THE SOCIO-CULTURAL PROJECT CHILD RIGHTS AND CINEMA
FILM FESTIVAL
FACING CHILDREN
A PROJECT PROPOSED BY
SIGNIS ROMANIA ASSOCIATION
In collaboration with UNICEF
In 2006 UNICEF is celebrating its 60th anniversary.
Established by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946 and originally known as the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the UN Children's Fund has employed three approaches in discharging its mandate.
For the postwar period 1946 to 1950, the "emergency needs approach" meant swift action to meet the food, clothing, and health needs of children, particularly in Europe. As Europe recovers after the war, some countries believe UNICEF's job is over, but the United Nations General Assembly extends UNICEF's task to include working with children and families throughout the developing world. In 1953 UNICEF becomes permanent part of the United Nations. The UN General Assembly reaffirms and extends UNICEF's mandate indefinitely.
On the 20th of November 1959 the UN General Assembly adopts the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, focusing on children's rights to education, health care and good nutrition.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1989 is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history. The Convention has several "foundation principles" that underpin all other children's rights. These include: non-discrimination; best interests of the child; right to survival and development; and views of the child.
Convention on the Rights of the Child
A CHILD HAS:
the right to live ARTICLE 6
the right to have an identity ARTICLE 8
the right to have a family ARTICLE 5
the right to a protective environment. ARTICLE 9
the right to education ARTICLE 28
the right to freedom of expression ARTICLE 13
the right to protection against any form of discrimination, ARTICLE 19
the right to freedom from child labour ARTICLE 32
the right to protection in war. ARTICLE 38 the right to freedom from discrimination ARTICLE 2
SIGNIS ROMANIA ASSOCIATION
In collaboration with UNICEF
IS PROPOSING A PROJECT
THAT PROMOTES
THE CHILD RIGHTS
THROUGH MOVIES
SIGNIS is a non-governmental organization that includes members from 140 countries. As the "World Catholic Association for Communication", it brings together radio, television, cinema, video, media education, Internet, and new technology professionals. SIGNIS was created in November 2001 from the merger between two organizations (Unda, for radio and television; and OCIC, for cinema and audiovisual) that were both created in 1928. Its very diversified programmes cover fields such as the promotion of films or television programmes (juries at important festivals: Cannes, Berlin, Monte Carlo, Venice, Ouagadougou…), the creation of radio, video, and television studios, production and distribution of programmes, supplying specialized equipment, training professionals…
SIGNIS has consultative statutes with UNESCO, Ecosoc (United Nations in Geneva and New York), the Council of Europe. SIGNIS is officially recognized by the Vatican as a Catholic organization for communication.
SIGNIS ROMANIA since its creation in 2003, has set as its goal to promote audiovisual production, to organize trainings and seminars and to represent the catholic media on national and international level.
The Film Festival “Facing Children”
The Film festival is part of a broader project, initiated by SIGNIS ROMANIA, consisting in the main following activities:
• Artistic and documentary films festival focused on children’s rights • Workshops on video creativity for underprivileged teenagers • Trainings and debates for social assistance professionals on how to use the artistic video productions as a working tool
The project, as it is now, is a development of the first edition of the film seminar “Facing Children”, organized by SIGNIS Romania during last November. Its uniqueness resides in the fact that two very attractive professional domains, apparently with no particular link between them, are matched: media (the film making) and social protection.
The main objective of the project is the children’s rights’ promotion through quality film productions.
SIGNIS ROMANIA in partnership with UNICEF is organizing the film festival “Facing children”, which will take place from 15th to 20th of November, in Bucharest and from 5th to 15th of December a touring festival will tour in Iaşi and Timişoara.
The Festival will focus the attention of the public on children rights, through three main sections: