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Vulnerable Malaysian children to tell their stories through 60-second videos

KUALA LUMPUR, 4 February 2009 – Every child has an interesting story to share. Few however, particularly from marginalised and vulnerable backgrounds, ever have the opportunity to do so.

“theoneminutesJr.” workshop, hosted by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Ministry of Education, will bring together twenty children from across Malaysia to articulate their realities, dreams, and aspirations through one-minute videos.

Participants include children from the ‘Orang Asli’ community, ethnic minorities from Sabah and Sarawak as well as children living with disabilities. A professional team of international video artists will guide them over the course of the five-day Workshop.

According to UNICEF Representative to Malaysia and Special Representative to Brunei, Mr. Youssouf Oomar, the Workshop is an opportunity for young people to make their ‘voices’ heard.

“All too often, children become passive spectators in their own lives, unable to affect decisions that impact on them directly,” says Mr. Youssouf. “Video-making can change this as it provides children a chance to explore their creativity to deliver messages, while drawing adult attention to their issues.”

In the course of one week, the young participants aged between 13 and 19 years old will develop their own scripts and produce films on their ‘daily lives and dreams’. Twenty short video films will be produced an aired on Malaysian TV to mark International Children’s Day of Broadcasting on 1 March 2009.

UNICEF organises “One Minutes Jr. Video” workshops throughout the world in close partnership with the One Minutes Foundation and the European Cultural Foundation. Held for the first time in Malaysia, the Workshop begins tomorrow in the historical city of Malacca and will end on 9 February with the screening of the children’s films at a graduation ceremony.

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LIST OF PARTICIPANTS, MALAYSIA

Nurain binti Anuar, 13, Melaka
Vilaretti Atin, 13, Sabah
Danizalina a/p Jasmin, 14, Perak
Nurhidayat bin Dzulkifli, 14, N.Sembilan
Muhammad Sharifuddin bin Mohd Razib, 15, WPKL
Marsha Daeyana bt Shahrom, 16, Johor
Ng Chih Xuan, 16, Melaka
Norhasilatul Aishah bt Aziz, 16, Pahang
Che Faziratul Husna bt Che Kamar, 16, Terengganu
Norhaniza bt Romzan, 16, Perlis
Sonia Meyah Ak Selan, 16, Sarawak
Mohd. Lex @ Ayyum bin Hais, 16, Sabah
Ayum George, 16, Sarawak
Qusyairi Zazili, 16, Selangor
Muci a/l Angkas, 16, Perak
Muhammad Shairazzi bin Abdul Rahim, 16, P. Pinang
Mohd Afiqur Rahman bin Basirun, 16, Kedah
Wan Sue Ann, 17, Selangor
Ihsan Basri Bin Mohd Noor, 17, Kelantan
Hamsaroopa a/p Poobalan, 19, Selangor

NOTE TO EDITORS:

theoneminutesjr workshops
Theoneminutesjrs is a global video initiative that helps young people between the ages of 12 and 20, especially those who are underprivileged or marginalised, to express themselves through sixty second videos. Through video production and broadcasting, young people are taught to articulate their opinions and concerns about their communities, their environments, and about life itself. The Workshops focuses on creativity, teamwork and critical thinking to engender respect and empowerment in young people. The program has created an international platform for the visual communication and exchange of one-minute messages, unhindered by language barriers. Theoneminutesjr was initiated in 2002 by The European Cultural Foundation, The One Minutes Foundation and UNICEF to develop new tools for youth empowerment and social change. It has reached more than 1,500 youth from some 75 countries including Bosnia, Egypt, India, Jordan, Philippines, South Africa and U.A.E. For more information, please visit www.theoneminutesjr.org

International Children’s Day of Broadcasting (ICDB)
ICDB, celebrated on the first Sunday of March, is a day when broadcasters around the world "Tune in to Kids". They air quality programming for and about children. But most of all, they allow children to be part of the programming process, to talk about their hopes and dreams and share information with their peers. Every year, thousands of broadcasters in more than a hundred countries take part in the day, celebrating it in ways that are as unique and special as children themselves. For more information, please visit www.unicef.org

For more information:

Indra Kumari Nadchatram
(03) 20959157 • (+6) 013 3663452 • inadchatram@unicef.org

Shiao Eek, Tee
(03) 20959154 • (+6) 012 2070138 • setee@unicef.org

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theoneminutesjr Workshop, Malaysia