New Animation Production in Progress
There is a well documented connection between poverty, level of
education and the vulnerability of children to abuse; particularly
sexual abuse and exploitation. Like other developing countries with
large portions of their populations living in absolute poverty, the
Philippines has become a favorite destination amongst pedophiles from
around the world.
During more than ten years of working with
marginalized children from the streets of Manila, we have experienced
first hand how sexual abuse and exploitation leave deep scars on the
soul and the spirit of the victims. It needs no saying that these
children aside from the traumas and the deep rooted confusion they carry
with them also have been exposed to the highest risk of contracting
sexual transmitted infections including AIDS.
Sexual abuse and exploitation are not obvious problems and therefore
possible to ignore, despite their detrimental effects on the victims. In
our rehabilitation program we repeatedly experience that children who
have suffered sexual abuse are not likely to show any substantial
development, until the often most significant single reason for their
confusion and suffering has been addressed properly.
Through the common use of the internet, pedophiles all over the world
have found a venue for dissemination and exchange of information. The
easier access to identify and share with like minded individuals and
groups creates a sense of normality around their sexual desires and
practices, which consequently causes an increase in their numbers and
in their level of sexual activity.
With child pornography and pedophile organizations hanging out in cyber
space, it becomes more complicated to intervene in their harmful
activities. In poor countries with a steady growing population of
desperately poor and a law enforcement of questionable quality, we are
likely to see an increase in the number of tourists going to satisfy
their perverse desires of having sex with children and/or to bring back
visuals to be circulated on the internet.
We can not leave it up to legislation and the law enforcement to fight
these organized criminals preying on children's
vulnerability. Consequently the need to arm their potential targets with
the force of awareness is imminent. With the
'Good
Boy' tool kit as our main instrument, we can
educate and empower children and youth at risk to protect themselves
against pedophiles, while at the same time advocating at all levels of
the international community against the increase in commercial sexual
exploitation of children around the world.
The script for the animation 'A Good Boy',
has derived from a
short story of the same name written by Monica D. Ray,
who is also behind the award winning animation film
'Daughter,
a Story of Incest'