In the tradition of Colombia’s Nasa indigenous people, Edilfredo’s mother buried his umbilical chord to honor Edilfredo’s first tie to Mother Earth.
The challenges of violence and alcoholism in rural Colombia have strained Edilfredo’s close ties to the Earth, and at 13 years old he began harvesting coca leaves for export and even considered joining an armed militia group.
Edilfredo, who is now 17, has rediscovered his connection with the Earth and is working with the Indigenous Guard to cultivate diverse crops that nourish the human body, the indigenous spirit and the natural environment.
For many people, the hijab has become a flash point for discussions of identity, faith and personal freedom. In reaction to stories that women are forced to wear the veil in many countries, it is not uncommon for Westerners to believe that the hijab is a symbol of oppression, and that a liberated woman would choose to unveil when given the choice.
When Sahar Shakeri came to the United States from Iran as a high school student, she struggled with the question of whether to continue the practice of wearing hijab. On her first day at school she decided to wear hijab, and she felt that this decision made her stand out of the crowd in an uncomfortable way. Throughout the course of the next several months, Sahar faced an internal struggle, choosing between wearing her headscarf or quitting the practice.
Sahar’s documentary, Thoughts In A Hijab, was created as a part of Youth Producing Change, a collaborative project between Human Rights Watch and Adobe Youth Voices. Let this film take you on a journey through Sahar’s experiences, and discover how she eventually learned to be confident in the choice that was right for her.
Baja Stone* is a 17 year old student at Boynton High School in San Jose, California. Originally from Mexico, she was brought here illegally by her mom when she was 6 years old, and has been here since. She lives with her mom and 13 year old brother (who was born in the United States) in a tiny one bedroom apartment. She and her mom clean houses to make a living, and they are constantly afraid about being sent back to Mexico because their entire lives are now here in the United States.
As an illegal resident, Baja struggled to find a place in the US education system and achieve success. Her lack of English hurt her, but because of caring teachers, both bilingual and not, she learned English and is in a better position than most of her peers to understand the world around her. Because of this Baja has dedicated herself to her education and achievement, which is why she is excited about her upcoming film project.
Her film is about illegal immigration and the perceptions of both illegal residents and legal residents alike to the problem and solutions created by illegal immigration. With the debate raging on topics like The Dream Act, ICE raids, and anchor babies, Miss Stone’s film is timely and will provide a good student perspective to the controversy.
Baja’s film will explore the notion of birth rights vs. earned rights for non citizens through the eyes of a 17 year old who considers herself American. As someone who was not asked what country she wanted to live in, Baja feels that our concepts of citizenship must be examined and amended to take into account the rights of those who were not capable of making decisions.
She hopes to use this film as a springboard to other projects she is considering when she moves on to college, if that becomes a possibility. She is excited that Adobe Youth Voices has given her the opportunity to explore this topic in depth and contribute her voice to the debate.
Gregg Witkin
Adobe Youth Voices Master Educator
*Student’s name has been changed to protect her identity
Today is International Human Rights Day, in celebration of the United Nations General Assembly adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948.
In observance of this landmark day, Adobe Youth Voices had the opportunity to sit down with Jack Healey, founder of the Human Rights Action Center, to discuss the importance of youth participation in the cause of human rights.
Adobe Youth Voices (AYV): What is the Human Rights Action Center?
Jack Healy (JH): Human Rights Action Center is an organization dedicated to promoting human rights by focusing on two issues. Firstly, we are campaigning to have the Universal Declaration of Human Rights printed inside the passports of every nation. Secondly, we have focused on promoting the human rights case of Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma.
AYV: Why is it important for young people to get involved in the cause of human rights?
JH: It is important for young people to take action because most prisoners, most abused, most disappeared, most innocently jailed, are the young people of the world, and they need each other to stop this kind of debasement and support each other’s human rights.
AYV: How can young people take action?
JH: All young people should have a copy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Study human rights in school. Celebrate December 10th with gusto. Petition their government to put the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in their country’s passports. Young people are half the world right now, and all together, they need one document that spells out their rights.
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In this short film, two Adobe Youth Voices students take a look at what a selection of average people know (or don’t know) about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and then share some key points of the document.
We are rounding out 2010 by dedicating the month of December to the theme of human rights, in observance of International Human Rights Day on December 10th.
In honor of this occasion, and in order to recognize the young people who have dedicated their work to speaking out for the rights of individuals and communities across the globe, we are putting the spotlight this month on a diverse selection of films on challenging topics.
Join us this month, and take a tour through life in the slums of Delhi. Contemplate a world where our rights to basic resources such as food, water, and education are threatened. Share these films with your community, and help our filmmakers assert the dignity of service workers, or help them sound the call for an end to hate and discrimination.
Films on these topics and more can be found this month in our youth media gallery – take a tour, and tell us what you think!
Health and sanitation are a gift many of us take for granted.
16 year-old David Were lives in Kibera, Africa’s largest slum on the outskirts of Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi. Basic facilities like the bathroom become an enormous chore as the family uses buckets and plastic bags to dispose of human waste.
The bags, or “flying toilets,” are not just a problems for David’s family, but have become an ecological obstacle for the entire community who toss bags from the window, afraid to leave their homes at night.
For David and his friends, their work to provide security, latrines and clean up projects for the flying toilets, is more than a struggle for a healthier environment. This is the inspirational story of what motivates David to give back, and what his hopes are for the future of his community – after you watch the film, help David share his story by passing it on!
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