As a key part of its violence prevention work, NGO Ba Futuru utilizes innovative and engaging methods like film to create changes in attitudes and behavior. Ba Futuru launched its new entertainment education film series, Domin Nakloke, in July 2017 and it immediately went viral on Facebook! The series explores issues of domestic violence, sexual assault and healthy relationships between young people. This film brings important messages to a wide audience in one of the least developed countries.
Behavior change campaigns surround us, however, many of these campaigns are unconvincing, lack inspiring narratives, and are communicated through outdated outlets such as leaflets. Research shows that traditional media interventions are often ineffective in promoting behavior change. In a post-conflict country like Timor-Leste, where very high level of domestic and sexual violence persist, we desperately need effective solutions to change attitudes and behavior.
Ba Futuru's new Domin Nakloke / Unlocking Love film series utilizes an innovative entertainment-education approach and has already begun shifting attitudes and behavior of wide audiences. New research shows entertainment education influences mental models of individual viewers and, in the process, sets the stage for collective action by impacting mental models accepted by society. These dramas are an assessable and engaging way through which to spread messages and promote positive behavior.
The first three episodes already have reached more than 175,000 viewers on social media and once they are aired on national television and shown in schools and communities throughout Timor-Leste they will reach hundreds of thousands more! The films are critical to equip viewers with knowledge of support services and how to seek assistance when violence does occur, while also reducing the acceptance and normalization of violence against women and children.
This project has provided additional documentation in a DOCX file (projdoc.docx).
