Bush Radio will host the 9th annual Media Kidocracy Konfrence (MKK) from December 8 through December 12, 2008, at St. Agnes Primary School in Woodstock. Young people between the ages of 12 and 18 will explore issues that are pertinent to themselves and their peers, as well as use different forms of media to develop a media campaign that will create social awareness.
Topics will include freedom of expression, child sexual exploitation, HIV and AIDS, the social identity of “mixed-cultures”, how gender is made, and global warming.
Following the success of MKK 2007, the project planning committee for Bush Radio’s CREW (Children’s Radio Education Workshop) began to work on content for this year’s conference.
From the discussions with CREW facilitators and conference delegates, a few important issues were raised that they felt needed to be included in MKK, in particular global warming and how youth could be part of the solution. Another hot topic was the discussion around cultural and religious perceptions as it related to gender, and at what point "gender is made".
The issue of HIV and AIDS was also high on the list but at MKK 2008, they want to focus on how far the continent and world has come in providing solutions to the pandemic. Their aim is to highlight the success stories of individuals willing to share their stories through media, and their rationale: "If she/he can do it, so can I."
The final issue discussed was freedom of expression as a fundamental human right. They decided to explore how media freedom and access to information feeds into the wider development of empowering people, as well as the access young people have when it comes to media and information.
Another development that came out of these discussions is the need to broaden the reach of their message by including other forms of media, such as dance, graffiti and photography.
When asked about the purpose of creating dialogue opportunities for children to discuss topics affecting them, Bush Radio Administrator Brenda Leonard said it is of vital importance that children are given the platform to talk about matters affecting them and raising their opinions.
Video: Response from Brenda Leonard
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