By Rachael Maddock-Hughes | Program Manager, Voices of Our Future
(This is an abbreviated document. For the full report, please download the attachment below)
“I want to make visible the forgotten stories, the hidden stories that show that dreams are alive, that we believe in a future.” 2010 Voices of our Future Correspondent Jacqueline Cahi, Zimbabwe
VOICES OF OUR FUTURE PROGRAM REPORT JANUARY-NOVEMBER 2010
Thanks to the generous contribution of the Lambent Fund of the Tides Foundation, The Channel Foundation, The Mother Jones Fund of the Peace Development Fund and individual donations, World Pulse was able to launch the second annual year of Voices of Our Future, our online training program in Web 2.0, citizen journalism and empowerment for emerging grassroots women leaders.
Voices of Our Future trains women and girls how to use new technology and media to share their stories and innovative solutions with the world. Launched in 2009, the pilot program trained 30 women from 21 countries. The success of the first year was immediately evident: over 93% of correspondents reported an increase in professional Web 2.0 and journalism skills and personal empowerment; they have gone on to start women’s cyber cafés in Nigeria; develop citizen journalism training programs for rural Kenyan women; and their compelling stories were picked up by the British Broadcasting Corporation, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the Public Broadcasting Service.
During the first six months of 2010, the program team worked to integrate lessons learned from the pilot program to enhance and strengthen program materials and partnerships, and to create a strategic and sustainable long-term plan for Voices of Our Future.
Highlights from January-June 2010
Highlights from July-November 2010
The first six months of activity built a strong platform for this year’s program launch, and will help us achieve our long-term impact and expansion goals. Key accomplishments include:
In addition to the successful launch of our 2010 program, we had several other exciting achievements:
PROGRESS TOWARDS OBJECTIVES
The goals for Voices of Our Future 2010 were to increase the reach and influence of the program by aggressively marketing Correspondents’ stories to mainstream media desks and international forums, enhancing program curriculum, and incorporating girl leaders.
Through developing a partnership with the US Department of State, launching the media and speaking tour, and taking part in the United Nations conference, we are able to promote the stories and solutions from Voices of Our Future and the World Pulse platform to audiences around the world. We have only begun to channel these stories to outlets, influential forums, and there is much more that we can do. This will continue to be a key focus area for us as Correspondents begin producing original content in 2011.
The program curriculum is more vigorous, thanks to the development of in-depth social media and Web 2.0 learning materials. The Correspondents are safer due to the creation of the ”Safety and Security” module, and we have expanded the potential impact of the training by creating “Each One Teach Five”, a training of trainers module which give Correspondents the tools they need to reach out to other women in their communities.
Experts from diverse arenas around the world agree that that a more just and socially equitable future will be driven by the empowerment of girls and young women. Of the thirty Correspondents for 2010, eight are under the age of twenty-four. We specifically recruited applicants from forums reaching young women, and additionally, Correspondents from 2009 reached out to the youth in their communities to encourage them to apply for the program. For more on girl-centered activities, see future plans below.
FUTURE PLANS
World Pulse has made great strides in improving and strengthening Voices of Our Future. In 2011, we will concentrate on launching the third annual Voices of Our Future program in September, creating multi-media training materials, and developing a curriculum for a Voices of Our Future-Girls program, to be launched in 2012.
Multi-Media Materials
Video has become an amazing tool for citizen journalists around the world. It has been used to report on the recent earthquake in Chile, the release of Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma, and political violence during the recent student’s revolt in Iran. In response to community requests, World Pulse is working to develop learning materials that will teach Correspondents how to use the tools at hand (from mobile phones, to web-cams, to digital cameras and flip phones), along with basic editing and story-telling techniques to get their voices across in a multi-media platform. We intend to roll out this new learning module in 2011.
Voices of Our Future-Girls
Young women and girls between the ages of 16 and 24 are the next generation of leaders. But 600 million girls live in developing countries, where their access to health, education and technology is limited. Without the skills and knowledge to participate in today’s social media technology, their voices will be silenced. But with training and mentorship, they will be able to tell the world what their visions are, and participate in global decision-making processes.
We seek to tailor the Voices of Our Future curriculum to address the specific needs of girls and young women between the ages of 16-24, and give them the tools they need to become activists and organizers, teach them how to influence policy-makers, and how to address negative stereotypes about young women in their communities. We are seeking funding for this program proposal now, and plan to launch our Voices of Our Future – Girls program in 2012.
We thank all our donors for their pioneering support and look forward to continue working together to create real change in women’s lives around the world.
For any questions regarding the program, please contact Rachael Maddock-Hughes, Voices of Our Future Program Manager, at rachael@worldpulse.com.
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