E4D

The World Congress on Communication for Development

2006-01-09T01:13:00.000-08:00

The World Congress on Communication for Development
Rome, Italy - October 25-27, 2006

The first World Congress on Communication for Development will focus on demonstrating that communication for development is an essential ingredient for meeting today’s most pressing development challenges and, as such, should be more fully integrated in development policy and practice.

This 3-day Congress will bring together communication professionals engaged in development initiatives, policymakers, development practitioners, donor and civil society organization representatives, community representatives, and academics from around the world to share experiences and best practices in this growing field. Discussions and presentations will focus on what works, what doesn’t, and how communication for development contributes to better development effectiveness.

The Congress is designed to showcase the wealth of innovative and creative work underway from around the world. Sessions will use innovative and creative ways to present information and share knowledge using different approaches and techniques that encourage dialogue and exchange, consistent with the spirit of the discipline.

It seeks to reach beyond those working directly in communication for development to include the broader development community and policymakers. To do this, the Congress will be structured around the most pressing development challenges that confront us today.

Presentations and discussions will demonstrate the value-added of Communication for Development; provide data and evidence of the impact of communication in development projects and programs; and highlight the most promising theoretical foundations and methodological approaches underpinning Communication for Development today.

Each day of the Congress will open with a keynote address by recognized speakers who have made significant contributions to the field of development and development policy and thinking who will address the broad issue of development and the role of communication.

The Congress also includes a series of special events on particular areas of communication for development practice such as edutainment, documentary films and videos, music, and radio programs, and on key topics that are both within and beyond the scope of the main development challenges themes such as climate change, ICT, and Corporate Social Responsibility, to name a few.

Congress participants will collectively build a series of key recommendations on ways to incorporate communication into policy and development. These recommendations will be refined during the three days of the Congress and discussed in a forum with policymakers on the final day.

Through the vehicle of a policymaker’s forum, policymakers will reflect on the recommendations of Congress participants and on potential opportunities, options and obstacles for mainstreaming Communication for Development in development policy and practice. This will help define a roadmap for next steps in support of mainstreaming communication for development in the future.

www.sportanddev.org

2005-12-06T06:24:00.000-08:00

This Internet platform is a worldwide hub dedicated entirely to Sport & Development. The site provides a common working framework that facilitates the promotion of Sport & Development as a new domain of international cooperation, and is visited frequently by representatives of the United Nations, governments, sports federations, non-governmental organisations, and academic institutions.

Included on the platform is a thorough account of Sport & Development issues, a project database, a directory of the key organisations and experts that make up the field, an archive of news and documents, a regular bulletin with detailed updates and interviews, an agenda of conferences, a listing of career opportunities, and a discussion forum.

In short, the platform acts as a communication tool and is a crossroads where a wide range of Sport & Development initiatives and information can be researched, analysed and discussed between those with an interest in Sport & Development – including both practitioners and academics alike.

Explore the platform today and discover why the international Sport & Development community is turning to www.sportanddev.org

UN debut for $100 laptop for poor

2005-11-18T00:46:00.000-08:00

UN debut for $100 laptop for poor

By Jo Twist - BBC News technology reporter in Tunis

A prototype of a cheap and robust laptop for pupils has been welcomed as an "expression of global solidarity" by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

The green machine was showcased for the first time by MIT's Nicholas Negroponte at the UN net summit in Tunis.

He plans to have millions of $100 machines in production within a year.

The laptops are powered with a wind-up crank, have very low power consumption and will let children interact with each other while learning.

"Children will be able to learn by doing, not just through instruction - they will be able to open up new fronts for their education, particularly peer-to-peer learning," said Mr Annan.

FULL ARTICLE

Media Education: Role of the knowledge societies

2005-10-27T01:12:00.000-07:00

Media Education: Role of the knowledge societies
26-10-2005 (Paris)

This theme shall serve as an objective for a seminar uniting a group of experts of the two rivers of the Mediterranean, through French Commission for UNESCO, which is to be held on 27 and 28 October 2005 in Paris.
The “Knowledge societies”, for instance, to be more pluralistic, inclusive and participative, it is really necessary to provide all the citizens, especially the younger generation with the competence to know how to decode an information, to maintain a particular distance, when it comes to the critical analysis, and to have an individuality in the production of contents.

The problem of the media education may be treated from two principal angles: the youth education in traditional and modern media, on one hand, the sensitisation, and the professional training, being well aware of the impact of their productions on the public, particularly the youth, on the other.

A dialogue can be initiated between the different types of actors who are concerned (experts, teachers, parents, journalists, producers, etc.), which includes, of course the youth (students from the associated schools of UNESCO)on how to balance a good knowledge and a good awareness of the preoccupations and the expectations of the public, the constraints and the responsibilities of the professionals and the role of media education in the era of the information society. On the basis of this exchange, within a comparative and co-operative Euro-Mediterranean framework, the seminar shall elaborate the recommendations valorising the development of media education to the international scale, at the same time to the intended national authorities.

MORE

Glocal Youth - Media Education and Interculture

2005-10-17T03:05:00.000-07:00

Glocal Youth is a web site of media education and interculture, a guide to educate young people to grow an aware relation with media, facilitating the development of critical thinking skills and of a responsible citizenship. Glocal Youth wants to encourage boys and girls to reflect upon youth representations conveyed by mass media, in the World Northern and Southern regions.

The project Glocal Youth has been inspired by a series of questions:What image of youth world is conveyed by media addressed to youth? Are there any representations and stereotypes which often recur? What are the differences and similarities between media from Europe and from the developing world? Does it emerge a representation of "Global Youth" or do the differences between North and South prevail?

In order to find an answer to these questions, they have carried out an international research on media production for young people in World Northern and Southern regions (press, radio, music, television, cinema, internet). Then they have selected the most significant media products, both from the North and from the South. Taking this selection as a point of departure, they have elaborated a didactic kit, to be used by teachers, educators and young people as a practical tool of education to media and interculture. Furthermore, some groups of students will realise media products: so they will be able to express their right of speech, to create products that better correspond to their ideas, passions, projects.

