Learning and Leading - March/April 2011

Kayf Abdulqadir, an 18-year-old from Canada, says that AYV has helped her speak up about how the hijab, the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women, is portrayed in the media. Through her team’s video, “Fabric: The Unveiled Truth,” she gained the confidence to share her perspective on a sensitive issue and learned the value of teamwork, all while building invaluable technical skills.

“I learned how to make videos and gain
much more confidence in interacting
with other people.” (age 13, Uganda)

A team of young AYV filmmakers in South Africa captured the hardships that mothers face raising children alone in the township where they live. While highlighting the families, the filmmakers also celebrated each mother’s resilience in overcoming the struggles of daily life. Throughout the process, the students used their newly developed storytelling and technology skills to weave together a compelling piece that called for action in their communities. This short film was selected as part of Youth Producing Change, the first exclusively student-produced program of short films at the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival.

“I have learned how to take initiative on issues that affect us.” (age 17, India)

Ruh al-’Alam, an AYV educator from London, England, teaches a group of deaf students who are creating a series of new media artwork that will challenge preconceptions of deafness and reach a global audience. What is truly amazing about the project is that it enables others to “hear” deaf people through the visuals they produce. Introducing these students to new creative technologies and processes opens up a world of potential. Working on their own and in teams with teachers and mentors, the students engage in interactive discussions and storyboarding, then use imaging, video, and audio technologies to capture and communicate their work. Whenever possible, they go out into their communities, interview peers and community experts, and, along the way, capture real-world footage and images that they can work into the final project. “What matters is what and how they express themselves,” says al-’Alam. “It’s the beauty of hearing their voices and stories as well as helping bring them to life.”