adobe indesign database Buy Adobe Illustrator CS5 for Mac OEM - Online Software Downloads Center adobe creative suite 3 contents adobe photoshop cs upgrade windows Buy Adobe Illustrator CS5 OEM - Online Software Downloads Center adobe indesign cs2 warez adobe indesign free downloads Buy Adobe Creative Suite 5 Master Collection OEM - Online Software Downloads Center open sourc corel draw adobe illustrator adobe photoshop free online tutorial Buy Adobe Flash Professional CS5 for Mac OEM - Online Software Downloads Center fonts for adobe photoshop cs adobe creative suite 2 Buy Adobe Flash Professional CS5 OEM - Online Software Downloads Center purchase adobe photoshop cs2 transparent colour gif in adobe photoshop Buy Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended for Mac OEM - Online Software Downloads Center adobe indesign cs palettes adobe photoshop and not elements cs Buy Adobe Dreamweaver CS5 for Mac OEM - Online Software Downloads Center oem adobe photoshop cs2 download adobe photoshop 7.01 Buy Adobe InDesign CS5 for Mac OEM - Online Software Downloads Center adobe indesign xml adobe photoshop 6 upgrade Buy Adobe InDesign CS5 OEM - Online Software Downloads Center adobe cs3 keygenerator dreamweaver adobe illustrator tutorials post cards Buy Adobe Creative Suite 5 Master Collection for Mac OEM - Online Software Downloads Center adobe photoshop black and white images adobe creative free photo suite Buy Adobe Dreamweaver CS5 OEM - Online Software Downloads Center adobe illustrator course outline adobe photoshop elements 5.0 photo editing Buy Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended OEM - Online Software Downloads Center adobe cs3 photoshop oem

Posts Tagged ‘events’

Stolen Innocence - Rescuing Joseph Kony’s Child Soldiers

Monday, October 5th, 2009

By Josephine Adams

The Rescue was an event organised by three young American film makers, Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey and Laren Poole, who founded Invisible Children, a non-profit organisation that aims to help put an end to the exploitation of children as soldiers.

The idea of The Rescue was that participants would “abduct themselves” by taking just a few survival items to camp at a designated site.

They were not allowed to leave the site until a celebrity or media mogul came and spoke out about the plight of the Ugandan child soldiers. When this happened, the city was “rescued”.

The activists spent their time “abducted” writing letters to the children concerned and also to influential people they hoped would help free the child soldiers.

rescue_campThis event received a mixed response. Some applauded it for bringing attention to the issue, while others said it didn’t highlight the seriousness of the situation clearly enough.

Juliane Okot Bitek, a Ugandan woman living in Canada, felt that “to ask thousands of young people to pretend that they can “abduct themselves” into creating a new reality for the children in the northern Uganda is more than appalling, it is manipulative and undermines the horror of the last two decades of suffering over there”.

The organisers, however, firmly believe that raising awareness, and more than US$23,000, is what’s most important. It also gained the attention of governments around the world, which have put resources towards helping negotiate peace in Uganda.

The reality facing child soldiers
Uganda is not alone in recruiting children to perform the horrific rites of war. Conflicts in Myanmar, Columbia, Liberia, Sierra Leone and several African nations affect young people in horrific ways. They miss out on education, are used as forced labour, as well as being used as soldiers in wars they may not understand.

Children can be forcibly recruited into armed forces, but also ‘volunteer’ because they see no other option; joining the army may be seen as the only way of surviving. Children may see these armies as a way to avenge murdered family members, earn status and power in their societies, or escape domestic abuse.

Unfortunately they are usually mistaken. We know from children who have escaped such situations that they are often required to prove their loyalty to armies by killing a friend or family member, they have no power over themselves or anyone else, and the violent abuse they are subjected to daily is worse than what they would suffer at home.

kony_photo

Photo by Joram Jojo

Uganda, Joseph Kony and the LRA
Uganda is a landlocked country in the east of Africa. Throughout its history, it has suffered various conflicts. The different ethnicities of Uganda have been pitted against each other, first as a method of control by the British colonisers, and after independence in 1962, by the Ugandan government itself.