The project combines the two perspective of media education and interculture: on one hand, it aims to promote among young people a critical approach towards media; on the other hand, it intends to foster the knowledge of the media environments of provenience of young immigrants, and compare them with the European ones, enlightening specificities and uniformities.

The project Glocal Youth, carried out with the support of the European Union, has been realised by a team of researchers and intercultural operators coming from different European countries:
Lai momo - Italy
Centre Audiovisuel Liège - Belgium
Grupo Comunicar - Spain
Centro de investigação e de comunicação cientifica - Portugal

For further information: http://www.glocalyouth.net/

E4D Meeting in Ljubljana (Slovenia)

2005-09-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

It was good to meet you all in Ljubljana!

Katja, Nadia, Zuzana, Kathleen, Pamm, Susanna, Andrea

Well... David is taking the photo :-)

Many women in this group, uh?

All the best,

David

"Bringing Hurricane Katrina into the Classroom: Media Literacy Lessons and Activities"

2005-09-12T04:04:00.000-07:00

"Bringing Hurricane Katrina into the Classroom: Media Literacy Lessons and Activities" - A Starting Place for Analyzing Media Coverage of Hurricane Katrina The Alliance for a Media Literate America (AMLA) has created a downloadable media literacy lesson and activity guide that offers a starting place for educators who want to help students analyze, understand, and cope with Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. “Bringing Hurricane Katrina Into the Classroom: Media Literacy Lessons and Activities” includes lessons such as Editorial Decision-Making, Looking at Language, and Taking Action, plus dozens of links to alternative news sources, commentary, and media comparisons.This free, downloadable guide is available on the AMLA website. An expanded and interactive version, including a bulletin board for sharing thoughts and reactions, will be posted on September 15th, when the new AMLA website launches.

Top 10 films children should see

2005-07-20T02:37:00.000-07:00

The X-rated films every child should see

By Richard Garner, Education Editor - Published: 20 July 2005

A 1950s thriller and a Danish film exploring the sexuality of teenage girls are among the top 10 films that British schoolchildren should see by the age of 14.

The list, compiled by the British Film Institute (BFI) after consulting up to 80 experts in cinema and education, includes only one film made in England. That film was Kes, Ken Loach's award-winning production about the relationship between a working-class boy from Barnsley and a kestrel.

A surprise omission was Billy Elliot, about a boy from a pit village who becomes a ballet dancer - which is on the curriculum in Sweden.

Cary Bazalgette, head of education at the BFI, said the top 10 was " quite a controversial list that's likely to provoke continuing debate".

"But that's the idea," she added. "We want people to discuss what children should see - rather than what they shouldn't see."

She said she was surprised that Charles Laughton's The Night of the Hunter was chosen. It was banned in Finland and subsequently given a 16 rating there. Starring Robert Mitchum and Shelley Winters, the 1955 black and white film tells the story of a murderous preacher in pursuit of money.

The list also includes Show Me Love, a Danish film marketed in some countries asFucking Amal, which was distributed as a 15-certificate film, and deals with two adolescent girls growing up and exploring their sexuality.

"If you want to show the film Show Me Love to 11-year-olds, they can't arrest you for it," said Ms Bazalgette. "Parents and teachers in loco parentis can make their own decisions - but a teacher would be wise to clear it with the parents first."

She admitted the top 10 included some films which might be appreciated by an older audience.

"I also thought it surprising there was a lack of British material," she said. "We consulted some European film institutions and they seemed to be more pro British films than our own people. A lot of them had Billy Elliot down as a must, Ms Bazalgette said."

The top 10, which is on the BFI website, is open for discussion. "We're not imposing this selection," said Ms Bazalgette. "We intend the list to evolve so we'll be inviting continued comment and nominations."

The initiative has been backed by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, the government body responsible for monitoring the national curriculum. It believes the use of moving image texts in teaching English often enhances a child's love of reading.

The top 10 were chosen from a list of 50 suggested by BFI staff. David Lean's Oliver Twist and Lionel Jeffries' The Railway Children. failed to make the top 10.

(...)

FULL ARTICLE FROM THE INDEPENDENT ONLINE

ALSO SEE THE TOP 10 LIST ON THE OBSERVER WEBSITE

C8 website

2005-07-19T04:39:00.000-07:00

All documents, photos and video clips from the very successful C-8 Children's Forum held in Scotland recently can be viewed on the C-8 website

Highlights include the following :

1. Child Delegates profiles from LDC and G-8 countries
2. Press Releases
3. Final Statements : "Children for Change" - C-8 Final Recommentations and "C-8 Response to G-8 Announcement"
4. Video clips : Ewan McGregor address C-8, Dechen Penna (child delegate from Bhutan) speaks, UNICEF news package

The World programme for human rights education

2005-07-19T01:54:00.000-07:00

World Programme for Human Rights Education: First Phase (2005-2007)

As a follow-up to the Decade for Human Rights Education, the United Nations have initiate a World Programme for Human Rights Education, which was launched at the United Nations General Assembly on 10th December 2004. During the period 2005-2007 the focus will be on human rights education in primary and secondary education. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is coordinating activities within the framework of the World Programme.

OHCHR has developed a Plan of action for the first phase of the world programme for human rights education in consultation with governments, educational agencies, NGOs and other civil society actors.

Source:
www.hrea.org/world-programme/

The relevant docs here:
http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/education/training/programme.htm

Young people & cyber-hate in Belgium

2005-06-28T05:29:00.000-07:00

Young people and cyber-hate in Belgium

The Centre for Equal Opportunities and Opposition to Racism (CEOOR) acts against the small minority of Internet users who promote hate and discrimination. It only resorts to legal action in the most extreme cases.

For young people, the Internet reflects the real world. It is a place to meet and interact, and hateful or provocative material is rare. As in the real world, a small minority of websites do promote hate, for example against Africans, Muslims and homosexuals. The mass distribution of hate mails blaming immigrants for violent attacks is also an alarming phenomenon.

The Centre reacts to this kind of content even if it is often intended as a joke. The danger is that society might become more accepting of racism if everyone distributes messages of this kind.

The Centre considers three possible courses of action, depending on the severity of the material.

(...)

