pushing and pulling a series of green balls that magically transformed themselves into numbers – was aimed at the pre-school children in attendance, the adult audience also burst into laughter.

The so-called ‘Clever Buffalo’ was a feat of clay animation, or claymation. It was a short film by a production team that had just finished a training session on ‘Innovative Communication for Early Childhood Development’.

Organized by the Lao Government and UNICEF, the training was part of wider efforts to strengthen local skills and capacity to generate quality media for children in Lao PDR.

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NEWS / WORKSHOPS: UNICEF, CIDA Helping Young People Make their Voices Heard (SUDAN)

Ways of enabling young Sudanese to become more actively involved in resolving community and other issues set the agenda of a two-day workshop last week in Khartoum.

The meeting -- which was attended by young people from three of Sudan’s 15 states -- ended with a call for the establishment of formal mechanisms that could bridge the gap between policymakers and youth and ensure that the voices of young people are heard.

“We are failing to harness the potential of the youth as there is no partnership between us and the elders,” said youth representative Nagham Hawash, adding: “We hope this consultation marks the start of a real partnership between the young people and the people in power.”

The workshop was the first in a series of youth consultations organised under the Youth LEAD (Leadership, Empowerment, Advocacy and Development) Project which is supported by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and implemented by UNICEF in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: Young photographers from Niger and Mali document the problems facing their communities

By Anne Boher

BAMAKO, Mali, 6 December 2011 – “This child looks very mean, and it’s a consequence of life on the street,” said 17-year-old Rachida Aboubacar, gazing at a photograph taken by one of her friends.

Rachida is one of several children and adolescents selected from some of the most vulnerable communities in Niger to participate in a UNICEF-supported photography workshop.

Photography workshops are part of UNICEF’s efforts to ensure all children, especially those marginalized or living in poverty, are empowered to express themselves.

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NEWS / TRAINING: South Sudan: Ministry of Information and UNICEF Host Media Workshop

Juba — A two days joint training workshop organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the United Nations Children Fund on ethical guidelines on reporting on children was held in Juba last week.

The workshop attracted media practioners from the states of Jonglei, Eastern Equatoria, Western Equatoria and Central Equatoria. The workshop sought to deepen the understanding of the participants on the ethical guidelines on reporting on children.

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TRAINING: UNICEF to Train Journalists On Child Reporting n South Sudan (AFRICA)

Juba — The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) will be training journalists on ethical reporting of children this later this month, the organization's Chief Executive Sid Shresha has announced.

Mr Shresha made this announcement today during a meeting with the deputy minister for Information and Broadcasting Hon Atem Yaak Atem. He explained that the training will target journalists from all the states, especially those in the grassroots.

He also pointed out that the training will be on print and radio and will entail writing good stories and producing good programs about children.

"Children are the future of the country and when photographing them they need not to be shown in a difficult situation", he said.

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OPPORTUNITIES: The Guardian offers workshop for young writers

Aspiring young journalists who are residents in the U.K. can apply for a writing workshop.

The Young Writers' Workshop, sponsored by the Guardian, is open to writers between the ages of 16 and 22. The aim of the program is to help participants pitch articles to the paper, create a link between new writers and Guardian editors and encourage diversity in the newsroom.

The twenty selected participants will attend two workshops, on September 14 and September 21. The workshops will be run by editors from the Guardian’s G2, sport, culture and comments sections.

Applicants from all minority, disadvantaged social and economic backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

For more information, click here.

NEWS / OneMinutesJr: Lao teenagers get first taste of video making at OneMinutesJr workshop

Luangprabang, Lao PDR: December, 2010: Fifteen short films – each exactly one minute long – were the outcome of a workshop in this picturesque Lao town that gave a group of Lao teenagers a unique opportunity to try their hand at digital video production.

The workshop was the latest collaboration between the Netherlands-based One MinutesJr Foundation and UNICEF through which – since 2004 -- youth in over 80 countries have had the chance to unleash their creativity onscreen.

Stories about a stranded tuk tuk driver, a gilded puppet, and a young boy dreaming of running his own computer shop were among the finished films. Buddhist monks, a maker of traditional instruments and an animated family portrait also featured in the video productions which drew high praise for their creativity and technique.

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NEWS / ARTICLES: Pacific Islands Eager to Improve Children’s Media

by Barbara Kolucki, UNICEF Consultant, Children's Media and Tomas Jensen, Communication Specialist, UNICEF Pacific

The week began with excitement and some trepi- dation. For the very first time, countries from the Pacific Islands met to learn about and produce innovative media for children and youth. The August 16-20 workshop in Suva, Fiji, included a wide range of 60 people from Fiji, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, and Vanuatu, most of whom had never met each other or worked together.

It included children's media producers in television and radio, but also journalists, artists, creative writers, graphic designers, musicians and people who work directly with disadvantaged and marginalized youth. Other participants included young people who are creating innovative productions after taking part in UNICEF communication workshops and several deaf or blind young adults, accompanied by interpreters.

