Animation Advocacy:  Animavocacy

Animation can be a particularly potent tool in development education, conveying vital messages about health and human rights all over the world.  It is a visually compelling medium that can reach all levels of society in a way that is both entertaining, carries a social message and can stimulate discussion and debate over serious issues, like child sexual abuse and exploitation.

 

The Power of Storytelling

Over a decade of working with marginalized children, we have heard some of the most horrendous stories of child abuse, but amongst those stories none were about sexual abuse or sexual exploitation.  How to get children to talk openly about this sensitive issue without the shame, blame or guilt feelings imposed upon them by a society full of taboos and negative attitudes towards any sex related issue?

 

We turned to the power of storytelling and developed a series of stories that mirrored the lives of our children, with characters and situations that they could identify with and relate to.  Using this objective and non-threatening approach to address the issue, the flood gates of the children's most guarded secrets opened up, and their personal stories of sexual abuse and exploitation began to flow.

 

Animation:  Visually Compelling

Our workshops on Children’s Rights and Child Sexual Abuse Prevention have evolved since then, as has the mode of presenting the stories we still use.  Transformed into animated features, we now have an even more powerful and effective medium to communicate with children and adults about child sexual abuse and exploitation.  In 2003, the story, "Daughter, A Story of Incest," was made into an animation.  Two years later, it was followed by "Good Boy, Story of Paedophilia."  With the DVD animations and the training manuals, it has become easier to replicate our Personal Safety Workshops around the Philippines and internationally.

 

Animation:  An Innovative Tool for Teaching Personal Safety

Children need education on personal safety.  Thus it is important to provide them with accurate information about their personal safety.  Animation is an innovative tool that can achieve this end.  Non-threatening and non-intimidating, animation transcends the limits of language and cultural specificity to generate dialogue with young people. They can see their own lives reflected in the stories, and begin to talk and think about their unique challenges head-on.

Our Role in Prevention Efforts
Due to the alarming number of children in South East Asia who have become victims of child sexual abuse and sexual exploitation, Stairway has been compelled to become actively involved in the growing local and international network fighting against child sexual abuse and exploitation. Currently, SFI trains hundreds of teachers, social workers, church people, organizations and parents in an attempt to promote personal safety programs in schools, churches and communities. The workshops are creative, interactive and uses animation as a mode of presentation.

Our award winning animated videos, "Daughter, a Story of Incest" and "A Good Boy, Story of Paedophilia," along with supporting materials are a source of inspiration to all of those who want to listen to young people and help them.

 

 

 

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