FULL ARTICLE

PROJECT WEBSITE

UNICEF media awards

2005-06-20T02:52:00.000-07:00

Global
ICDB – International Children’s Day of Broadcasting (annual event)
Sport for Development and Peace - Let's Play! - 11 December 2005 - UNICEF and the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences are asking broadcasters around the world to highlight sport as they celebrate this year’s International Children's Day of Broadcasting (ICDB) on 11 December 2005.
MORE INFO

Global
OneWorld/UNICEF radio award (annual event)
MORE INFO
______________________________________________________________________________
Commonwealth
Commonwealth award
The Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA) and UNICEF Award for Outstanding Local Children’s ‘Programme was won by the South African Broadcasting Commission (SABC) for the programme “Soul Buddyz.”
MORE INFO

Spain
The Spanish National Committee has created the Journalism Awards in order to encourage reporting of children’s subjects and reward those journalists who do so. The Spanish National Committee has been hosting the Journalism Awards since 1989 for journalists who give special treatment to children’s rights in their reporting. Last year, they began to call the awards “Let Us Change the World with Children.”
The purpose of the awards is two fold: First, UNICEF Spain uses the awards to provide incentive and motivation for journalists to cover child-related themes in reporting and to also improve their approach to these subjects. Secondly, the awards provide UNICEF Spain with a way to thank the journalists for their contributions to the defense and promotion of children’s rights.

Four stages:

· Stage one is the launch of journalism awards. UNICEF Spain send a press release to all contacts in the media, inviting them to participate in the awards.
· Stage two is the pre-evaluation process, made for the Communication Department. It’s just a recommendationStage three is the real evaluation, made by a professional juryStage four is the presentation ceremony

The Journalism Awards accept entries from all types of media. They are three awards for each modality.
The prize for first place is a trip to a field office where a journalist can experience first-hand the work of UNICEF. Second and third prizewinners will be awarded with commemorative plaques.

China
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) conferred the UNICEF-China Leadership for Children Media Awards for the 1996-2000 Country Program to famous Chinese film director Zhang Yimou and five media recipients Tuesday for their outstanding contributions to the children's cause in China during the past five years.
MORE INFO

Iran
Iranian writer receives UNICEF award
Tehran, Dec 9, IRNA -- Iranian writer Hooshang Moradi Kernmani has been awarded a plaque of honor by the United Nation's Children's Fund (UNICEF). Speaking to IRNA on Saturday, Moradi said UNICEF has honored him for promoting public awareness on children's rights through his books. Moradi Kermani has published dozens of books in which he has dealt with the problems of children and teenagers. Some of his books have received awards in Iran and abroad and translated into European languages.
SOURCE

Ethiopia
Ethiopian Television and UNICEF Award Puts Spotlight on Children - The 2001 UNICEF/International Council "Say Yes for Children" TV Award will be presented at the 29th International Emmy Awards on November 19 at the New York Sheraton.
This one-time award will recognize the best international television campaign that promotes the "Say Yes for Children" Initiative, according to a press release by UNICEF.
" In this context and in a bid to ensure Ethiopian eligibility for this award, UNICEF and Ethiopian Television have the pleasure to announce that they are launching a competition among Ethiopian filmmakers based on the same criteria. The contestants will produce short films focusing on child rights issues, which aim to promote awareness of the issues. The finalists will be aired on ETV, thus forming an important part of the Say Yes campaign in Ethiopia. The winning film will be submitted as the Ethiopian contender for the 2001 UNICEF/International council say yes for children Emmy Award," the release said. "Say yes for children" is a massive international campaign to encourage people to pledge their support for 10 key actions needed to improve the lives and well-being of children and young people everywhere. The results of the campaign-pledges gathered through the Internet and community outreach campaigns - will be presented to the United Nations Special Session on Children in September 2001.
SOURCE

Canada
UNICEF Award at the Freeze Frame Youth Film Festival
MORE INFO

Philippines
Inquirer named child-friendly newspaper of the year - May 28, 2003 - UNICEF award
THE PHILIPPINE Daily Inquirer has been named Child-Friendly Newspaper of the Year, national broadsheet category, by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Philippine Press Institute (PPI).
MORE INFO

CYP 'Adolescent and Youth Participation Handbooks'

2005-06-14T05:36:00.000-07:00

Book One - Participation in the Second Decade of Life: What and Why? - PDF

Book Two - Adolescent and Youth Participation: Adults Get Ready! - PDF

Book Three - Adolescent Participation and the Project Cycle - PDF

Book Four - Tools for Adolescent and Youth Participation - PDF

Measuring Digital Opportunity for America's Children: Where We Stand and Where We Go From Here

2005-06-08T06:31:00.000-07:00

Measuring Digital Opportunity for America's Children: Where We Stand and Where We Go From Here

Measuring Digital Opportunity for America's Children is a new research report released by The Children's Partnership. It is the first-ever look across four key areas to see whether Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is helping children 1) improve educational achievement, 2) lead healthier lives, 3) increase economic opportunity, and 4) participate in their communities.

Full Report (PDF)
Report Overview
Executive Summary (PDF)
Press Materials (PDF)
Fact Sheet (PDF)

Key Findings
The year-long study reveals that the Internet and other digital tools are beginning to increase success-related outcomes for millions of America's children. However, disparities have resulted in an "opportunity gap" for millions of other low-income and ethnic minority children.

The report includes impacts of technology on children, introduces the Digital Opportunity Measuring Stick, illustrates the disparities, and offers an action agenda and additional resources.

For more information contact DOMS@childrenspartnership.org.

