Good Neighbors Philippines encourages child participation in its youth-led media program

UP HOLDING every child’ s right to express and be heard, Good Neighbors International Philippines ( GNIP) conducted a four-day media workshop for children in its sponsored communities. The training improved participants’ knowledge on media and journalism while introducing how these can be used as tools to further their advocacy on child rights.

Dubbed as“Kid die Correspondents,” over 30 youth participants from different provinces nationwide attended the event held last May 15 to 18 at Sequoia Hotel in Quezon City; some participants even represented indigenous people communities in Compostela Valley, Mindanao.

Workshop discussions revolved on news writing, photojournalism, and digital and social media and were facilitated by University of the Philippines Professor Larissa Suarez, Subselfie. com Editor- in- Chief Bam Alegre, TechSoup Asia- Pacific Project Coordinator Jed Adao and Philippine Daily Inquirer Photojournalist and Photo Editor Rem Zamora.

In addition to these guest speakers, Kiddie Correspondents also received inspiration on campus journalism from their ate sand ku ya sin The Gui don, the student publication of the Ateneo de Manila University; they also gained valuable insights on public journalism from Center for Community Journalism and Development ( CCJD) Executive Director Red Batario who stressed the risks and role of journalism in protecting human rights, including those of children.

“I am not afraid to tell the truth. I’m afraid of not being able to tell it,” said 16- year- old Kiddie Correspondent Regin de Guzman of San Isidro Rodriguez, Rizal, sharing the risks of journalism to uncover and raise issues in her community.

The conducted workshop is just apart of GNIP’s Kiddie Correspondents Program. It was developed to train and empower youth groups in GNIP- sponsored communities to use media and journalism in raising child rights issues that affect them and their fellow children./