This has led to the rise of many rebel groups including the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). LRA’s leader, Joseph Kony, is regarded as a holy man by his followers; none of them doubt his apparently ’supernatural’ powers.

The LRA was originally the Holy Spirit Movement, led by Alice Lakwena, whom Kony claims was his cousin. After her death, Kony took over and took the resistance group in a more violent direction, but with the continued aim of making Uganda a state based on the Christian Ten Commandments.                       

Invisible Children estimate that over 90% of the LRA’s forces were abducted as children.

Children all around northern Uganda live under constant threat of abduction and those who attend school often band together in groups to walk from their schools to safe sleeping areas in large cities.

It is because of these abductions that the current government placed thousands of its people in internal displacement camps (IDCs), originally meant to help protect the people from raids by the LRA. Unfortunately, these camps have just made the rebels’ jobs easier. With so many people packed together, LRA soldiers are able to attack many more people at one time, ruining homes, taking food, raping women and abducting children.

Abducted children can be used as soldiers, porters, sex slaves, or used to lay explosives. All are trained in combat and participate in violence. Many are made to kill friends or family.

A former child soldier, aged 13, describes what happened when he was made to join: “Early on, when my brothers and I were captured, the LRA explained to us that all five brothers couldn’t serve in the LRA because we would not perform well. So they tied up my younger brothers and invited us to watch. Then they beat them with sticks until two of them died. They told us it would give us strength to fight. My youngest brother was nine years old.”

The reality of The Rescue
The children fortunate enough to escape or be rescued then face another set of obstacles. The psychological, and often physical, scarring left after serving in the LRA means that many children are haunted by the abuse they suffered, the people they have killed and by guilt for what they have done. Funding for specialised rehabilitation centres is very limited.

Many will be stigmatised by their communities for what they were a part of, whether they volunteered or not, and post-traumatic stress is common.

Faced with the reality of the life of a child solider, it is easy to understand Juliane Okot Bitek’s criticism of The Rescue, but I believe both Bitek and The Rescue’s organisers have a point.

The Rescue successfully raised awareness of the issue, as well as more than US$23,000. However, it is unclear just how well the young people involved understood what’s actually happening in Uganda.

The biggest appeal of this kind of event for young people is often just the opportunity to get out and actively feel like we’re helping to make a difference. There is nothing wrong with this; it is, in fact, a very good thing. But does The Rescue undermine the suffering of children in Uganda over the last two decades?

Maybe, maybe not, but these young people are trying to recreate an ‘abduction’; a horror that they cannot possibly comprehend.

splashbannerorg


TAKE ACTION

  • Visit www.invisiblechildren.com and donate money, or find out about new initiatives that Jason, Bobby and Laren are planning.
  • Donate to organisations such as Save the Children and War Child, which also strive to protect children living in conflicted areas.
  • There are several documentaries about child soldiers, such us those by Invisible Children; and Uganda Rising, by Act for Stolen Children. Plan a screening in your community to raise awareness, and encourage others to try to make a difference.
  • Organise your own demonstrations or events to help raise awareness and money.


LEARN MORE

www.invisiblechildren.comwww.child-soldiers.org/home
http://therescue.invisiblechildren.com/en/#/watch/
www.savethechildren.org
www.warchild.org

    Photo of The Rescue campaign by luos3r.

    This article was originally published in Tearaway Magazine.

    The Human Rights Network

    Friday, February 20th, 2009

    human-rights

    www.humanrights.net.nz

    What do they do?
    This is a network rather than an organisation and run completely with volunteers. It is for New Zealanders – individuals, non-governmental and other organisations – to share information to pursue national and international progress in human rights

    How can I get involved?
    Check out the The Human Rights Film festival, a cinematic event celebrating extraordinary people striving for success and achievement amidst the hardest of circumstances and conditions.

