MAGIC news archive
November 2005

PROJECTS / VIDEOS

The United World Philharmonic Youth Orchestra produced a music video clip to celebrate the UN 60th Anniversary. It was arranged, recorded and developed by talented young people from around the world. The clip is available worldwide to all broadcasters free of charge.
PICTURES FROM THE MAKING OF
For more information, please contact Rüdiger Schramm, orchestra@artist-network.org.

ADVERTISING
Make sure kids are savvy about advertising
The holiday shopping season is well under way, and that means advertisers are working overtime to grab your children's attention - and your wallet.
The average child views as many as 40,000 commercials a year, while the average 3-year-old recognizes 100 different brand logos.
Dr. Robert Reiher, co-author of "Kidnapped: How Irresponsible Marketers are Stealing the Minds of Your Children," says methods like adver-gaming, which links games to advertisers' Web sites, are increasingly popular. And if there's a film coming out, "they'll have a line of products to go along with the movie," he says.
FULL ARTICLE

PROJECTS
New youth and children library opens in Addis Ababa
Up to 50,000 young people living in Addis Ababa's Kirkos area can now use the "Impact Children and Youth Library" that opened with a ceremony and all-day book drive on Saturday 26 November.
UNESCO has supported this initiative by providing funding for equipping the library's computer lab and audio-visual centre as well as supporting the ongoing training of library staff in the use of ICT and software tools such as CDS/ISIS and Greenstone Digital Library Suite.
The library which is operated by Impact Library, an Ethiopian NGO, seeks to serve as a learning center which through its programmes can contribute to enhancing the educational achievement of its patrons and address development issues. Impact Library is seeking to achieve this by making learning a rewarding and enriching experience and creating an environment conducive to learning and which provides information in a manner accessible to its audience.
By offering a range of useful and interactive learning activities that incorporate multimedia tools they intend to capture, stimulate and hold the interest of children and youth and over time contribute to positive social changes among this age group. The activities planned include youth forums on issues such as health, citizenship and careers; after-school educational activities such as computer and Internet training courses, assistance with homework as well as the screening of films documentaries and children videos.
This center is the first one to be operated by Impact Library. The lessons learnt from this pilot project are expected to guide the expansion and scale-up of this model to other parts of Ethiopia.
SOURCE

NEWS
Youth TV reports on HIV-AIDS
A teenage team from the Dumaguete Bureau of the Kabataan News Network reported recently on cases of HIV/AIDS in Oriental Negros and what local organizations are doing to stop the spread of the disease.
The segment titled "Magdalena" features how a local reproductive health clinic gathered female sex workers in the province to become HIV/AIDS education advocates. The group calls themselves the "Magdalena Group."
Produced by the KNN Dumaguete Bureau's young team, the segment also tackles sexually transmitted infections that a person can get from unprotected sex, and how these can be avoided. A project of the Unicef Philippines and Probe Media Foundation, KNN is the country's only TV program produced, written and directed by young Filipinos aged 15 to 18, from various provinces nationwide.
SOURCE

NEWS
Simpsons row heads to European Court of Human Rights
A Russian lawyer plans to take his case against The Simpsons to the European Court of Human Rights. It comes after a Moscow Court rejected Igor Smykov's appeal to have the show banned from Russian TV.
Mr Smykov wanted to have the cartoon series taken off the air in Russia, or at least shown at a later time, claiming it promoted drugs, violence and homosexuality.
FULL ARTICLE

INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S DAY OF BROADCASTING
Egyptian TV wins International Children's Day of Broadcasting Award
WATCH A UNICEF VIDEO ABOUT THE AWARD CEREMONY
Egyptian TV won the International Children's Day of Broadcasting (ICDB) award at the 33rd International Emmy Awards Gala on Monday night. The special prize is awarded every year by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and UNICEF.
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors Danny Glover from the United States and Nawal Al Moutawakil from Morocco presented the award to Head of Egyptian TV's Family Channel Raweya Rashed and director Oliver Wilkins at a star-studded ceremony at the New York Hilton.
"This is for the Egyptian children," Raweya Rashed said as she accepted the ICDB award.
Egyptian TV was voted as having the best programming on the International Children's Day of Broadcasting on December 12, 2004. The theme was "Help Build a Safer World for Children" and Egyptian TV's film "The Rebellion of the Canes" documented a group of children producing their own cartoon satirizing corporal punishment. In it, the teachers' canes come to life and discover a world beyond beating children.
Egyptian TV was selected from a list of eight regional ICDB prize winners which included TVE Brazil, ATN Bangla from Bangladesh, CCTV China, Denmark's Radio Denmark, ETV Ethiopia, NTA Nigeria and Yangi Avlod Uzbekistan.
FULL ARTICLE
WATCH A SHORT "MAKING OF"

AWARDS
Teenager from Moldova wins International Video Festival

OneMinutesJr Award winners 2005 (Ionela Costachi (left) from Moldova and Andreas Ohman (center) from Sweden - www.theoneminutesjr.org (2005)
Chisinau, November 15, 2005: Ionela Costachi (15) from Moldova has won the Tommy Award of the International One-Minutes Video Festival, in the Inside-Out junior category.
According to the TheOneMinutesJr.org site, “Ionela Costachi from Moldova won because of her video's simplicity and strong social message. She was able to bring across the important consequences of migration in an honest and sincere way”. Akram Zaatari, a renowned video artist from Lebanon, jury member for the Junior category, selected her video “because of its pureness”.
Ionela’s video presents, using a 360 degree camera rotation, an empty room in a traditional Moldovan house, echoing with voices of its former inhabitants – laughter, discussions, sounds of joy, etc. When the camera stops, the emptiness of the room becomes striking.
FULL ARTICLE
WATCH IONELA'S VIDEO

AWARDS
Egyptian children's animation documentary nominated for prestigious TV award
Cairo, November 14, 2005: A documentary film showcasing the work of young Egyptian animation film-makers has been nominated for an award at next week's International Emmy Awards Gala in New York.
The Rebellion of the Canes, produced by UNICEF Egypt, is among eight entries for the prestigious International Children's Day of Broadcasting Award. The film was screened on Egypt Television's Family and Child Channel to coincide with ICDB in December 2004. Other nominees include entries from China, Brazil, Denmark, and Nigeria.
Rebellion of the Canes (www.rebellionofthecanes.com) follows a group of Egyptian children who use simple video-making techniques to produce animation stories on themes related to children's rights - including one satirizing the use of corporal punishment in Egyptian schools. Earlier this year, the film was honoured at the Cairo International Film Festival for Children.
Attending the Gala ceremony in New York will be the Director of the Family and Child Channel, Raweya Rashed, and the director of the Rebellion of the Canes, British film-maker, Oliver Wilkins.
UNICEF Egypt will mark this year's International Children's Day of Broadcasting (ICDB) on 11 December with an event promoting a new pilot television programme, entitled "Sotna" (Our Voice).
Further info: Simon Ingram, UNICEF Egypt

WORKSHOPS
UNICEF OneMinutesJr workshop & photography masterclass starts with teenagers on the Maldives

Children from the Maledives filming a scene for a OneMinuteJr
Chris Schuepp / 2005
30 children and young people from the capital Male and a number of other islands in the Maldives are participating in the workshops organized by UNICEF. The young people aged between 11 and 23 are taking photographs on Male and will produce 20 OneMinutesJr (60-second films) by the end of the project this coming weekend.
The workshop results will be the highlight of an open air presentation on Monday, November 14th, at the Youth Center in the capital. The results will then also be online at MAGIC and the OneMinutesJr website.