Citizenship Education Monitoring Project

2005-06-08T02:25:00.000-07:00

The UK committee comissioned a series of reports on Citizenship Education Monitoring. The final report has recently been published, here is a bit about it and how you can download the whole report.
Citizens all, and all with rights! is the sixth report to be published by UNICEF UK’s Citizenship
Education Monitoring Project (CEMP). As an 'endline report', it is the final CEMP report for the
time being, but the process of teaching and learning about citizenship is in its infancy in all the
nations, and developments and outcomes will continue to unfold throughout the UK over the
next few years.
UNICEF is named in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) as an organisation
committed to assisting countries with implementation. UNICEF UK is committed to ensuring
that teaching and implementing the UNCRC is included in schools’ citizenship programmes.
Learning about the rights of all children, worldwide, is not just about pupils being formally
taught about an international convention, ratified by 132 of the 134 nation states; it is also about
their being able to exercise their rights, and their citizenship, through active participation in the
life of their school and, where feasible, the surrounding community. It is also about government,
and all adults who work with and for children, recognising young people’s inalienable right to
survival, opportunities to develop, to be protected and to be able to participate in decision
making that concerns them and other young people, local and global.
UNICEF UK commissioned Dr Aileen McKenzie in 1999 to undertake a five-year study of how
the new subject, Citizenship, unfolded in England, and the three other nations; where and how
the subject of children’s rights would appear; and to what degree it would be implemented. A list
of the earlier CEMP reports can be found on page xx and all can be downloaded from
www.unicef.co.uk/teacherzone/xxxxx.

'MediaRelate: Understanding Media Images of Love, Sex and Relationships'

2005-06-03T13:46:00.000-07:00

'MediaRelate: Understanding Media Images of Love, Sex and Relationships'

Media Relate is a practical media and sex education project that has resulted in the publication of a set of teaching materials, including a booklet, a DVD and a website. The project emerges from our earlier research in this field, which demonstrated young people's enthusiasm for learning about personal and sexual issues from the media rather than from parents or school. (See the report, 'Children, Media and Personal Relationships' (www.mediarelate.org), and book, 'Young People, Sex and the Media: the facts of life?', by David Buckingham and Sara Bragg (2004, Palgrave Macmillan)).

Existing media texts aimed at or enjoyed by young people rarely seem to be used as a topic of discussion and source of learning in their own right within personal and sexual health education. We believe this is a lost opportunity. We have therefore produced and evaluated a set of teaching materials that will support teachers and youth workers in working with young people aged 11.14. Our teaching materials aim to develop media 'reading' skills in young people, and encourage them to explore contradictory perspectives and values represented by different media genres and forms, and to reflect on their own experience as audiences for media. The materials include units on: students' own views on their media consumption, teenage magazines, dramas and soap operas, and advertising.

Media Relate is a partnership between the Centre for the Study of Children, Youth and Media at the Institute of Education, the English and Media Centre, London, the Netherlands Education-Entertainment Foundation and the Department of Communications at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. It is partly funded by the European Commission, with additional support from a range of funders including (in the UK) the Broadcasting Standards Commission.

Country Education Profiles

2005-06-03T05:51:00.000-07:00

The Complete Set of Country Education Profiles provide information on the education system and guidelines for the assessment of educational qualifications from the following regions:

Australia and its Immediate Neighbours
Africa Regional Set
Subcontinent and the Middle East
Europe
The Americas

UNICEF BUS -Spanish NatCom

2005-05-18T02:28:00.000-07:00

The Habbohotel "UNICEF Bus" completed its first year last Friday, April 29th.
In order to celebrate this first anniversary, UNICEF created a series of activities and chats concerning "Sports for Development", accompanied by a forum on the website http://www.enredate.org (website of the program of Education for Development for UNICEF-Spanish Committee). The theme also coincides with 2005 being the International Year for Physical Education and Sport.

UNICEF and Habbohotel created an alliance in order to carry out chats with young people about important themes such as education or development.
Now, thousands of children visit the site to participate in this virtual community, supervised 24 hours a day by a volunteer staff from both Habbohotel and UNICEF, creating a safe environment. Children can get on the "Bus" for 15 minute chats about given themes.
The special program "Sports for Development" began April 27 and will extend until May 27. It seeks to create a setting where children can debate themes such as the importance of sports in the psychological recovery of the thousands of children affected by wars and natural disasters, the benefits of sports for your health, values that will help you be better people, or themes discussing discrimination because of gender, handicap, or race.
Activities taking place include the chats, games, quizzes, and news related to sports and UNICEF strategies to promote development and peace through sports.
Each week, there will be a famous athlete in the "Bus" to chat with the children, telling their experiences in sport. Recently, Andrés Guerrero joined as the first celebrity to participate in the initiative. He is responsible for education for development for UNICEF in New York and is currently the Programs Official for UNICEF's regional office in Geneva. Past participants include actor Imanol Arias, singer Seydu, and the Executive Director of the UNICEF-Spanish National Committee, Jaime Gómez-Pineda.
In addition to Guerrero, the Bus has invited several sportmen and sportwomet and three UNICEF Spain Ambassadors: the ex football player Eusebio Sacristán, the handball player Rafa Guijosa and the basketball player Pau Gasol.
In its first year, the "UNICEF Bus" has hosted discussions with more than 4,200 children and adolescents in a series of 458 educational chats.

Here you have the presentation of this special month, in English...
And here the explanation of the full project ("UNICEF BUS") :)

Best,
David

ACT NOW - regional consultation on Violence Against Children website

2005-05-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

Stop violence against Children- Act Now! - Regional Consultation for the UN Study on Violence Against Children, Europe and Central Asia, 5-7 July 2005, Ljubljana

Regional mid-term review for Europe and Central Asia to the Second World Congress in Yokohama Against Commercial Sexual Exploatation of Children, 8-9 July 2005, Ljubljana

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia, in collaboration with the Council of Europe, UNICEF, the World Health Organisation, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the NGO Advisory Panel, is pleased to inform you that the conference Regional Consultation for the UN Study on Violence Against Children, Europe and Central Asia 'Stop Violence Against Children - Act Now' will take place in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from 5 to 7 July.
The conference will represent the regional consultation for Europe and Central Asia on the UN Secretary General’s Study on Violence against Children. The UN Secretary General has appointed Professor Paulo Sergio PINHEIRO (Brazil) as independent expert to lead The United Nations Study on Violence against Children.

Games on mobile phones could improve science education across Europe

2005-05-10T04:52:00.000-07:00

Academics within the University of Bradford have been given funding for a two-year project to help encourage young people to take up science and technology subjects through mobile phones and computer games.

