Children Advocate against Low Quality TV programmes in Armenia
A group of children from Yerevan school 20 produced a social advertisement initiated by them against the negative influence of low quality TV programmes and called for airing educational programmes for children instead.
The children from Yerevan School 20 are involved in "Child to Child" groups set up by the EU funded Regional Children's Action for Participation project. During their discussions on children's rights, they drew attention to the dangers posed by low quality TV programmes. At the same time they were worried by the fact that educational programmes for children are almost non-existent. All this contradicts Article 17 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child stating that children should be protected from receiving harmful information, and airing of programmes promoting children's educational, spiritual and cultural development by mass media should be promoted.
In order to solve this problem, children studied the issue and made steps towards its solution. They had meetings with state officials and those responsible for TV programme controls, and conducted polling in the streets etc. By producing the public social advertisement (PSA) children aimed to increase public awareness about the issues and call on TV companies to broadcast children's educational programmes.
The PSA was produced by children involved in the Regional Children's Action for Participation with the technical support of Yerkir Media TV Company. The views expressed in the PSA do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding and implementing agencies -- the European Union, USAID, Counterpart International, Save the Children, and The Future Is Yours.
The "Child to Child" (CtC) methodology aims to provide children with knowledge and skills necessary to become active citizens of our country who are able to protect their own rights and promote the solution of existing problems. 80 CtC groups with participation of 1600 children will be set up in Yerevan and five marzes (Ararat, Armavir, Kotayk, Aragatsotn, and Gegharkunik).
Regional Children's Action for Participation program is funded by the European Union and implemented by Save the Children in cooperation with The Future Is Yours NGO. The project is co-funded by the US Agency for International Development through Counterpart International's grant project. The project is implemented in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia in parallel.