Education Ministry, with UNESCO Support, Develops Workshop for a Culture of Peace

Education Ministry, with UNESCO Support, Develops Workshop for a Culture of Peace
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 1/24/2012

The Ministry of Education (MINERD in Spanish), through the Department of Psychology, Orientation and Attention to Diversity, began an international audiovisual communication workshop on the prevention of violence: The Use of Information and Communication Technology to Build a Culture of Peace in Santo Domingo. This workshop is being given by specialists from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with support from the Project for Juvenile Development and Violence Prevention.

Ms. Pérez said that during the workshop, which lasted ten days, young people will be trained so that they will be equipped to carry on the process in the future, within the MINERD, …

Minerva Pérez, Director of MINERD’s Department of  Psychology, Orientation and Attention to Diversity, directed motivational words to participating students who were chosen from the Fabio A. Mota, Fray Ramón Pané, Capotillo and Benito Juárez Schools from Regions 10 and 15. There were other community members there as well.

Ms. Pérez said that during the workshop, which lasted ten days, young people will be trained so that they will be equipped to carry on the process in the future, within the MINERD. The training process was given by Jorge Arias and Jonathan Monge, Ecuadoran facilitators and publicists with experience in the use of technology for the prevention of violence.

Cheila Valera, coordinator of the project, said the objective of the workshop is to give participants skills and basic tools as well as audiovisual narrative techniques for them to use as community audiovisual mediators capable of exposing the needs, conflicts, incidents, identities, interests, fears and dreams of those in their own areas as well as the social groups they are part of and with whom they interact.

In addition, the workshop seeks to provide audio and video resources to develop research skills, gathering and presenting information and ways to structuring content for campaigns on education, gender and prevention of violence and to produce short films that will enable the expression of opinions and concerns.

Among the specific objectives is to give participants the elemental narrative techniques to create a story, whether journalistic or fiction; to introduce them to the use and operation of basic digital audiovisual tools; to share certain research and information gathering techniques and how to present information such as news writing for film, preparation and taping of interviews and using images, among other skills.

Another goal is to link audiovisual work to the creation of content for the prevention of violence, defense of human rights and such fundamental values as freedom, equality, solidarity, tolerance, shared responsibility, cultural diversity and respect for nature.

The workshops will offer classes on audio and video production such as the design and implementation of social networks focused on the dissemination of intelligent content. Participants are asked for total availability and attendance throughout the training period when they must fulfill a commitment to the workshop’s objectives which include being conscious that the skills acquired therein will be used to continue undertaking the work and to train other young people.

Emphasis will be placed on social networks, their impact on current society, how to safely navigate the Internet, how to write for and speak on the radio; audiovisual production as a tool for expression; inter-connection of social networks (audio, video, text images), post-production, etc.

In accordance with UNESCO’s medium-term strategy, (2008-2013), working with young people is a priority, especially when it is related to juvenile violence and other problems that affect their well-being.

Jorge Arias, expert in the use of technology for the prevention of violence, speaks to participating young people at the international audiovisual communication workshop on the prevention of violence.