    Screenings run in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. If you live in one of those places, you can even get involved with organising the local screening. Just flick them an email at: festival@humanrightsfilmfest.net.nz

    Join up! - The Human Rights network is free to join and has a lot of information about issues in NZ and abroad. When you join you will get email newsletters that share information on Human Rights focused news and events from a range of sources with an emphasis on local events. You will also be able to post your own events and news onto the site to be included in the e-news (2 weeks notice preferred).

    Check out the website - it’s a good place to start for anyone interested in Human Rights and development as it offers a wide range of topics, issues, causes and opinions.

    Habitat for Humanity

    Monday, February 16th, 2009

    habitat

    www.habitat.org.nz

    What do they do?
    Habitat for Humanity is an international not-for-profit organisation. The ultimate goal of Habitat for Humanity is to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the face of the earth by building adequate and basic housing. Habitat for Humanity in New Zealand is a not-for-profit Christian organisation that works in partnership with people of goodwill and families in need, to eliminate sub-standard housing by building and selling simple, decent houses on an affordable basis.

    How can I get involved?
    Locally:

    Volunteering for house builds - There are 11 Habitat for Humanity “affiliates” (branches) throughout New Zealand, from Northland to Invercargill. House builds take place throughout the year, dependent on land availability and building consent.

    Assisting with fundraising - Habitat for Humanity encourage individuals and volunteers to come up with innovative and fun ways to work together with the community to raise further funds for their activities. If you would like to run an event or create personal challenges that will raise funds, contact your local affiliate.

    Assisting with administration at your local affiliate – Volunteers can help in a range of different ways, not just on the building site! They need people that can assist with fundraising, catering for events, general administration, and all sorts of things. If you have a skill and some time that you think they may be able to make use of, go and check them out – they’d love to see you.

    Globally:
    Global Village Trips - This is where teams of volunteers visit countries in need and help build houses in the local communities. Global Village teams bring invaluable support to the communities they visit. More homes are built each year because of the donation Global Village teams make to the host community. You do not need prior building experience. If you have a sense of adventure, are in good health and willing to work hard, you can be part of a Global Village team! Participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian or be part of an organized school, faith or service group. If you would like to join an existing team as an individual, check out the Global Village Trip Schedule and contact the team leader.

    Avaaz

    Wednesday, January 14th, 2009

    avaazlogo_en

    www.avaaz.org

    What do they do?

    Avaaz.org is a community of global citizens who take action on the major issues facing the world today. The aim of Avaaz.org is to ensure that the views and values of the world’s people shape global decisions. Avaaz.org members act for a more just and peaceful world and a globalisation with a human face.

    How can I get involved?

    Sign up! – Avaaz’s online community has grown to over 3.2 million members in just over one year. It represents people from all nations, backgrounds, and ages. The core of their model of organizing is their email list, operated in 13 languages. By signing up to receive their alerts, you are rapidly alerted to urgent global issues and opportunities to achieve change. Avaaz members respond by rapidly combining the small amounts of time or money they can give into a powerful collective force. In just hours they can send hundreds of thousands of messages to political leaders telling them to save a crucial summit on climate change , hold hundreds of rallies across the world calling for action to prevent a genocide, or donate hundreds of thousands of euros, dollars and yen to support nonviolent protest in Burma.

    Amnesty International

    Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008

    amnesty-international-logo

    www.amnesty.org.nz

    What do they do?

    Amnesty International is a global movement of over 2.2 million people in more than 150 countries who contribute their time, money and expertise to the promotion of human rights and international campaigning against some of the most serious violations, including imprisonment for beliefs or identity, torture and killings.

    How can I get involved?

    Join a group (or start one) – There are Amnesty International groups in schools, universities, and youth groups. These groups campaign on all aspects of Amnesty’s work. They usually meet weekly or fortnightly to write letters, sign petitions or take action on the Amnesty website on behalf of these individuals and communities at risk.  They also organize awareness raising events within their school and community in support of Amnesty’s work, and take part in the Freedom Challenge, an annual team campaigning challenge in August (see www.freedomchallenge.org.nz for more details). Young people involved with Amnesty are consistently are rewarded with prolific media coverage for their awareness-raising in schools and the community.

