Slum Diaries: Participatory Creation for Social Change
Day / Time Thursday, June 22nd / 13:30 - 15:30
Event Description
This brings together slum dwellers, filmmakers, potential funders and broadcasters to discuss participatory media creation for social change. An overview will be presented of models and needs for such projects. The long-term aim of the organizers is to work collaboratively in presenting a global survey of life in the informal settlements of the world's mega-cities through the voices of the slum dwellers themselves.
Session Language
English
French
Speakers
Al Jazeera International's Peggy Holter; Filmmaker Nettie Wild; Slum Dwellers International
Homeless Nation's Daniel Cross & Brett Gaylor; MYSA Children's project ( Kenya );
SEWA ( India ); Serendip Productions ( Pakistan ), Communicating for Change ( Nigeria )
Host Organization
Television Trust for the Environment/ National Film Board of Canada
Host Organization Description
Television Trust for the Environment (TVE) is a Media NGO that works with partners worldwide, particularly in the developing world, to produce films that raise awareness of issues such as globalization, poverty and social development, human rights and the environment. TVE films are shown by global and national broadcasters (including the UK and Europe ) and are distributed internationally for television and educational use. In 2004, TVE made or commissioned more than 80 films and reached more than 300 million households, almost every week of the year. Founded in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada has produced more than 11,000 films and other audiovisual works and won more than 4,500 awards - including 11 Oscars®. As Canada 's public film producer, the NFB produces and distributes distinctive, culturally diverse, challenging and relevant audiovisual works that provide Canada and the world with a unique Canadian perspective. Named one of the top documentary organizations in the world by realscreen magazine, the NFB is equally renowned for its auteur animation - with this year marking the 65th anniversary of cutting-edge animated filmmaking from the National Film Board. UN-HABITAT is the United Nations' lead agency for human settlement issues. It is directly responsible for helping governments to implement the Habitat Agenda, which was signed by 171 countries at the Second UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in Istanbul in 1996. The agency also helps governments achieve the Millennium Development Goal 7: Target 11, which is aimed at improving the living conditions of slum dwellers. As part of this initiative, UN-HABITAT encourages filmmakers, journalists and media practitioners to highlight the problems and living conditions of the urban poor.
Website
Report
Title of Event: Name of Organisation: |
SLUM DIARIES: Participatory Media creation for Social Change Television for the Environment/National Film Board of Canada & UN-HABITAT |
Key Highlights
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2. What were the core issues identified in your event as they relate to the theme and sub-themes of WUFIII? All participants were inspired by learning of the practices of others working in like-minded documentary and community focused film-making. There was a commitment and enthusiasm from the session to develop a network to carry the idea forward - into action - of an international network working with slum dwellers (and their organisations ) to document life in slums for broadcast and advocacy/campaigning purposes. There was a call to empower slum dwellers themselves to articulate their concerns as a way of making the international community understand their problems and possible solutions. |
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3. What were the main points raised by panellists and participants in relation to these different issues? What new ideas have been generated as a result of the discussion? Panellists were inspired to find others working in similar ways and with ideas to share on how to develop what they individually do. The virtues and drawbacks of working in different mediums were discussed i.e. film virus digital media and use of internet. Likewise, issues of broadcast outputs and production for advocacy were also mentioned as well as strategies for internationalising and accessing larger media networks. Many ideas were generated by the session including developing an ongoing network, meeting in 6 months time as a group again and planning for WUFIV, Other ideas included developing broadcast outputs to co-incide with WUFIV, networking amongst the group, possibly creating internships in some of the participating organisations, Likewise, finding funding for the creation of an international network for the Slum Dairies Idea in association with the TVE, NFB and UN-HABITAT was mentioned as a potential next step. |
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4. What process steps have been identified in your event that could help turn ideas into operational reality? We have already set up a database of panellists and interested parties from the WUFIII session. UN-HABITAT, TVE and NFB are committed to mtg as a group soon to plan further work We are also going to seek some funding to allow the group to develop. |
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