AWARDS
Ugandan Minister for Health hands over OneWorld/MTV Award and launches public health CD
Joseph Beyanga, the winner of the first OneWorld/MTV Staying Alive audio competition, received his award today from the Ugandan minister of state for health, the Honourable Mike Mukula.
While handing over the award, the minister praised Joseph for the initiative, and effort he put into creating a winning global public service announcement. Speaking at the ceremony, the minister reminded Ugandans that, even with a drop from 30% HIV prevalence to 6% prevalence, AIDS is still an epidemic in the country. He cautioned that not until the prevalence drops to below 3% would the disease be in check.
The OneWorld / MTV World staying alive competition enabled young people from around the world to produce and submit original audio or video public service announcements (PSAs) that convey the messages of MTV's award winning HIV/AIDS awareness campaign, Staying Alive.
FULL ARTICLE
LISTEN TO JOSEPH'S WINNING ENTRY

PROJECTS
Teens get taste of TV - Children's Media Project (CMP) produces series
A year ago, 17-year-old Obi Williams' only experience with television was watching it. That is before she connected with Children's Media Project. ''I did photography,'' said Williams, who lives in Hyde Park. ''It kind of blows my mind seeing my first piece.''
CMP helped Obi create an experimental video about herself that was screened at a film festival in the Hamptons and, on Thursday and Friday, she can sit in front of her television and watch a CMP project she helped edit and produce.
FULL ARTICLE or write to Chris Schuepp for more info

ARTICLES
Calcutta cart keeps film rolling
When dusk falls on the crumbling city of Calcutta, Mohammed Salim begins rolling his cart, bringing Technicolor dreams to the city's poor children. Using a 107-year-old Japanese projector and small, homemade loudspeakers perched on the curious coffin-shaped cart draped in black cloth, Salim hits the road with his unique, mobile pavement cinema.
FULL ARTICLE from the BBC

REPORTS
What Works in Youth Media - Case Studies Around the World by Sheila Kinkade and Christy Macy
"What Works in Youth Media: Case Studies from Around the World" looks at how young people are harnessing the power of media to educate the public about issues they care about. It also explores the tremendous power of youth media programs to promote young people's personal growth and development to equip them with essential 'skills for life' that will enable them to succeed."
This 85-page publication profiles case studies of seven youth media projects, including a youth-led magasine in Zambia that's playing a critical role in that country's fight against HIV/AIDs; a youth radio programme in Viet Nam that's reaching over 30 million listeners; and a youth-run television programme in Albania that's educating the public about children's rights.
FULL REPORT in pdf (1.23 MB)

AWARDS
Media group toasts 'Nemo,' roasts video game 'Manhunt'
LOS ANGELES - The movie "Finding Nemo," pop star Avril Lavigne and Elmo of" Sesame Street" were honored by a media group Thursday for excellence in family entertainment.
Common Sense Media culled 18,000 nominations from parents, teachers, children and other users of its Web site to pick winners - and losers - for its first awards.
The winners "prove you can make great media for kids and families without relying on gratuitous violence, lurid language or over-the-top commercialism to attract an audience," said Jim Steyer, founder of Common Sense Media.
FULL ARTICLE

PRIVATE SECTOR
Mobile firms publish new code to protect children
Britain's mobile phone companies will publish a code of conduct intended to prevent children accessing adult content such as pornography and gambling services through their mobile phones. The new safeguards, which the six companies - 3, O2, Orange, T-Mobile, Vodafone and Virgin Mobile - hope to have in place by the end of the year, come as handsets become more advanced and the mobile operators look to introduce new services such as chat rooms, adult content and gambling to increase revenues.
FULL ARTICLE from The Guardian

RESOURCES
How to start a media campaign
As an informed young person, you can help educate your peers and your community. If you are part of a group that would like to address HIV/AIDS, a media relations campaign is one of the most effective ways to reach the people you want to get through to (your target audience).
The first step is to review what your group is trying to accomplish with its communication programme. This will help you develop effective media activities and messages.
READ MORE

CALL FOR ENTRIES
Prix Jeunesse International 2004
Entry deadline for your best children's and youth TV programmes in fiction, non-fiction and light-entertainment in the age-groups "up to 6", "7 - 11" and "12 - 15" as well as for websites is JKanuary 31, 2004.
For contest rules and entry forms, please go to the Prix Jeunesse website and register your entries online!

AWARDS / OPPORTUNITIES
OneWorld & UNICEF Award - Children's Lives, Children's Voices
UNICEF and OneWorld have launched their second annual search for the best radio produced by, for and with children. We are looking for radio that gives children a central role - grants them an opportunity to express their view of the world and grabs the attention of listeners. Winning entries will be rewarded with new radio equipment and a commemorative plaque.
For competition rules, please go to the OneWorld website.

