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The Media for MDGs was a two-year EU-funded project of the polish organization Salesian Missionary and Voluntary Service – Youth for the World of Krakow, jointly being implemented with the Cypriot organization Future Worlds Center and the Czech organization EDUCON, along with local partners from Italy, Kenya and Peru. Project aims at raising public awareness of development issues with focus on young people and their future involvement in decision making process.
Participating schools
Overall, 4 Cypriot schools are participating in the project, based in different parts of Cyprus: Olympion, Private High School in Paliometocho (District of Nicosia), Ayios Ioannis Lyceum, in Limassol, International School of Paphos in Paphos, and American Academy in Nicosia. The schools have been selected on criteria of time availability and commitment to the project. Two of the schools are Greek-speaking ones, and the other two are English speaking. In total, 25 students are actively participating in the media program. For more information on the participating schools you can visit the schools’ websites:
- American Academy, Nicosia
- Ayios Ioannis Lyceum, Limassol
- Olympion Private High School, Paliometochol
- International School of Paphos
Overall objectives
- To increase awareness about MDGs, interdependence between EU and development countries.
- To mobilize youth through educational and informational campaigns, actively engage them and empower them.
- Involve youth and give them strong education on development issues
- To integrate development issues into formal and non formal education.
Specific Objective
- To involve youth in the development of multimedia tools to promote MDGs and as a result to provide youth, trainers and teachers with multimedia tools for non formal and formal development education.
- To promote more fair relations between developed and developing countries through better understanding of development problems in NMS societies (target countries).
- To change attitudes to the issues and difficulties the developing countries and their peoples are facing,
Target group
- Young people from secondary schools, directly participating in the project and others including youth leaders (age 15-19). They are characterised by high interest in experimenting, discovering new things, interested in technology, ICT, very low awareness concerning development problems and MDG as not related with both school curriculum and personal experience.
- Teachers of secondary schools (PL, CY, CZ). Development education is not included in educational programs in target countries. Their knowledge concerning development problems are fairly low, but some of the teachers have professional, mostly fragmented knowledge in presenting of the current development problems as related to history, geography, civic education. Thus, it is very important to include teachers in the action, give them innovative tools, as they have the best access to young people.
- Youth trainers recruited trough NGOs in target countries. There are 16 young leaders. They play important role in education of youth in non formal way. They will take care of schools participating directly in the project. Project will also provide ICT based tools, learning methods and practical means of being involved to the 120 group of youth trainers recruited and supported in target countries. Project will provide those tools for non formal education about development issues.
- Others final beneficiaries:
Young citizens and civil society on a broader level in target countries
Products of the project will be widely accessible and promoted among young people (age 15-19) both in the schools participating in the project as well as nationally especially in target countries
People in developing countries
Project will reach out to developing countries – through increased actions in the field of development cooperation and showing the fair approach and attitude concerning problems of developing world.
Main Activities
Multilevel Three Steps training for youth leaders
The two volunteer youth leaders who have been recruited by the organization to act as media trainers as part of the project-namely Ivan Charalambous and Jacob Ketuma- participated in a series of trainings along with youth leaders from Poland and Czech Republic in order to acquire the skills needed to conduct the media program at schools. The first training took place in Torino in July 2010, and focused on the technical aspect of preparing media materials for Development issues. In August 2010, each one of the youth leaders travelled to a developing country, in order to acquire hands-on experience in making a documentary under the supervision of experienced European and local trainers.Ivan Charalambous travelled to Kenya as part of the project, and Jacob Ketuma travelled to Peru. Both Ivan and Jacob tried to capture the lives of the disadvantaged population in those regions, and their efforts to achieve a better standard of living, and achieve development. A third training took place in Crakow in September 2010, where youth leaders from all three participating countries gathered together, and were trained on how to edit their work, as well as on how to actually conduct the media program in the schools selected in each country. All trainings have been organized by the lead organization Salesian Missionary and Voluntary Service in Crakow
One year media program in high schools
A media program has been implemented at four schools in Cyprus during the school year 2010 -2011. Participating schools have been: Olympion, Private High School in Paliometocho (District of Nicosia), Ayios Ioannis Lyceum, in Limassol, International School of Paphos in Paphos, and American Academy in Nicosia. The media program included interactive weekly sessions during which students along with their trainers acquired knowledge and skills on the MDGs as well as on the technical aspect of making videos and audios. Students along with their trainers explored thematics and issues relating to the MDGs on the local level and set out to prepare media materials, in order to portray those issues, and raise awareness among the public. In total on audio and 10 videos have been made by the 25 students who participated in the media program.The materials revolve around the issues of Gender Equality, Migration, Environmental Sustainability, Active Citizenship and Global Trade as they are experienced in Cyprus. All materials are available on the project’s website www.youth4world.com
National workshops
The first national workshop took place in 8-10 April 2010, at Rodon hotel in Agros, bringing together students from two of the participating schools: Olympion Private High School in Paliometocho, and Ayios Ioannis Lyceum in Limassol. The workshop has been an opportunity for students to view footage of each other’s work, exchange opinions, and learn how to enhance their work in a collaborative atmosphere. It has helped students get better grasp of what they would like to convey to the public through their videos, and acquire tools to better structure their videos. Two more workshops took place in May and June 2011, during which students from the rest of the participating schools-namely American Academy, Nicosia, and International School of Paphos worked on their materials, and started editing their work with the help of their trainers. In June 2011, two more workshops took place bringing together students from Olympion School and Ayios Ioannis Lyceum during which students further edited their materials, and finalized their work under the guidance of trainers.
