AJB DOC in Cooperation with UNFPA: Assisting Young People in Spreading Positive Messages
The 24 training participants will be mentored and supported in their production of short, mobile documentaries on important but often overlooked Balkan issues such as discrimination, hate speech, peacebuilding, tolerance, and coexistence. Their final documentary will then be widely distributed and promoted. The training is part of the regional UN initiative “Youth 4 Inclusion, Equality and Trust” which is supported by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund.
UNFPA formed a strategic partnership with the Al Jazeera Balkans International Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC) to develop innovative forms of storytelling, focusing on challenging, sensitive topics and presenting new, dynamic tales and narratives.
In the spirit of this collaboration, a three-day training session titled “Smartphone Documentary Film Production” was held from September 9 to 11 and provided the young authors, journalists, and producers from Western Balkan countries with insight into how they can engage in content creation using a smartphone for documentary filmmaking.
The 24 training participants will be mentored and supported in their production of short, mobile documentaries on important but often overlooked Balkan issues such as discrimination, hate speech, peacebuilding, tolerance, and coexistence. Their final documentary will then be widely distributed and promoted. The training is part of the regional UN initiative “Youth 4 Inclusion, Equality and Trust” which is supported by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund.
“Within the scope of its mandate, the United Nations Population Fund prioritises young people and strives to help them reach their full potential. Young people, on the other hand, struggle to cope with societal pressures, and according to a 2021 UNFPA study on young people's emigration in Bosnia and Herzegovina, even after 30 years of peace, 40% of young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina still fear the re-emergence of ethnic conflicts,” says UNFPA’s Samid Šarenkapić.
It is concerning, he adds, that almost fifty percent of the young respondents expressed a willingness to emigrate in response to instability factors such as distrust in institutions and corruption, as well as the massive legacy of pain and trauma from the previous war, which is passed down to future generations.
“In the end, the majority of young people, according to this research, believe that their voice is unimportant and that they have no influence in society. This emphasises the importance of resolving long-standing issues that continue to afflict young people,” says Šarenkapić.
UNFPA points out that social transformation does not occur spontaneously; rather, it takes place when a critical mass of individuals believe in and work towards a common objective.
“Unfortunately, themes that promote division, intolerance, and hatred dominate Balkan public discourse. This is the consequence of the structure of social networks and algorithms, which value destructive characters or explosive and polarising issues over individual views. Our hope is to find and promote examples that will demonstrate that coexistence is not only possible but also natural,” they add.
In this context, UNFPA will reward participants who come up with the most original ideas for engaging, educational, and entertaining stories that will appeal to today's young people, who get the majority of their information via Instagram and TikTok.
“These stories will have to be easily shared on social media, with the goal of reclaiming space in public discourse that is currently flooded with negative and destructive stories. For these reasons, the collaboration with AJB DOC is essential, as it will enable young people to use their creativity and their smartphones to convey these important stories, and we will provide them with all the necessary support during the filming process,” Šarenkapić concludes.
The top three projects will be awarded 1,000 convertible mark (BAM) and get mentorship support. They will also be presented at the United Nations in Sarajevo on December 8.