    Volunteer – Instead of, or in addition to, being part of a group, you can volunteer around the country, often spending time in the classroom, aiding social studies departments in their education of human rights. You can even spend time volunteering in the Amnesty Auckland office.

    Apply for an internship – Amnesty’s Internship Program was established with the aim of enabling students to undertake a period of work experience with Amnesty International. It is an awesome opportunity to get involved in everything Amnesty does, and get some valuable experience. The Auckland office has its own Youth internship position.

    Attend an Event – Amnesty groups run events around the country all the time, like games nights and keynote speakers. See the Amnesty website for more details.

    Read a Publication – Amnesty produce high quality, up-to-date publications on Human Rights issues around the world. Expand your mind and read one today!

    Sign an appeal for Action – The Amnesty website has an up-to-date list of current appeals that you can contribute to.

    Public Action: Let the chalk talk

    Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008

    By Elliot Taylor

    chalk protest against cluster bombsThe sun bore down on Civic Square at high noon on 20 February 2008 as members of the public, diplomatic representatives, and civil society activists joined forces on the warmed cobblestones, their frames outlined in chalk as a visual protest organised by the Aotearoa New Zealand Cluster Munition Coalition. Delegates rushed to apply sun block after rumours circulated of the depleted ozone layer looming above New Zealand. Placards in many languages were held high — Portuguese, Thai, French, Spanish, Sanskrit, and English. Indian and Pakistani stood side by side with one voice. With her equally powerful voice, Jody Williams, 1997 Nobel Peace Laureate, let loose from an invisible soapbox and the media loved every moment. In some respects, it was glorious advocacy. Public action as we wish it always is.

    Yet what it represented is far less glorious.

    “I think it’s disgusting the kind of damage that these cluster bombs do,” said 18-year-old Sam Oldham, after signing his name inside a chalk outline. “I’m definitely hoping that they’ll be banned.”

    Lwindi Ellis, PR Director of Draft FCB, whose company dreamt up the public stunt, desires the same. “The more that I’ve learnt about cluster bombs, the more horrified I am that they still exist. I’m hoping that it will be a strong treaty in the end.”

    Tania Mead, a 20-year-old student at Victoria University, found the visual aspect of the public stunt especially powerful. “I think this is a really important way of personifying your anger and your frustration that these kinds of weapons are still used with impunity. It’s a really great visual gesture in terms of trying to raise people’s awareness about what’s going on and how to prevent it.”

    The simple message of this action needs to be emphasised: imagine Civic Square littered with victims of cluster munitions . Laura, Ian, Shamim, Becky, Elliot. They may have only been chalk outlines, but the names are real. cluster bomb survivors at protest in WellingtonImagine the victims of cluster munitions on the streets of your own capital. For some, that exercise may not be that tough. Still, the question remains, how close do the repercussions of deadly weapons have to get before empathy hits home? An ally? A neighbouring country? Our front doorstep?

    The ever-effervescent Margaret Taylor of Amnesty International believes the buck stops here. “No exceptions. No outs. The sanest approach is to ensure that cluster munitions are banned full stop,” she stated firmly, with chalk in hand. “We need to stop seeing, 20 years after a war, people injured because of unexploded cluster munitions. And those victims, those survivors, need to be given recompense and a fresh start in life.”

    Justin, a New Yorker residing in New Zealand, has seen first hand the effects of cluster munitions and landmines on civilians in South East Asia. For him the event was a timely reminder of these experiences abroad. “Everyone has a family member who’s either died or been maimed… It’s very traumatic. You feel horrible. It’s probably our responsibility. And if we can try to limit that for the future generations, then, well, that’s why we’re here.”

    Phil Goff receieving a ban cluster bomb petition
    On the evening following the public stunt, at a parliamentary reception, the delegation of cluster survivors dropped almost 3,000 petition signatures at the feet of New Zealand’s Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control, Phil Goff. Stunned at first, the Minister quickly recovered to thank the campaign for the ringing endorsement of support for his mission to establish the cluster ban treaty. He picked up one of the signed cluster bomb flyers and said, “If every one of these petitions was a vote for the cluster munitions treaty we’ll be on track to get a good result.” And the chalk echoes his call.

    This article originally appeared in Cluster Ban News, Vol 1 Issue 4, 21 February 2008.

    LEARN MORE:

    Websites:
    Oxfam campaigns against Cluster Bombs
    Aotearoa New Zealand Stop Cluster Munition Coalition site
    Wikipedia entry on Cluster bombs
    Human Right Watch collection of documents on Cluster bombs
    Heaps of info on http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/
    Factsheet on cluster bombs on BBC news site

    Videos:
    Cluster Bombs: A Weapon out of Control - Human Rights Watch video on YouTube
    A short film documenting the lethal effects of the use of cluster munitions worldwide, with commentary, new statistics and analysis from military experts at Human Rights Watch. The footage shows how cluster munitions have endangered civilian populations from the Vietnam era through current conflicts in Iraq and Lebanon.
    Watch a video report on how thousands of unexploded cluster munitions still cover the battlefields and are wounding many unintended victims (civilians) in Lebanon.

    TAKE ACTION:

    Write a letter (you can simply adapt the example one on the Cluster Munition coalition site) asking that the New Zealand Superannuation Fund stops investing in companies that produce cluster bombs such as weapons manufacturers Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.

    Sign up for updates from Peace Movement Aotearoa at www.converge.org.nz/pma and receive CMC campaign bulletins by contacting laura@stopclustermunitions.org

    Sign the petition on the Handicap International site calling for a ban on Cluster Bombs

    KALEIDOSCOPE 2007

    Monday, December 3rd, 2007

    By Pip Bennett

    Four months after I had first submitted my application to become an Oxfam International Youth Partner (OIYP) I was informed that I was one of the 300 youths from around the world that had been chosen from over 3000 applications to join the programme.

    kaleidoscopeOIYP is a three year programme, which aims to build the capacity of the Action Partners (the name given to Youth Partners) by providing us with support and resources, and creating opportunities for dialogue, networking and learning. Our first opportunity came in October this year at Kaleidoscope, a festival where all of the Action Partners come together in Sydney, for nine days of workshops, dances, performances, art, theatre and meeting a zillion new people.

    Arriving in Sydney airport, we made our way to meet the Oxfam volunteers in charge of taking us to the school. We chatted with youth from Iraq and Lebanon about the war and George Bush, which was quite humourous at times because of the jokes they told expressing their feelings about Bush and his administration. Throughout the week, the situation in Iraq was certainly a feature of many discussions with many of the youth asking those from the region for their local perspective, and it seemed that the consensus was that it was detrimental to pull out U.S forces, whether or not they should have gone in the first place.

    We stayed at the oldest school in Australia, the prestigious Kings School, in Parramatta and were divided into various dorm houses. I was one of only three non-Muslim girls to stay in the Muslim side of my house. They tried to keep them separate in order to stop disturbing other non-Muslim participants while they got up early for Ramadan. Staying in this dorm was an excellent experience. Over the week I had many opportunities to discuss various topics, including religion, Islam extremists, and terrorism. The sharing of beliefs and experiences was enlightening, particularly because I have found few opportunities like this back home. There were participants from about 90 countries, from all over the world, Canada, the U.S, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Spain, Chile, and Honduras, just to name a few!

    Darug PeopleThe welcoming ceremony took place on the first night, hosted by the Darug people, the indigenous people of the area. There was Aboriginal song and dance, which was responded to by various groups such as Aotearoa New Zealand, Bangladesh, India, and First Nations of the Americas. It was an incredible start to the event, and was at times very emotional.

    The official opening ceremony was held on the Tuesday night, at the Carriage Works performance venue. It was a show by youth from the Australian Theatre for Young People and some members from Cirque du Soliel which had been inspired by world affairs and our applications for OIYP. Amongst other things, there was singing, acrobatics, and a young woman carefully balancing an spinning umbrella on her feet whilst lying backwards and upside-down on a chair.

