#OneWorldChildren, a recent initiative launched by two powerful energy sources from totally different corners of the world, has become more than just an online campaign. Leading children & youth film associations, filmmakers and industry professionals from across the globe have joined hands to empower and engage young people in turbulent times, locked down in their homes, through online workshops, masterclasses and interactive sessions.
Jitendra Mishra (SIFFCY, India): “Josep Arbiol (MICE, Spain) approached me with an idea to rise up against this pandemic situation and start an online media literacy programme addressing children in Latin America. In succession of our pilot project – an online workshop hosted by MICE – we decided for a more structured framework, reaching out to young people worldwide.
Spurred on by the enthusiasm of our industry friends and colleagues that we consulted, we embraced the idea and organised a second workshop in early June, hosted in India, under the label #OneWorldChildren. Within this single online event we reached out to more than 15,000 children (including 6,000+ live viewers), and received direct responses from 1,000+ people. This success has motivated us to regularly continue these online activities, even after the lockdown period”. Recently another workshop was hosted by Russian partner Your Cinema, and new events are scheduled for summer.
Jitendra Mishra: “This informal online community contains no further obligations – all is free and equal. We have partners and contributors from around 20 different countries in Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa”. All leading international platforms ECFA, CIFEJ and YCN already expressed their enthusiasm about this initiative.
Are the principles behind #OneWorldChildren somehow laid down in its name? “It feels like for the first time the whole world is facing the same problem together, in a joined fight against a virus and its impact. All children across the world are dealing with similar consequences, like isolation, loneliness, and depression. Now it is our responsibility to act collectively, creating equal opportunities for all”.
The next #OneWorldChildren workshop will be on Sunday 28th June (14.00 UTC+2), hosted by the Filem’on Festival (Brussels).
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