June 8-10, 2005- Caceres, Extremadura-SPAIN- "3rd International conference on Multimedia and ICTs in educ

2005-04-29T03:40:00.000-07:00

mICTE2005 means to promote a multi and inter-disciplinary approach to learning technologies and bringing together specialists from different areas and expertise is a major goal.This forum also seeks to promote developments in areas at the interface between Technology, Education and Sociology. m-ICTE2005 will also discuss how national and supranational governments are developing strategies to promote the inclusion of ICTs in educational contexts, based on different vision of what future scenarios will be.
http://www.formatex.org/micte2005/
Source : ecml-European Media Literacy on-line Review

Wishes and Worries: A Story to Help Children Understand a Parent Who Drinks Too M

2005-04-21T03:28:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release: April 20, 2005 - Toronto - Children have lots of questions when someone in their family drinks too much alcohol. Sometimes they just don't have the answers and alcohol problems often become the family secret that nobody talks about. To help children understand their parents' problems with alcohol, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, (CAMH), has recently published the first storybook of its kind developed in Canada, called Wishes and Worries.

"Children tend to have worries and fears when someone in their family drinks too much alcohol. When children don't get accurate information, they often come up with their own wrong and sometimes frightening conclusions," says Dr. Bruce Ballon, a psychiatrist in CAMH's Youth and Addiction program. "Encouraging children to communicate will help them feel less confused and alone. This book can be used as a tool to start that conversation."

Research conducted by CAMH has shown that children have many questions about their parents' substance use or mental health concerns, but there was a lack of resources to help explain these problems to children. To help solve this problem, CAMH began a series of children's storybooks in 2002 starting with Can I Catch it Like a Cold, a storybook to help explain a parent's depression. Wishes and Worries is the second book in this series.

UN Study on Violence Against Children - call for nominations

2005-04-21T01:31:00.000-07:00

Please inform the other Nat Coms - if you need the forms/documents in English/Russian, please let me know.

Letter from Rasa Sekulovic (facilitator of the regional consultation for the Study):

Dear All,

I would like to inform you that we are now extending deadline for submissions of nominations of children and young people to participate in the Europe and Central Asia Regional Consultation on the UN Study on Violence against Children for one more week, i.e. until 27 April 2005. We particularly welcome and encourage nominations from West and North Europe, as the response from these countries so far hasn't been particularly intensive whereas we have received a number of nominations from Central Asia and South-East Europe.

Apart from Diane Widdus and Rasa Sekulovic, these nominations should also be copied to Antje Rothemund of the European Youth Centre Budapest as the final selection process will take place there on the 27th April.

I would appreciate your immediate action on this, so that we can ensure a balanced representation and participation of children and young people from different parts of Europe and Central Asia.

Three One Minutes Jr. workshops in The Netherlands

2005-04-19T05:57:00.000-07:00

The first workshop of 2005 was held 11-14 March in Hilversum (NL) as part of the 'I love Hillywood' video festival. The theme of the workshop for the 12 participants was ‘my world in one minute`.
Two workshops for Moroccan youth living in Rotterdam and Amsterdam will take place 13-16 May and 20-23 May respectively. Around 12 participants from each city between the ages of 16 and 18 will create one minute videos about their experiences. The best thirteen videos will each be part of a 5 minute documentary illustrating their fears, hopes and dreams in the context of their families, homes, cities, neighbourhoods, and histories. These documentaries will be broadcast weekly starting September 2005 on the Nieuwe Omroep, which aims to reach a wide audience and to illustrate how Moroccan youngsters in The Netherlands live between two cultures.

Peer Education, Not Fear Education

2005-04-19T05:43:00.000-07:00

Any visitor to School No. 43 in the Armenian capital might easily mistake Veronica Seropyan for a teacher. Yet, standing in front of thirteen pupils aged between fourteen and sixteen, there is something different about her class. The ubiquitous red ribbons that adorn the children's t-shirts perhaps provide the best clue.
Seropyan isn't a teacher but a member of the AIDS Prevention, Education and Care (APEC) NGO that has charged itself with the task of training 1,400 schoolchildren as peer educators by May 2005. Through interactive teaching methods, discussion and games, the children learn about the danger of infection from HIV / AIDS.
"We talk about the history of the disease," says Seropyan, "and how it is spread, what effect it has on the immune system as well as the biological and psychological development of teenagers. Later, they will pass on that knowledge by talking with their friends and classmates."

Netty's World launch

2005-04-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

Netty's World, NetAlert's Internet safety website for children aged two to seven, has recently been relaunched. New features have been included in the site to make it more enjoyable and educational for young children.

Netty is still the star of the site, but the web site is now more relevant and easier to use by young children. Improvements include an easier navigation system, larger and clearer text, audio support and more interactivity and animations.

Children can now travel with Netty through five adventures, learning about Internet safety as they go. After an adventure is over, children have the opportunity to select which of the five forget-me-nots (be nice, get help, think again, stay safe and secure and protect what's private) relate to the adventure. After the selection is made, children are given instant feedback on why each forget-me-not is relevant.

There is also 'Netty's All Star Quiz' to complete for those children who have mastered the concepts in the adventures. The quiz challenges children to think in more detail about specific issues.

The website aims to help children stay safe by teaching them the fundamentals of Internet safety.

Banda Aceh blog by German Nat Com

2005-04-14T07:46:00.000-07:00

German Nat Com staff member Anja Stechert is in Banda Aceh for 3 weeks and she is posting daily on a weblog on the Nat Com homepage. Check it out - although it's in German... Just to give you an idea - and to improve your Deutsch :-)

Banda Aceh blog

UN video game makes hunger point

2005-04-14T04:14:00.000-07:00

A video game which aims to teach children about global hunger has been released by the United Nations. Food Force is the brainchild of the World Food Programme (WFP), which last year fed more than 100 million people.
The UN body seeks to capitalise on the popularity of video games to educate youngsters about hunger and the work of the aid agency. Written for the PC and Mac, the free game is aimed at eight to 13-year-olds for download at www.food-force.com.

FYI - cooperation with The Scouts ...

2005-04-08T00:58:00.000-07:00

E4D

You might have gotten this message from Hans as well, but just in case not ... here it is ... L.

Dear All,

For your background information, please note that tomorrow afternoon,
Friday, 8 April, at the UNICEF office in Geneva, Carol Bellamy will sign a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Organization of the Scout
Movement (WOSM). Copies of the MoU will be sent to each of your offices.

