ChildFund Australia today launched an international series of children’s short films in celebration of World Water Day, where over 700 children from Australia, Laos, Timor-Leste, Sri Lanka and Vietnam creatively shared their views about the diverse role of water in their lives.
Each of the 19 films was scripted, filmed and edited by primary and secondary school children from the schools and communities who participated in the ChildFund Connect Water World International Children’s Film Festival. The result? A series of short films, made by and for children, which capture what water means to children in different parts of the world – from the silly to the surprising to the serious.
The films will also become a DVD resource for children in Australia and in the participant countries to learn about the importance of water in different communities.
Nigel Spence, CEO of ChildFund Australia, said these videos provide an important avenue for children to voice their concerns and insights during the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation.
“At ChildFund, we believe all children have a right to express their view on issues that affect them, particularly those that impact their world environment,” said Mr Spence.
“With awareness-raising events taking place globally about water sustainability and strategies to manage natural disasters, children should have just as much opportunity to share their experiences and add their voice to the conversation. These videos provide viewers with valuable insights into how water issues affect children as well as the wider community.”
Spanning across the Asia Pacific, the film series is part of the ChildFund Connect program, a global education initiative that uses multimedia technology to connect children in Australia, Laos, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Vietnam, with the aim of exchanging cultures and learning about each other’s lives.
This program is the first of its kind to be developed by an Australian non-government organisation, tapping into a growing trend of cross-country education through digital technology. Managed by ChildFund Australia and supported by AusAID, ChildFund Connect is a child-led program that allows children to both teach and learn, leveraging technology to communicate and explore issues relevant to their environments.
“Water connects all of us, wherever we live in the world,” Mr Spence added. “It’s a part of our everyday lives in so many different ways – but the common thread is that we all need water to survive and having access to safe drinking water is a universal human right.
“Through this film series, we wanted to highlight how children – our future leaders – have a unique perspective on global issues that affect them, including water.”
The 19 films were chosen by each of the schools and communities who participate in ChildFund Connect to represent them in the festival. The films can be viewed on the ChildFund Australia YouTube channel.
For more information on ChildFund Connect, visit www.childfundconnect.org
Almost half (45%) of Australian children think alcohol is the main cause of violence in Australia, according to a new ChildFund survey, released today, of almost 6,500 children across the world. This was three times higher than the global result (16%) and the third- highest response in the world.
Of the developed countries taking part in the survey, New Zealand (35%), Ireland (28%) and Taiwan (28%) also ranked alcohol as a major factor. In developing countries, the majority of children surveyed in Cambodia (90%) and Mongolia (53%) said alcohol was the main cause of violence in their country.
These findings come from the fourth annual Small Voices, Big Dreams survey, commissioned by the ChildFund Alliance. This year’s survey asked 6,499 children aged 10 to 12 years in 47 countries (including 202 Australian children) about their views on peace, violence, heroes and happiness.
ChildFund Australia CEO Nigel Spence says: “When children were asked about the main causes of violence in their country, the results from Australia – and, in fact, throughout the Asia region – were particularly striking, with alcohol-related violence the number-one concern of children surveyed.
“We know that alcohol-fuelled violence is commonly reported in the news and may also be experienced in the home. Our survey results show that children are acutely aware of this and serve as a stark reminder that violence is an issue that affects children too.”
Globally, bad or unethical behaviour – including disobedience, laziness, greed and lying ÛÒ is the most common reason children give for violence (29%). For children in developed countries, alcohol (21%) and drugs (18%) ranked second and third. By comparison, children in developing countries ranked poverty (21%) second, with alcohol (13%) and social conflict (13%) equal third.
Key global findings on the main causes of violence:
- Almost half (45%) of Australian children think alcohol is the main cause of violence in their country, the third-highest response globally after Cambodia (90%) and Mongolia (53%). In fact, alcohol was reported as the main cause of violence by 25% of children across Asia, compared with 11% in the Americas and 6% in Africa.
- 70% of Afghan children surveyed said war/conflict is the main cause of violence in their country.
- 20% of children surveyed from the US reported guns are the main cause of violence in their country – second only to Laos where 27% of children mentioned gun violence.
- Poverty is cited by 21% of children in developing countries as the main cause of violence, compared with 10% of children in developed countries.
- 17% of Japanese children and 13% of French children surveyed reported bullying as a main cause of violence, the two highest results worldwide compared to the global average of 4%.
- Drug-related violence is a greater concern for children in the Americas (17%) than in Asia (7%) or Africa (5%).
One in three children globally (30%) said as leader of their country, they would tackle violence by improving law and order. For children in developing countries, improving education (17%) was the next priority (compared with just 6% of children in developed countries).
Mr Spence says: “Child protection is a key priority for ChildFund globally. Protection from violence is a huge issue for children and needs to be taken as seriously as food, water, education and healthcare.
“For us to address the key causes of violence in the communities where ChildFund works and to advocate for children on the national and global agendas, it is critical that we hear directly from children on this issue. This is not just about protecting children’s physical wellbeing. Violence, whether it’s in the home, at school or the wider community, can impact on a child’s education, health, emotional development and future livelihood opportunities.”
Children globally say Mum is their biggest hero
While children’s views on the causes of violence varied from country to country, children around the world overwhelmingly named family members as their hero and said being with family made them feel safe and happy.
When asked ‘who is your hero?’, children globally were most likely to report family members (46%), with Mum (15%) just pipping Dad (13%) at the post. In Australia, one-quarter of children (26%) said Mum is their hero, followed by Dad (15%).
Similarly, when asked ‘what makes you feel safe and happy?’, the top response for children globally was being with family (56%), followed by being with friends (21%). For Australian children, being with family ranked highest (70%); however, being with friends is even more important for Aussie kids (45%) than their peers globally – the second-highest response of all countries surveyed, after Sweden (47%).
The survey also highlighted some interesting differences between countries and regions:
- Political leaders and activists are ranked highly as heroes by children in Africa (27%), and more commonly in developing countries (16%) than developed countries (5%).
- Teachers/coaches ranked as top-billing heroes in Ghana (35%) and Nepal (40%). Regionally, they are more popular in Asia (10%) and Africa (9%) than the Americas (1%), where God and Jesus were more likely to be named by children as their hero (18%).
- One in four children in developing countries (25%) said school/education made them feel safe and happy ÛÒ only 5% said the same in developed countries.
Download the Small Voices, Big Dreams report.
Join in the conversation online by using the hashtag: #smallvoices