    WorkshopDuring the week there were six plenary sessions, along with around fifty workshops, some of which were led by Action Partners. Some of the workshops were only two hours long, while others were four hours over two days. Topics ranged from project management, indigenous rights, land rights, to access to health, access to education, gender and equality, gender and sexuality, and using photography and film. They were helpful, although complaints arose due to their brevity and lack of international or easily transferable context. A complaint from the Latin Americans was that there was too great a focus on Western culture and issues, rather than a diverse representation

    There were a significant number of Spanish speakers from Spain, and Latin America, with many of them unable to speak much, if any, English. A significant proportion of Oxfam volunteers could speak Spanish, and were used during workshops as translators or at the help desk. It was an excellent opportunity to learn about Latin America, however, there were difficulties in meeting and talking with the participants outside of workshops because of the lack of linguistic understanding.

    One of the special things about OIYP was the support of indigenous participants, in particular the availability of an indigenous Australian who acted like a mentor, as well as a space available for Indigenous people to meet and discuss issues, the Indigenous Forum. Being non-indigenous myself, I was invited to attend the Indigenous Forum, which was an unforgettable experience. I heard unnerving stories, particularly from the Americas, where indigenous people are constantly ignored and their identity denied.

    Kaleidescope ArtWe had several opportunities to explore Sydney, predominantly in the evenings, although we did have one free afternoon. Many of us went to a salsa club on Friday night and some gay clubs on the Saturday. Art and dance was a significant part of Kaleidoscope, with Oxfam wanting to explore the power of various forms of art as a tool for development. There were large canvases for painting, dance, song, beat-boxing performances, all with opportunities to try it yourself. A particular highlight for me was watching dancers from Brazil, along with Capoeira performers.

    At the end of the nine days in Sydney, although ready to return home, we were all sad to leave. The opportunity to spend time with other young people with similar dreams and goals proved to us that we are not alone in our desire to see change in the world. The one thing that we keep telling each other is that this is only the beginning of our next three years as Action Partners, and that if we want to see change, we have to do it ourselves.

    LEARN MORE

    For more information on OIYP, check out www.iyp.oxfam.org
    For more information about Oxfam and their work, check out www.oxfam.org

    All photos from Oxfam International, more here.

    An age old problem

    Friday, June 29th, 2007

    Elisabeth Perham

    Racism and sexism are forms of discrimination that we hear about all the time, splashed across the media, littering our history books with sad stories of people whose lives have been ruined because society has failed to get over the colour of their skin or the level of different hormones their bodies are coded to produce. There is, however, another form of discrimination that, while still being very damaging, we don’t hear much about.

    YoungpersonHave you ever felt like you’re being watched in a shop because it’s assumed that you’re “just a thieving teenager”? Ever felt hard done by because an older co-worker is being paid more money than you, to do the same job? If you’ve answered yes to either of these questions, then you have experienced ageism. Ageism can be defined as stereotypes or prejudice against people because of their age. It can manifest itself in a variety of ways and can apply whether you are young or old.

    Youth WeekInternational Youth Day is celebrated on August 12 in countries all over the world, as an opportunity to draw attention to youth issues worldwide. In Aotearoa New Zealand we mark a whole WEEK in May, to celebrate the accomplishments of young people and the amazing contributions they make to our society. At the same time it is sad to note that in the media the same group is presented as a bunch of drunken, drug-crazed miscreants, arsonists and shoplifters, a group which society must protect itself from rather than embrace. Headlines such as Second cell break at Rimutaka youth unit’, “Concern about Youth Drinking Culture’ and Youth crime on the rise’ are common, and if this is the kind of journalism our parents and grandparents consume every day, then it is little wonder that a negative stereotype of youth has been established. Where are the stories about the vast majority of young people?! Those who go to school every day and work hard, take up part time jobs and participate in their communities.

