“It Takes A Village to Raise a Child” is such a simple yet powerful statement that means “It takes us all to do something for the common good.”
The NoHo Arts District dot com team is always proud to highlight the work of our local schools, especially their arts departments and even more so when it has to do with global issues. Please get to know the International Youth Media Summit, a group from a Valley school (Go Cavs!) using film to combat global issues. They need our help so let’s show them “It takes the Valley to raise some funds.”
The Teen International Media Exchange of Cleveland Charter High School in Reseda will launch their online crowd-funding campaign for scholarships that will enable 100 youth from 40 countries to participate in their annual International Youth Media Summit. Young people from Afghanistan, Algeria, Bosnia, Iran, Israel, Kosovo, Liberia, Palestine, Serbia, and a dozen other countries have already applied to participate but will be unable to attend without financial support. See how you can help, it’s simple, fast and worth it>>
On July 14, young people ages 14 through 24 will arrive on the campus of Soka University in Aliso Viejo, the Summit’s host, to engage in dialogue, seminars and the making of short films about seven urgent social issues: violence, poverty, discrimination, women’s rights, the environment, health and youth empowerment. In the two weeks they are together, the teen delegates will:
• Explore the 7 Summit Issues with dynamic leaders who are making a difference in non-profits and NGO’s around the world.
• Train with Professionals in the Hollywood Filmmaking Industry.
• Create powerful public service announcements inspired by the 7 Summit Issues.
• Develop individual resolutions of action to present to the United Nations and to their own governments.
• Create study guides to accompany completed PSAs for use in their home countries by teachers, workshop leaders, and themselves.
• Learn to work with a variety of people from many diverse cultures, religions, and economic and social backgrounds.
• Learn how to organize international teen media exchange projects and find partners from other countries
• View film projects created by delegates and Summit partners.
• Visit Southern California cultural landmarks.
• Celebrate their vision of a united world with art, music, dance and food from other cultures
The NoHo Arts District dot Com team appreciates who the art of film is interwoven in the Summit’s activities and is used as a tool. We think their description describes it nicely.
“Then our WARRIORS will create WEAPONS OF MASS INSTRUCTION: 7 short films accompanied by study guides to be used in classrooms and workshops around the globe. Together they will devote over 21,000 hours to these joint projects, creating a model of collaboration across cultures for the sake of the future.”
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WHY THIS MOBILIZATION IS SO IMPORTANT
Poverty: 21,000 children die each day due to poverty.
Health: 2 million children under 15 are living with HIV.
Environment: In twelve years, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity.
Discrimination: Homosexuality remains a criminal offense in more than 70 countries and homophobic-based crimes are on the rise worldwide.
Youth and Women: 72 million children of primary school age in the developing world were not in school in 2005; 57 per cent of them were girls.
Violence: Over 300,000 children under the age of 18 are serving against their will as child soldiers around the world.
The short films created by the young Summit teams will be screened at the Closing Ceremony, which will be held on July 26, 2014 at the new Soka Performing Arts Center.
So how can we help. There are so many ways, large, small and everything in between. It doesn’t take much, just the willingness to help. See how best you can help them>>
This yearly event was born in 2006 out of the passion of two Cleveland High Media Academy teachers and their commitment to infuse young people with the confidence and skills to shape their own future and influence the world they will inherit, using film and media. In the years since, the Summit has been held in Australia and in Serbia. In the summer of 2014 – for the first time in 8 years – it will be held once again in Southern California, the place of its birth.
Visit them at www.iyms-usa.org or on Facebook>>
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