MORE PICTURES

PROJECTS
Azerbaijan: Kids Crossroads brings hope to young people

Azerbaijan team of Kids' Crossroads - UNICEF 2005
Young people from Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia express their dreams, fears and plans through a youth-produced TV programme
Gathered in the news room of Internews in Baku, Azerbaijan, a group of young journalists are discussing ideas for the next Kids' Crossroads programme to be broadcast across the countries of the South Caucasus; Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.
"How about a story on Internet clubs and how video games affect young people?" asks Vugar Safarov, a 16 year-old journalist and web designer. "Lots of young people spend free time in the Internet clubs, some of them can get very addicted to the computers and the world of the video games," he adds while writing something in his note book. "Or how about featuring plastic arts dance? It looks very beautiful visually," he adds biting the top of his pen.
Launched in 2004 Kids' Crossroads is a three-year scheme funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Internews Azerbaijan and UNICEF.
Made by young people aged 14-16 who may one day become journalists, the programme aims to promote peace and understanding between the three countries of the South Caucasus.
FULL ARTICLE
RELATED ARTICLE

RESOURCES
Athena Media launches 'Get With IT'

A parents' guide to new media: understanding and sharing the new media technologies with your children
Read the booklet here

PROJECTS
UNICEF “Young Journalists” Hit the Streets of Myanmar Media By Children For Children

UNICEF’s Young Journalists in Yangon, Myanmar - © Myo Thame / 2005
Yangon, 27 October 2005 – UNICEF Myanmar has trained a dozen “young journalists” between 12 and 17 years of age who will be placed with eight of the leading private print publications in Yangon.
The young journalists were trained in basic reporting concepts, interviewing techniques, photography, story writing and media ethics. They were then teamed with seasoned reporters, also trained by UNICEF, who will provide the young people with guidance, and help foster their development as journalists.
Throughout many parts of the world, children and children’s issues only comprise a very small proportion of overall media coverage, and quotes from children rarely make it into print.
“This is one way we hope to give young people in Myanmar an opportunity to share their ideas with wider audiences,” said UNICEF Representative Carroll Long, “and it’s a wonderful opportunity for young people to demonstrate just how much they are capable of.”
For its first group of young journalists, UNICEF selected young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, who have a unique insight into the challenges children in Myanmar face. Many said they found inspiration in this experience.

Young journalist Pan Ei Zar from Mynamar interviewing a student at the School of the Blind for her first story - © Myo Thame / 2005
“Before the training, I didn’t even know what being a journalist was about,” said one 14-year-old participant. “Now I have learned lots of valuable things, especially media ethics, which is my favorite lesson of the training. I’ll never forget to seek the truth as a reporter.”
UNICEF’s young journalists will write articles for private publications in Myanmar, focusing on newsworthy issues that are relevant to them and other children.
“Young people’s ideas are valuable, worthy of respect, and should be heard,” said Carroll Long. “While adults have an important role to play in educating children, we should never forget that children can teach us much about life as well.”

PROJECTS
Minors from Lipcani penitentiary in Moldova publish their own newspaper

Chisinau (MD), October 25. The first issue of the newspaper AerZona of minor detainees from the penitentiary based in the city of Lipcani, was published last weekend. This is the first newspaper published by a detention institution in Moldova.
Contacted by BASA, Valeriu Carlasciuc, chief of the Lipcani prison, said that the publication has an educational and information purpose. "The first issue of the newspaper has eight pages in format A4, it contains interviews, works and pictures of detainees, entertainment materials and articles about activity of institution, which objectively covers the life and events happening there. The editorial team comprises ten minor detainees who appointed a chief-editor, a photographer and a model maker, while representatives of penitentiary assist them in the process of editing of newspaper," Carlasciuc noted.
He announced that a radio studio will start working in this penitentiary by late 2005. Detainees and representatives of penitentiary administration will work out the materials for radio and newspaper within a series of seminars held by professional journalists from Moldova.
AerZona and the future radio station are part of a project financed by UNICEF and implemented by the Youth Media Centre and Institute for Penal Reforms.
The only detention institution for minors in Moldova, the Lipcani-based penitentiary holds about 100 minors under 18.

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CAMPAIGNS
UNICEF launches global campaign "UNITE FOR CHILDREN. UNITE AGAINST AIDS."

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