In brief, WOSM and UNICEF have a long history of collaboration worldwide.
Activities have included campaigns and projects for the elimination of
polio, oral dehydration therapy, community development, sanitary latrines,
life-skills based education, girls’ education, and fighting HIV and AIDS.

This new formal partnership will focus on promoting meaningful
participation of children and young people in decision-making in their
communities and on a global level. There will be a focus on a number of
priority areas, including the Scouts’ Gift for Peace project, the Alliance
of Youth CEOs, and the use of internet technology to connect children and
young people all over the world through the websites “Voices of Youth”
(UNICEF) and “Youth of the World” (WOSM), for example.

Of note: Other planned joint UNICEF-WOSM platforms include special events
such as the review of the World Programme Action for Youth (September
2005), the WOSM Centenary Celebration (2007) and regional and worldwide
jamborees.

WOSM is one of the largest youth organizations in the world, represented in
215 countries and territories and is committed to helping young people
develop their full potential as individuals and active members of their
communities.

You may find out more about the activities of WOSM by visiting their
website: http://www.scout.org

BBC using PSAs through mobile phones

2005-04-06T04:36:00.000-07:00

Films made as part of a BBC Wales campaign to encourage sensible drinking habits are being offered as mobile phone downloads.
The four films - two of which are animated - can be viewed on video enabled mobile phones.
The films are designed to encourage people to think about the benefits of sensible drinking.
It is the first time the BBC has supported a social action campaign with films offered on mobiles.
The animations are just one minute long, with the two videos being 20 and 10 seconds each. Three of them have been made by members of the public.
for more, click the above-mentioned link

resources for teachers and parents on media awareness

2005-04-06T04:28:00.000-07:00

Media Awareness Network

UNESCO funding - International Program for the Development of Communicat

2005-04-05T03:30:00.000-07:00

Several media development projects across the Arab world will benefit from grants from UNESCO's International Program for the Development of Communication (IPDC).

The grants include US$61,000 for Palestinian media projects. Nearly a third of that will go toward training for media workers in Hebron. Another US$25,000 will help build a new studio for children's programming at the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation, while US$16,000 will help establish a literary audio library for broadcasters, educators and the blind.

For the region as a whole, the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) will use a US$25,000 grant to train free expression groups and monitor violations in the region. Other grants approved for the region include US$18,000 to promote media pluralism among Lebanese community media and US$16,000 to establish to rural community radio stations in Mauritania.

Child rights at the 61st Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights - from CRIN

2005-04-04T02:20:00.000-07:00

E4D

NGO SIDE EVENTS - Thursday 31 March

World Programme for Human Rights Education (HRE), organised by OHCHR

The meeting opened with a presentation from OHCHR on the World Programme and its revised draft Plan of Action for the first phase of the programme [A/59/525/Rev.1]. Mr Villalobos, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education also took part in the meeting and explained the close link between the Right to Education and Human Rights Education. He also mentioned the importance of the right to education in emergency situations such as natural disasters, armed conflicts and occupations.

Mrs Ingeborg Breines, Director of the UNESCO Liaison Office in Geneva, described UNESCO's role in the first phase of the world programme which is partly to implement HRE in primary and secondary school systems. HRE is not just for children, but it also
refers to the learning and training of teachers and all related personnel within the education sector. HRE, she further explains, is not just about knowledge but also about creating attitudes and behaviour to participate in society in a respectful and m
eaningful way.

Kids Get Two Million Extra For Playground Project

2005-04-02T03:45:00.000-08:00

The funding will be made available to fund the new Zoneparcs in 2006/07 and will be directed at primary schools in School Sport Partnerships with the lowest participation rates for their youngest children, at Key Stage 1.

The Government has announced an additional £2 million of funding for an innovative new scheme designed to encourage primary school children to get more active at break-time.

The funding, part of the Sporting Playgrounds programme, will be used to create an extra 40 Zoneparcs, in addition to 320 which have already been set up since the scheme was first launched.

Zoneparcs are a radical new approach designed to encourage more activity during school breaks - with playgrounds separated (or zoned) into red areas for traditional games like football, blue for multi-skill play and a yellow rest or chill-out zone.

Tessa Jowell, Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, said the new money would give a real boost to the scheme.

"Zoneparcs are a new idea piloted in 2002 and they show great potential for success.

They increase physical activity levels and the behaviour of children improves - because break times are more structured.

This is real innovation at work, making PE and sport fun for our primary school children."

The funding will be made available to fund the new Zoneparcs in 2006/07 and will be directed at primary schools in School Sport Partnerships with the lowest participation rates for their youngest children, at Key Stage 1.

The Youth Sport Trust will be responsible for managing the roll-out of the increased programme.

The Zoneparcs concept was piloted in 2002 in 13 primary schools in England by the Department for Education and Skills, the Youth Sport Trust and Nike.

Physical activity levels improved significantly and because break times were more structured so did behaviour.

An additional £10m was then secured by DfES - between 2003-04 and 2004-05 - to extend the pilots across 27 target local authority areas - the Sporting Playgrounds programme.

Projects at over 600 primary schools, including 320 Zoneparcs, have been supported.

Through funding from Nike, the Youth Sport Trust provided additional support to the Zoneparc schools to train lunch time supervisors and older children to become play leaders.