Media summer camp
A media summer camp was implemented at Forest Park hotel in Platres from 4 to 7 July 2011 with the participation of the students who prepared materials on Development issues, as part of the school media trainings. Scope of the workshop was to provide the participants with skills and knowledge on Advocacy and Campaigning, so that they would be in position to implement the media campaign and distribute their work. Participating students learnt how to use different new media in order to campaign and further promote their work. They also got tips on how to collaborate with the media, and talk about their work to the media. Students, teachers and trainers got the chance to watch the final materials, and celebrate their achievements.
Online film competition
An online film competition was implemented from 7-17 November 2011 in which the videos that the participating students created during the projects were placed for voting. In total 10 videos took part in the competition namely: ‘’In the name of the father’’, ‘’Desertification in Cyprus’’, ‘’Gender Talk’’, ‘’Gender wars’’, ‘’Migrant workers’’, ‘’Foreigners’’, ‘’Protests’’, ‘’Unfair Trade’’, ‘’Gender Discrimination’’, ‘’Forest Fairy’’. The films were placed on the competition platform http://ekkotek.com/national-competition/ which has been created especially for the national competition in Cyprus. Winning film has been declared the film ‘’In the name of the Father’’ made by students of Olympion Private School in Paliometocho, which uncovers the gender dimension in the context of family violence. The competition has been advertised through social media and was widely attended by students and young people. The results of the competition are available on http://ekkotek.com/national-competition/
International event: Global Education Week
In November 2011, the coordinator a member of the winning team of the online competition, namely Stylianos Stylianou, his teacher Maria Papoula and trainer Ivan Charalambous, participated in the Global Education Week, in which the lead organization Salesian Missionary and Voluntary Service had an active role. During the event the winners of all three national competitions came together to showcase their work, and celebrate their achievements. The event was attended by media professionals, NGO members, and students who participated in the media program that took place in the framework of the project. It has also been an excellent opportunity for networking and establishment of collaborations on European level.
Media campaign
A media campaign has been implemented by FWC in collaboration with schools, media professionals, and with the active involvement of the students taking part in the project to raise awareness about the global interdependencies, and bring to the fore the local dimension of the MDGs. During media campaign the media materials produced by the students, and youth leaders during the project were used as tools to take those ideas further, and raise awareness among the public. The online competition which had been scheduled to take place from 7th to 17th November was an excellent opportunity for the media campaign’s kick off. A promotional video was made in collaboration with Cyprus Community Media Center, which was presented in the media to give an overview of the students’ work in the media. The coordinator, student, and trainers were hosted in various shows on TV, and the radio to talk about their work and invite people to join the discussion on global issues and the MDGs. The project also gained visibility in the print media. The media campaign is still in progress. The World Day for Social Justice which is celebrated on 20th February also served as a great opportunity for getting the work on the media.
Informational campaign for teachers
Through media campaign,and other actions taken in the participating schools teachers have been informed about the possibility to visit the website, view the students’ media materials, and possibly incorporate them in their teaching. The website of the project www.youth4world.com also constitutes a space where teachers can learn more about the MDGs, and find interesting information that they can use in class. The e-learning course- available on this platform- can guide teachers and students through MDGs and Media Education.