Media for children is quite new in the Pacific. Often, producers with absolutely no experience are thrust into creating TV or radio for youth. As a result, they were eager to learn what others around the world do, in order to take their work to a new level of appropriateness and professionalism.

full article & more here

PROJECTS /PHOTOGRAPHY: Internews Teams with National Geographic to Train Crimean Youth in Photography (UKRAINE)

From June 14-18, 2010, a group of high school students from the Crimean Republic of Ukraine will go to the Crimean coast to learn about and document the Black Sea's importance as a vital economic, cultural and historical resource with National Geographic’s Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Jay Dickman.

full article and slide show

PROJECTS: Youth learn about media and its impact on stereotypes (USA)

Approximately 200 youngsters from South L.A. area schools like Dorsey, Crenshaw, Gardena and Washington Prep, and other teens from Bret Harte Middle School, Cerritos High School and Covenant House, participated in a Youth Media Education Conference on June 3rd at Cal State University Dominguez Hills. The conference featured youth-led workshops, panels and performances that examined the cultural and historical impact of media representation and how it affects their lives as youth of color.

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PROJECTS / PHOTOGRAPHY: Adolescents find their identity through photography in Syria (MIDDLE EAST)

Adolescents find their identity through photography in Syria

Article and photos by Pawel Krzysiek

DAMASCUS, Syria, 12 January 2010 – Last summer, a six-week photography workshop invited 24 young people from Syria, Palestine and Iraq to bring their perspectives to issues affecting their region. The participants addressed issues including identity, gender equality, children’s rights and integration. Thousands of photos emerged, many of which were exhibited in galleries in Damascus and London.

The ‘Bridging the Gap’ workshop, organised by the UK-based Refocus Project [www.refocusproject.com] and supported by UNICEF, brought participants together for a summer of photographic training. Boys and girls from different backgrounds worked alongside each other to explore and document their environment. They produced images of the world through their own eyes, examining both the achievements they perceived and the struggles they faced.

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NEWS / PROJECTS: UNICEF Radio Digital Diaries: Motorbikes in Monrovia (AFRICA)

MONROVIA, Liberia, 10 December 2009 – "Everywhere you go in Liberia, you will see motorbikes,” says Josephine Zogbaye, 18. “Many people don’t have access to cars, so anytime I’m going somewhere, I take a motorbike to avoid long distance walks so I won’t be late.”

As useful as motorbikes are in Liberia, however, there are downsides.

“Motorcyclists in Liberia don’t drive with care,” Josephine says. “If you’re not careful, they will damage your life.”

Monrovia radio workshop

In August, Josephine was one of the participants in a week-long radio production workshop for seven young people from Liberia. UNICEF Radio, UNICEF's ‘Back on Track’ programme on Education in Emergencies and Post-Crisis Transition, the UNICEF Liberia programme and Talking Drum Studios conducted the workshop with three boys and four girls chosen from around the country.

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NEWS / EVENTS: Mekong Arts Festival: Catalyst for social changes

by Xinhua Writer Ma Guihua

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- As some 200 artists and media practitioners converge here for the weeklong Mekong Festival beginning on Monday, their attention has gone far beyond "arts for arts' sake". What they are advocating is how to promote arts as catalyst for social transformation.

Through workshops, performances, forum, conference, film shows and visual arts, artists from the Mekong sub-region which is composed of Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, showcased their understanding of life in the era of globalization and economic integration.

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NEWS / EVENTS: Davao regional youth media summit held (PHILIPPINES)

Davao City – A total of 18 youths from all over southern and central Mindanao gathered in a 3-day workshop in Davao City for the Mindanao leg of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) regional Youth Media Summit.

The summit-media workshop was held from November 4 to 6 at Casa Maria’s Inn in Davao City. It carries the theme CRC 20 Na: Ano na? (CRC now 20, how is it?)

The summit was held in the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the United Nations’ Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC). The summit-workshop was for participants who are members of different youth media organizations — print, video and radio — to produce various communication advocacy outputs related to CRC.

According to Angela Travis, UNICEF director for communications, UN-CRC is still a fairly young convention and while it has achieved gains for children all over the world, many are still unaware or ignorant of the convention.

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NEWS / PROJECTS: Nunavut's budding filmmakers

Nunavut's budding filmmakers

Kassina Ryder - Northern News Services - Published Wednesday, July 15, 2009

RANKIN INLET - Youth from across the Kivalliq region gathered in Rankin Inlet's community learning centre the week of July 6 to participate in a media workshop designed to promote healthy living.

The Inuusivut Workshops have been travelling throughout Nunavut since January 2008, according to trainer Qajaaq Ellsworth.

"The Inuusivut project kind of focuses on helping young people to promote mental health, we use multimedia as a way to help young people express themselves," Ellsworth said. He said participants learn photography and filmmaking skills to create photo slideshows and short films, as well as learning editing software.

"We've trained over 100 young people in photography and film production," Ellsworth said.

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