E4D

2005-04-02T00:57:00.000-08:00

Just to say that I have finally penetrated the murky depths of the E4D blog and will serve dutifully as the E4D Aceh correspeondent until the end of April (and thereafter from Maldives !). Busy again here with emergency relief efforts on the islands of Nias and Simeulu after Monday's big quake. Several tremors since and many very nervous folks around. We have two teams on both islands looking at emergency medical and water sanitation needs. Education recovery will begin first on Simeulu with the construction of temporary school wooden structures - tents not suitable in hot, humid and windy conditions prevailing. Bad weather and heavily damaged infratructure (roads, port harbour and airstrip) hampering all relief efforts. We have hopes to set up a young people's reference group in Avceh to give feedback on UNICEF-GoI eeducation and protection sector rehabilitation plans. This was one good thing to come out of the recent workshop ion Japan which Chris and I attended and is centred upon two excellent young participants (Wizar and Iqbal) from Banda Aceh, who want the voices of young people to influence our work and thinking. Will keep you all posted. Mail me on the usual unicef address (kmaskall@8unicef.org) at any time with education related questions. We have a new Education Sector head here now in Banda Aceh (Sayoko Aoki) and our veteran Rapid Learning Assessment Coordinator (Rachel Mc KInney) will be happy to make practicable links with your constituencies. I'm off to Nias tomorrow - returning (hopefully) next THursday. Keep safe guys and say your prayers for these people....!

best wishes,
Ken

Citizenship education

2005-04-01T00:50:00.000-08:00

Citizenship Education
Citizenship education has been at the heart of a major debate and policy review in England over the past decade. In 1997 the Advisory Group on Education for Citizenship and the Teaching of Democracy in Schools was set up, chaired by Professor Sir Bernard Crick. In 1999, a separate advisory group was established, also chaired by Professor Crick.
The report produced by the original Citizenship Advisory Group defined ‘effective education for citizenship’ in schools as comprising three separate but inter-related strands of social and moral responsibility, community involvement and political literacy.
The report of the subsequent Advisory Group was produced in 2000. It built upon Advisory Group on Citizenship for 16-19 Year Olds in Education and Training the principles embedded within the earlier report, whilst also recognising the specific context of post-16 education and training. Click here for more information.
Before the Advisory Group’s work there had been little research into the conditions for, and outcomes of, ‘effective citizenship education’ in schools, colleges and other types of training organisation in England. In the light of this NFER has been commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills to undertake two major studies in the area of citizenship.

Contacting the network

2005-03-22T14:15:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, I suddenly realised I don't have much time to phone my nat coms. I have sent them a joint email with the strategy and point for comments reattached and asked them if they want to respond verbally or by email. I then asked them for their phone number and a suitable time to contact them this week as I am on holiday next week. Looking forward to speaking to you all on the 4th. Happy Easter Pam

RESOURCES - "WATCHING THE MEDIA". A new media literacy toolkit against discrimination

2005-03-21T03:19:00.000-08:00

RESOURCES - "WATCHING THE MEDIA". A new media literacy toolkit against discrimination

"Watching the media" is the title of a media literacy toolkit against discrimination developed within a European project co-ordinated by ESAN (European Social Action Network). The toolkit has various sections covering different but related topics: Representation and Identity, Media Literacy, Stereotyping and Representations of Arabs and Muslims. Each section provides key notions, background information and activity schemes and suggestions for group readers. It also includes reports of local activities that were developed within the project by the individual partners.

The toolkit aims to make young people aware of the difference between reality and media representation, bringing them to reflect on mechanisms in the media that generate and reproduce discrimination. The toolkit is of interest to youth centres, schools, group leaders and media educators. Professional media educators with experience in the anti-discrimination field will find few new ideas, although the section on Muslims is definitely of interest. The price of the toolkit is 50 Euro + 10.75 carriage costs, which is good value for money, although being developed with European money we would try to bargain a better price.

It can be ordered from:

ESAN Secrétariat
60, rue sainte Catherine - 59000 Lille - FRANCE
Tel/Fax : +33 3 20 55 10 99 - e-mail esan@nordnet.fr
web www.esan.org

progress of the work plan

2005-03-14T01:31:00.000-08:00

Dear all, I think I have made it to the Blog site. David Bull, the UK Executive Director has informed the chair of the standing group that we would like the work plan on a future meeting. The minutes have been circulted and hopefully Susanna and I will talk to Hans this week. We will keep you posted
Pam Marchant

Educational radio in Banda Aceh

2005-03-09T05:45:00.000-08:00

This is from an email list that I am on. It's a first-hand account on what is going on with the reconstruction of the communication system in Banda Aceh and has some interesting facts about the educational aspect of radio broadcasting. By the way, the author (Dr. Ross James from Australia) helped the UNICEF office in Kyrgyzstan in 2004 with the HAFY (Healthy Airwaves For Youth) radio project. This is the full article because it's from an email list and not from a website, so no links provided.

Chris

-----

I have just returned from Banda Aceh in Indonesia and thought you might like a brief update on how local radio stations are coping in this post-tsunami phase.

Twelve radio stations were on the air before the tsunami and four were on the air when I was there in the first week of March. Two former commercial stations, Prima FM and Baitu Rahman FM, as well as the government education radio station ( Visi FM) have re-opened with what equipment they have. The Indonesian Radio Commercial Broadcast Association (PRSSNI) has established two new stations, using temporary broadcast licences to allow them to have a specialist role in the emergency and reconstruction phases of the disaster.

Suara Aceh FM is manned by staff from radio stations which remain off the air, with PRSSNI rotating experienced program managers from elsewhere in Indonesia for a month at a time. PRSSNI intends for Suara Aceh to give out-of-work Banda Aceh radio staff the opportunity for professional development through training and mentoring while responding to the tsunami emergency. The radio station operates in a studio hastily erected in a municipal conference room. Funds, facilities and equipment has been
provided by local government authorities, Internews, Worldspace and several other partnering agencies. In consultation with it's partners, PRSSNI has decided to extend Suara Aceh's operations beyond the original three months until June when the need will be re-evaluated.

The second new radio station with a temporary licence is Radio Jati FM, established with the support of PRSSNI. Equipment and programming expertise is being provided by Indonesia's Heartline Radio Network using temporary studio facilities owned by Bias FM, whose main studios and all equipment was damaged by the tsunami. Five staff of Bias FM now crew Radio Jati. Radio Jati has adopted a participatory approach, using mini disc recorders to speedily gather and process interviews for community-based features. Reporters are paying particular attention to the information and education needs of internally displaced people in temporary camps around Banda Aceh. Specialists and guests from local organisations respond to listener's questions in talkback programs throughout the broadcast week. A local children's organisation and Radio Jati are currently planning a "radio school" to cater for children who are not yet able to attend classes. Although schools officially re-opened on January 26, a large number of schools remained damaged, 12 schools are being used to shelter homeless families, more than 1800 teachers died in the disaster and authorities have reported there was already a shortage of 1,200 schools in Aceh before the tsunami.