ARTICLES
Youth media feature story from the UN Chronicle
Children are our most valuable resource; agreement on this assertion is virtually universal. Adults around the world create policies and manage public affairs with children in mind. But how are we doing? Ask the young people.
In Shkodra, Albania, there have been instances reported of "blood feuds" to avenge so-called "crimes against honour". Any male in the family of the accused can become a target, and consequently hundreds of boys remain locked inside their homes, missing school, friends and normal life as a kid.
To tell this story, the Young Reporters of Albania created a segment for Troç ("Straight Talk" in Albanian)-an hour-long weekly television programme produced jointly by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Albanian TV. Through interviews with affected youth, it showed the devastating consequences of this practice.
A sixth-grader, Julian Kurti, told the Young Reporters he lived each day in fear because his cousin had killed someone. Knowing he could be a target for retribution, his parents forbade him from leaving the house. While Julian can go through the motions of being alive, life as he knew it is gone. "I miss freedom, I miss school, everything", he said.
The story went on to explore how other young people felt about blood feuds. Holding a microphone, they offered a solution: collectively, the youth said forgiveness was a better way to solve the question of revenge. "I think that to forgive the blood shows more human strength than killing another person", said seventeen-year-old Yvel, another boy from Julian's town.
FULL ARTICLE from the UN Chronice

NEWS
Children's channel now on air in China
"The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh,'' Walt Disney's full-length animated movie masterpiece, has become a best-loved cartoon programme on Channel 14 of China Central Television (CCTV), China's first children's channel, which was launched on December 28.
Disney will sponsor a painting competition entitled "Winnie the Pooh in China'' to attract more children to join the world of the lovable bear and his friends.
Targeting youngsters up to 18 years of age, the 24-hour channel will feature a diverse range of genres, including animation, live-action, comedy, science fiction, games, sports and preschool programmes.
The programmes are aired according to the general study and rest routines of children and teenagers of different age groups. Aside from the 26 regular programmes, CCTV 14 will broadcast additional children's movies and TV series during the summer and winter vacations.
The station has also formed a consultant committee composed of TV directors, established educators and other respected celebrities to ensure the quality of programming on the channel. It is expected to review the programmes every month. "We will try our best to make the channel a friend of children, an assistant for parents and an additional educational programme for schools,'' said Zhao Huayong, president of CCTV.
FULL ARTICLE from the China Daily

NEWS
Multimillion dollar TV brand targets children worldwide
At the moment, the word Jetix does not mean anything to anyone apart fromsome very important television executives. But, as a result of amulti-million dollar marketing alliance announced by some of the biggestglobal media names yesterday, millions of children around the world willsoon be in its thrall.
Fox Kids, the worldwide children's television brand launched by RupertMurdoch's News Corporation, and ABC Cable Networks, which is run by Disney,unveiled a corporate revolution that will result in children in countries asfar apart as Israel and Brazil feasting on an action-adventure diet of PowerRangers, X-Men, Spiderman and Inspector Gadget.
FULL ARTICLE from the Media Guardian

PROJECTS / CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
"Youth, Peace Building and Conflict Transformation Activities in NIS and Baltic states"
Reliable Future Youth Organization with support from the Council of Europe announces a Call for Applications from young people between 18-30 years old from NIS and Baltic States countries to take part in the International Training "Youth, Peace Building and Conflict Transformation Activities in NIS and Baltic states".
The deadline for submitting the filled in Application Forms with Reference Letters from sending organization is January 15, 2003. The preliminary date of the training course is 20 February - 26 February 2004.
For more info an the application forms, please contact Dr. Nabil Seidov or Ragim Gafarov (Reliable Future Youth Organization) in Baku - relfuture@azdata.net

ARTICLES
Storytelling and dialogue among young on the Internet
Storytelling and dialogue is a part of every child's life. From bedtime chronicles exploring the misadventures of fantastical creatures to the beginning mumblings of a toddler trying to explain her day, storytelling introduces children to the initial stages of communication and literacy, as well creating a bridge between the physical world and an imaginative one.
Stories help children and adults to share experiences and feelings in an engaging and entertaining way. As Stephen Denning explains: "Stories are immediate and unique. Storytelling brings people together in a common perspective, and stretches everyone's capacity to empathize with others and share experience". The advantages of this type of narrative permeate our culture, creating social practices and human relations that help constitute reality, yet its role in the education and learning process of our children is especially important.
FULL REPORT by David Huffaker

ARTICLES
Straight Talk
Ten years ago, there were very few national programmes to address adolescent reproductive health and sexuality in the country. Now Straight Talk Foundation has filled the information gap, writes Stephen Ssenkaaba.
The beginning was hard, the future uncertain. The sceptics dismissed the idea as far-fetched and unworkable. But the vision bearers held on to their dream. Ten years ago, there were very few national programmes to address adolescent reproductive health and sexuality in the country.
Then, sexuality and reproductive health were hardly talked about in schools and homes. This led to risky sexual behaviour among many adolescents. Something had to be done.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) came up with an idea of a newsletter on adolescent sexual reproductive health to be distributed to youth in different parts of the country. The organisation contacted Catherine Watson, then a freelance journalist with The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and entrusted her with the task of designing the proposed newsletter. But she had another idea. "I told them (UNICEF) that instead of publishing a newsletter, we should come up with a real newspaper that would help teenagers to stay safe," says Watson, Communications Director and Founder of what is today known as Straight Talk Foundation (STF).
FULL ARTICLE