    Video Game PlayerAdolescence is a tough times in anyone’s life, whoever you are, wherever you live. Growing up is never easy and it has been made even more complex by the plethora of paths available for us. Drugs have never been so readily available, nor alcohol; violence has never been more mainstream, nor sex. Just as adults are exposed to bad press about the youth of today, so we are is exposed to this press about ourselves. Everyone is having sex so you should too. Drinking is cool’, right? Ditto smoking. And who cares if drugs are illegal. Remember the news? That’s just what teenagers do. And we are exposed to these ideas younger and younger. You may remember recent uproar over the use of dirty slogans on children’s underwear. Young children, especially boys, can be seen playing violent war games and hoon’-ie car games on gaming consoles. One might think we, today’s youth, are doomed to a life of unprotected sex, drugs and uncontrolled parties.

    GraduatedBut consider this: never before have so many young people stayed in school, never have so many graduated from university. Never before have there been so many young people with part time jobs, working hard despite low wages. There is much to celebrate about our peers. You only need to look at the wonderful work of young people in JET magazine, to marvel at the awesome leadership of your head boys and girls, to appreciate the great contribution students participating in the Peer Support programme make to their schools, in order to see that young people have great value and that we are so much more than a bunch of P-crazed, STI-carrying thugs. The young people we read about in the papers are not all of us. And we know that. We just need society to realise that.

    PYF delegationBeing young doesn’t mean you’re useless. It doesn’t mean that a security guard should be following you any more closely in a store than any other shopper. It doesn’t mean old ladies should avoid you in the street. The best way to change negative stereotypes is to fight back, so it is our job to let society know how great we really are. Be proud to be young. Get involved in Youth Week this year and rubbish those bad impressions! In the words of a US teen-pride campaign: “Prove them wrong by doing something right.”

    Five Facts:

    • Nearly half the world’s people are under 25 years old. 87% live in the developing countries
    • Tertiary participation of young people In Aotearoa New Zealand has increased by 50.3 percent since 1987
    • Young people are ethnically more diverse than the rest of the Aotearoa New Zealand population
    • Despite reports that say otherwise, data suggests that youth offending in Aotearoa New Zealand has in many areas decreased as a percentage of total offending over the last ten years
    • A UK study undertaken in 2005 found that 81% of stories about young people were negative, yet only 8% actually quoted youth, suggesting a greatly skewed representation of youth by the media

    LEARN MORE

    TAKE ACTION!

    • Visit the Youth Week website for info on how you can get involved in this year’s youth week, 21-27 May 2007. We are the youth, so the only people who can change stereotypes about us, are us!
    • Learn to see beyond the negative press. Excel and shine despite the stereotyping, excel and shine because of the stereotyping! Show the world that you’re better than that!
    • Keep an eye on the Ministry of Youth Development and Just Focus websites for opportunities to get involved with national and international youth events.
    • Tell the world! If you do something awesome then let everyone know. Ring your local paper and get them to come and give you some coverage. They get a story, you get some media attention, the community can see what good young people are doing and your gran gets a clipping to paste in her scrapbook. Everyone’s a winner!

    A version of this article was originally published in JET magazine.

    Media that Matters

    Thursday, February 15th, 2007

    We no longer have to rely on major corporations for things to be seen — we have Media that Matters to distribute new material and new voices and new points of view.” -Tim Robbins, Actor

    MTM outside

    The first Media that Matters Aotearoa film event occurred in Wellington on 15 March 2007. It was a great event with heaps of engaged and engaging people. There were interesting films, thought-provoking speakers and loads of stimulating discussion.

    Just Focus brought the US-based MTM Festival to Aotearoa New Zealand because we think it is important to explore our relationship with the media. MTM encourages us to think critically about how and where we get our news and information and reminds us of the importance of seeking out new voices and different perspectives. We hope it will inspire more young people in NZ to express their views through film.
    The Wellington event happened at the Film Archive. About 50 young people came along and watched 9 films divided into three sections.

    • Money- economics, power and poverty
    • People- diversity, discrimination, identity and the media
    • Planet-environment, action and expression

    MTM my groupEach section included a speaker, some discussion and the opportunity to win some great (and ethically sourced) prizes, like LUSH products and fair-trade chocolate.