Radio receivers distributed by PRSSNI include 350 wind-up radio receivers donated by Heartline Radio Network and about 300 satellite radio receivers to receive Suara Aceh programs broadcast through Worldspace. Radio Jati will soon distribute another 10 000 wind-up radio receivers.

My role in Banda Aceh was to assist Radio Jati to plan community-based programming and assess listener communication needs.

With warm regards

Ross

Dr. Ross James
Director, Health Communication Resources
http://www.h-c-r.org
rjames@h-c-r.org

NORWAY: Children in Emerging and Transforming Societies [conference]

2005-03-08T15:45:00.000-08:00

Gianluca -

UNICEF NO might have more on this.

Chris

NORWAY: Children in Emerging and Transforming Societies [conference]

The conference 'Childhoods 2005: Children and Youth in Emerging and Transforming Societies' refers to a world where new ethnic encounters, social change and globalisation creates new childhoods and new lives for young people. The purpose of the Conference is to see modern childhood and youth in a global perspective, reflecting lives and challenges of children and young people living in societies marked by social and cultural change.

For more information, contact:
Childhoods 2005 Oslo
University of Oslo, Faculty of Education
PO Box 1132, Blindern, N-0317 Oslo, Norway
Tel: + 47 22 85 48 41; Fax: + 47 22 85 50 28
Email: childhoods@uv.uio.no
Website: http://childhoods2005.uio.no

Pictures from Banda Aceh from Ken

2005-03-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

Greetings to all New Kids on the Blog :)

just a note ...

I assume most of you would like to have the photos from Banda Aceh from Ken ... well, I got them and will mail the CD to all of you this week ...

just so you know and save you some emails to nadia ...

Bye!

2005-03-04T06:26:00.001-08:00

March 3, 2005 - Invitation to the Maldives

2005-03-04T06:26:00.000-08:00

Picture from Banda Aceh - taken by Ken

Notes from Zurich - EDEV workshop

2005-03-04T05:43:00.000-08:00

Zürich - March 3, 2005

Morning session, Day 1:

EDEV strategy needs to be drafted and presented in first Standing Group meeting after Ann Veneman joins UNICEF on May 1st

Positive implications of a new executive director:
Clean start
Limited pre-conception
Turn her on to CRE/EDEV
US allies to be engaged (Meg Gardiner)
Done some of the work already – could be rolled out again
Country Programme demand

Negative implications of a new executive director:
LANCET article impact
Political colors?
Sell it again…

New job: L3, full-time – main ToR:
Coordinate the network
Ensure flow of information
Represent the interests of EDEV internally within UNICEF

Necessary background / Experience:
Education background
Project leadership
Background in development & rights issues
Experience in communication
Negotiation skills
Ideally with EDEV network experience

Contributions to E4D network:
Share experience and results of working with fundraising and how E4D has a unique role in campaign activities
Share risk assessment outcomes
Share training resources
Offer E4D training capacity to COs and NCs

Needs of E4D network:
Interim focal point designated
E4D website with webmaster or interim blogsite and email list
Visibility and Standing Group and Executive Director

Afternoon session – Day 1:

Presentation by Chris on “UNICEF & international cooperation”
Presentation attached
pdf-file on “UN family” attached
UNESCO conceptual paper on education attached

Setting our goal (Mission statement)

Old version: Focus worldwide attention on the need for urgent and sustainable mechanisms to promote among children and young people a culture of peace, tolerance and global solidarity based upon universal respect for the rights of the child.

Suggestion 1: Raise worldwide attention on the benefits of education and the enhancement of child rights for sustainable development and the promotion of global citizenship through active participation of children and young people.

Suggestion 2: Raise global awareness of and respect for child rights encouraging participation in the sustainable development agenda.

Suggestion 3: Raise global awareness of and respect for child rights and the value of education encouraging global citizenship and sustainable development.

Objectives - keywords
Child rights education
Global citizenship
Youth participation
Sustainable development

Objectives – formulated
To mainstream child rights education into national curricula with an emphasis upon global citizenship
To demonstrate and promote effective initiatives whereby children and young people may willingly and freely express their opinions, make decisions and take action
To generate stronger organizational commitment and collaboration in achieving E4D’s goals and activities

Child rights education - Activities
Introducing CRE in schools
Developing materials including websites and games
Common action
Using volunteers to promote CRE in schools
Training volunteers and teachers
School campaigns
Lobbying for the introduction of CRE into curricula

Participation
Promoting and facilitating youth fora (youth parliaments, etc.)
Promote quality award systems theme day/week festivals (develop common participation award system by the end of the year)
Strengthening peer educator and young volunteer training
Youth media engagement
Promoting field exchanges
Interactive online magazine or club

Strengthen the network
Internal lobbying for raising the profile of E4D (Standing Group, Executive Director, JSP, the field, etc.)
Demonstrate that the network adds value to core business / bring the network into the NCs agenda in order to guarantee their commitment to the network
Continue to develop ways of sharing information and sharing resources
Deliverables and reporting processes within the Steering Group
Develop working groups with structures for reporting
Develop job description
Continue to develop an interim strategy prior to the new appointment

Morning session – Day 2:

Implications of new Executive Director
Find out schedule of Standing Group
Lobby for E4D network
Look for allies (Rima Salah, Sharad Sapra)

Expectations for the new post
Coordinate the network / focal point
Ensure the network is kept informed, insure information flow
Reevaluate E4D programme
Carry out situation analysis
Respond to new initiatives

Role of the working group
Reference group for the network
Draft workplan/strategy
Assist in the implementation of the workplan/strategy
Each member liaise with four NatComs

Country clusters
Pam – UK, Ireland, USA, New Zealand, Australia (5)
Susanna – Italy, San Marino, Israel (3)
Katja – Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary (5)
Lenka – Slovakia, Czech Republic, Iceland, Austria, Poland, (5)
Carole – France, Luxemburg, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong (5)
Andrea – Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Canada, Denmark (5)
Gianluca – Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Norway (4)
David – Spain, Andorra, Portugal, Greece, Turkey (5)

ToR for the review
Who we are
What we do
Our function
Our achievements
Examine the way JSP incorporated E4D concerns in planning / How we strategically plan our work and feed it up