RESOURCE
A Teen Guide to the Internet

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) just released a new publication: « The Musketeers Conquer the Net – A ‘teen’ guide to getting online ». This brochure is published in the context of the World Summit on the Information Society. « We hope that it will lead teenagers to discover the Net and show them how they can use the World Wide Web in a safe and fun manner. Through the Internet, they will be able to make friends all over the world and thereby build a more peaceful future” stressed Mrs. Brigita Schmögnerová, Under-Secretary General and UNECE Executive Secretary.
The lively dialogues of this brochure recount the adventures of four teenagers who, thanks to the Internet, maintain contact while separated by thousands of kilometres. Oksana and Mikhail live in Malyia Avtsiuki in Belarus, and they have been staying with Julietta and Carlo from Gassino Torinese in Italy during an exchange organized by an Italian NGO « Comitato Girotondo ». Their adventures and misadventures while surfing on the Net will allow young readers – and the less young too – to discover the fascinating and dangerous world of the World Wide Web.
A young lady of 14 who lives near Geneva has illustrated the brochure, which was prepared in cooperation with teenagers aged between 10 and 16 and computer science teachers.
Aimed at a public of teenagers, the brochure is partly based on a true story. It is part of the UNECE activities aimed at promoting youth training. The brochure is available in English, French, Russian and Spanish - click here for the online pdf-versions (appr. 580 KB each).

ARTICLES
Pink elephants and marbles energize education

Student-run radio broadcasts in action (left) Karanglo students study science (right)
© UNICEF Indonesia/2003/Dillon
" Assalamu'alaikum, in the name of God most gracious and most merciful, this is Nila Megasari and you are listening to 97 FM, MBS radio. Here are today's stories about the adventures of the pink elephant and his friends the cats, for the students at Kalisari elementary school."
FULL ARTICLE from the UNICEF website

ARTICLES
BBC to drop Coke credits
The BBC has bowed to pressure and promised it will drop the controversial on-air credits for Coca-Cola in Radio 1's weekly chart show. After a tide of criticism that followed the announcement of the Coke sponsorship deal in December, the BBC said last night that it would seek a way out of the row.
The music charts are compiled for the British record industry by the Official UK Charts Company and licensed to the BBC. In December, the charts company signed a two-year deal with Coca-Cola, and the BBC agreed to give the soft-drinks giant two on-air credits on the Radio 1 show, plus a written credit in the closing title sequence on Top of the Pops. The announcement was made on the day that Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary, promised to clamp down on food advertising to children.
FULL ARTICLE from The Guardian

ARTICLES
Pay attention to children's issues
Children in Broadcasting, known as Curious Minds, called on civil society, the media, politicians and government to pay serious attention to issues concerning children.
The media gives priority to political stories to the detriment of important issues affecting the lives of children, Master Samuel Kissi, President of Curious Minds expressed this concern at a press briefing in Accra. He said it was the hope of members that issues on children would be pursued with the same vigour that political stories were being received.
The briefing was part of activities to mark International Children's Day of Broadcasting to take place in Kumasi (Ghana) on Sunday, December 14.
FULL ARTICLE

ARTICLES
HIV/AIDS messages not getting through
Communication holds the key to containing HIV transmission and coping with the effects of the AIDS pandemic. However, over the last 20 years communicators have failed spectacularly to confront and contain HIV/AIDS, and in this period it has killed more than 20 million people. Just last year more than 3 million died from AIDS. Here we take a look at a new Panos report which brings together lessons from the many failures and few successes in HIV communication strategies over the last 20 years.
FULL ARTICLE

ARTICLES
Seven-hour run of airwaves
Vande Mataram. Akashvani Kolkata. Shuru holo Kolkata Ko o Kho er prothom odhibeshan ebong FM Gold prochar toronger aajker odhibeshan…
Words that ring in All India Radio's daily transmission at 6 o'clock sharp in the morning. But on Sunday, the announcement was made by 13- year-old Sanchari Pal. And not just that. The programmes had children in the driver's seat. For Sunday was International Children's Day of Broadcasting.
FULL ARTICLE

AWARDS
UNICEF and OneWorld launch their second annual search for the best radio produced by, for and with children
We are looking for radio that gives children a central role – grants them an opportunity to express their view of the world – and grabs the attention of listeners. Last year we had a fabulous array of entries and we look forward to receiving many more this year.
We know there is tremendous talent out there – and we love listening to your work – so show us what you can do. Winning entries will be rewarded with new radio equipment and a commemorative plaque.
FULL INFO



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