    The speakers included film makers, community workers and activists and they looked at some keys issues and the global context in which these issues exist. Indymedia spoke about their film The Nu Face of Youth Rebellion, which explores the Tongan people’s struggle for change. Kate and Emily from Kotahi te Ao: One World, discussed their film project, which aims to renew hope in sustainability. Yadana Saw looked at the globalisation of people, products and ideas and the impact of the media on how we construct our own identities.
    Some comments about the event:

    “Very very good. Powerful and moving.”
    “Brilliant! Very thought provoking.”
    “Great variety of films-inspiring, empowering, informing.”

    Big thanks to all our volunteers and to the Film Archive!


    The next MTM Aotearoa will be in Christchurch in May! Keep an eye on the site for more details.

    For any other information about Media that Matters Aotearoa
    e: mediathatmatters@justfocus.org.nz
    ph: 496 9510 txt/ph: 027 289 3390

    What we can do for peace

    Wednesday, October 11th, 2006

    Compiled by Youth at the Disarmament and Security Centre, Otautahi, Christchurch, NZ

    lotus flowerDespite all the negative issues there are also increasingly positive steps that people the world over that are beginning to take to make changes for Peace, to live in harmony with the Earth and amongst all peoples.

    • Believe in your power to create change.
    • We are all vital links in the interconnected web of life, what we do today can make a positive difference.
    • Understand that dominant worldviews don’t always enable other people’s voices and stories to be heard. History books may be biased according to whoever wrote them.
    • Challenge yourself and others to support peace and justice and to hold these concepts at the centre of all local, national and international decision—making processes.
    • Think about the sort of world you would like your children’s children’s children to live in and work towards that!
    • Brainstorm ideas for positive change. Just as all destructive acts are acts of war, all creative acts are acts of peace.
    • Take time out to enjoy yourself, your community and your environment.

    doves

    TAKE ACTION!

    • Find out more information on peace issues. Knowledge is power!
    • Share what you learn with friends and family.
    • Respect differences, honour diversity, learn more about another culture in your community.
    • Storytelling. Our world is made up of stories- not just atoms! Learn other people’s stories and those of your family.
    • Use the media. Write an article for a community or school newspaper. Get TV or radio interviews.
    • Find out angles that may be missing from mainstream media by consulting alternative media sources.
    • Learn more about the South Pacific Nuclear-Free zone. Push for a world without nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants.
    • Start your own group.
    • Consume less. Support conservation campaigns. Recycle, reuse and repair.
    • Practice solving conflict peacefully in your own life.
    • Avoid buying products from multinational companies.
    • Get involved in your local community. Become a volunteer.
    • Hold a stall or information display at a festival or in a public place.
    • Screen-print information or posters and distribute around friends, the community and the city.
    • Print patches or T- shirts, or wear ones others have made.
    • Write letters to decision makers.
    • Design and paint posters, banners or placards.
    • Take part in a Non-violent Direct Action (it is important to know your rights and take precaution to ensure your safety and the safety of others, remember that you are promoting peace so act PEACEFULLY)
    • Create and/or participate in Street Theatre.

    people peace sign
    LEARN MORE

    • Check out current events online at: www.indymedia.com or www.guerillanews.com
    • Find out about local groups who work for peace and justice. Support groups that campaign for Peace nationally and internationally.
    • Check out Greenpeace and Amnesty International
    • Check out www.getactive.org.nz This site contains all you need to know about setting up and managing your own social or environmental campaigns.
    • Go to the Disarmament and Security Centre . It has heaps of good resources for learning about the history of NZ’s peace movement, and its anti-nuclear movement.
    • Use your consumer power to make wise decisions when buying things (buy products made in your own country, products that have minimal or no packaging, think about who made it and how they were treated, think about the impacts to communities and the environment that may incur from making the product, using the product and discarding the product). Check out adbusters
    • Grow food, help out at a local community garden. Find out what foods in Genetically Modified and what are healthier options.
    • Understand economic globalisation and its impact on people and the environment.
    • Visit the Peace Foundation Aotearoa NZ. The Peace Foundation is a 30-year old NGO that works through on Education, Action and Research.

    Change doesn’t lie in the hands of governments but in ours.