International Youth Media Summit Collaboration

UNRCPD’s Collaboration with the International Youth Media Summit concludes with powerful public service announcement short film on Violence

Kathmandu, 06 November (UNRCPD): The 14th annual International Youth Media Summit (IYMS) concluded its conference producing short Public Service Announcement (PSA) films, created by the 70 young filmmakers (ages 14 to 24) from 30 nations which were produced over 14 days on seven major global issues: Health, Poverty, Youth Empowerment, Violence, Discrimination, Environment, Women’s Rights. These PSA short films, along with developed outreach workshop guides ensures delegates are able to effectively raise awareness upon returning to their home country. The PSAs will be shown to more than one million young people in schools, colleges, libraries and community centers around the world.

The United Nation Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) sponsored three International Youth Delegates from Myanmar, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka and two National Youth Delegates from Nepal. Other delegates at the 2019 IMYS conference came from Afghanistan, Australia, Croatia, Egypt, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, and the United States of America.

UNRCPD’s peace and disarmament education coordinator, Jane E. Lawson, mentored the Violence Issue Group Mentor helping youth delegates understand the push and pull factors to armed violence and violent extremism and how important it is to consider broader concepts of peace and security when looking at conflict prevention. As a result the Violence Issue Group developed the short PSA entitled PATHWAYS.

UNRCPD remains committed to peace and disarmament education activities working with youth as a means to motivate each other to take action and responsibility to insure their generation can shape the world. “If you want to improve the world, you have to be the media, learn the language and use it, “said Chairman of the IYMS Advisory Board, Birgitta Olsson. IYMS will be presenting this year’s Violence PSA at the Youth Agenda Forum in Gothenburg, Sweden later in September.

Other organizations that supported the Summit include the Film Development Board of Nepal, Nepal Tourism Board Visit Year 2020, as well as several United Nations organizations such as UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA, UNESCO, and UN Women.

UNRPCD and the Youth Delegates shared the PSA videos to educational institutions in the Kathmandu valley showcasing the power of media for advocacy and education to combat violence. Over 120 students aged 12 to 25 and their teachers participated in the events which took place over two days.

The 2020 Summit will be held in Croatia.  https://www.iyms.org/