UNESCO Global Network of Young TV Producers on HIV/AIDS reached new territories in Melanesia
28-08-2007 (Apia)
Colin perfecting his camera skills.
© UNESCO
Three short documentaries on HIV/AIDS were launched by six young media producers from Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Fiji during a two-week Workshop on Advanced Documentary and Script Writing held on 16-27 July in Suva, Fiji.
The workshop was organized by UNESCO in cooperation with the Regional Media Centre (RMC) of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) to train young media producers on how to make documentaries about young people.
"They understand each other and they know ways of changing mindset of their peers. The workshop was about young people 'making it for themselves': getting interested in film making, going out to conduct interviews, filming and producing documentaries," said Larry Thomas, Coordinator of RMC and Pacific film-maker and playwright.
It was the second in a series of workshops. The first one was offered for Fiji young media producers in June 2006. Specialists in HIV/AIDS, behaviour change and communication and gender based violence shared their experiences with the participants who used the knowledge to develop ideas for documentaries. The ideas target behaviour change, from ignorance to knowledge and action, from stigma and discrimination to care and support from being afraid of seeking treatment to a ‘treatment seeking behaviour’.
Falani Aukuso, Deputy Director-General of SPC, advised the young producers that it is important to do follow up activities and to ensure that newly learnt skills are not wasted.
With the completion of the three documentaries, the young producers qualify as members of the UNESCO Global Network of Young TV Producers on HIV/AIDS. "The purpose of the Global Network is to harness the creative energies of youth to produce high-impact documentaries. It first started in Asia, then in Africa and now it is developing in the Pacific, said Abel Caine from UNESCO's Office in Apia, Samoa.
According to Caine, the Global Network has been very successful. Eleven young Pacific islanders are now trained members and have produced five provocative videos for widespread distribution.
The following documentaries were launched at the Suva workshop:
It’s Better to Know
It follows a young Papua New Guinean girl going through the Voluntarily Confidentially Counseling and Testing (VCCT). VCCT is a new HIV/AIDS approach in the Pacific, which reveals the HIV status of people, thus relieving the anxiety of not knowing. Taking the audience through the process of VCCT, the girl encourages youngsters to get tested.
Femidoms Empowers Women
The story is about ‘femidom’, a female contraceptive that empowers women in the countries where rapes and cultural practices contribute to their sexual exploitation. The documentary aims at informing women that femidoms provide leverage for safe sex.
FJN+ Rekindle Hope
The story is about Dr Jiko Luveni and the Fiji Network for HIV+ people (FJN+). FJN+ facilitates medical treatment, training and offers other HIV/AIDS prevention services in Fiji. Dr Luveni seeks to stop discrimination against HIV+ people.
"They understand each other and they know ways of changing mindset of their peers. The workshop was about young people 'making it for themselves': getting interested in film making, going out to conduct interviews, filming and producing documentaries," said Larry Thomas, Coordinator of RMC and Pacific film-maker and playwright.
It was the second in a series of workshops. The first one was offered for Fiji young media producers in June 2006. Specialists in HIV/AIDS, behaviour change and communication and gender based violence shared their experiences with the participants who used the knowledge to develop ideas for documentaries. The ideas target behaviour change, from ignorance to knowledge and action, from stigma and discrimination to care and support from being afraid of seeking treatment to a ‘treatment seeking behaviour’.
Falani Aukuso, Deputy Director-General of SPC, advised the young producers that it is important to do follow up activities and to ensure that newly learnt skills are not wasted.
With the completion of the three documentaries, the young producers qualify as members of the UNESCO Global Network of Young TV Producers on HIV/AIDS. "The purpose of the Global Network is to harness the creative energies of youth to produce high-impact documentaries. It first started in Asia, then in Africa and now it is developing in the Pacific, said Abel Caine from UNESCO's Office in Apia, Samoa.
According to Caine, the Global Network has been very successful. Eleven young Pacific islanders are now trained members and have produced five provocative videos for widespread distribution.
The following documentaries were launched at the Suva workshop:
It’s Better to Know
It follows a young Papua New Guinean girl going through the Voluntarily Confidentially Counseling and Testing (VCCT). VCCT is a new HIV/AIDS approach in the Pacific, which reveals the HIV status of people, thus relieving the anxiety of not knowing. Taking the audience through the process of VCCT, the girl encourages youngsters to get tested.
Femidoms Empowers Women
The story is about ‘femidom’, a female contraceptive that empowers women in the countries where rapes and cultural practices contribute to their sexual exploitation. The documentary aims at informing women that femidoms provide leverage for safe sex.
FJN+ Rekindle Hope
The story is about Dr Jiko Luveni and the Fiji Network for HIV+ people (FJN+). FJN+ facilitates medical treatment, training and offers other HIV/AIDS prevention services in Fiji. Dr Luveni seeks to stop discrimination against HIV+ people.
Koroi operating the camera while Talica records an interview with Shane Henry, a student in Suva.© UNESCO
Llane and Wiktor learning functions of a camera (top);
Nixon learning to operate a TV camera (bottom)
© UNESCO
Related themes/countries
· Fiji
· Papua New Guinea
· Solomon Islands
· HIV and AIDS: News Archives 2007
· Youth and ICT: News Archives 2007
· Training of Media Professionals: News Archives 2007
· Communicating on HIV and AIDS
Share this story:
Contact information
-
Contact
- Abel Caine, UNESCO Office in Apia
- Etivina Lovo, Regional Media Centre, Secretariat of the Pacific Community
- UNESCO
Source