Be My Voice: Human Rights in COVID-19 era
Youth Center ‘’Perspektiva’’ has officially ended the project “Be My Voice: Human Rights in COVID-19 era”. The project was implemented from 05 December 2020 until 30 July 2021.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, youth were more than ever the “digital natives” with all communication, studies, and often employment having moved online. The pandemic has sharply emphasized the positive and negative extremes of online communication: while opening the world of opportunities as an escape from the lockdown, it also exposed youth to loads of unverified and often harmful media products.
The project aims at promoting human rights in the times of COVID-19 by equipping youth workers and young media activists from Albania with knowledge in the areas of media ethics and human rights, and skills in countering fake news and stigmatization.
During this timeline, it was organized a training course for youth workers and media activists on media ethics, media literacy and non-discrimination. It gathered together 25 participants from Albania and it took place in Durres, from 21 March – 26 March 2021.
Participants of the training course, but not only them, launched the Online youth-led Awareness Campaign “Be My Voice” featuring young change-makers, representatives of civil society, media, local authorities, representatives of youth networks, and bringing attention to diverse elements of human rights, their online aspects and how they were affected by COVID-19. For the campaign ‘’Be My Voice’’ many youngsters, who did not attend the training course, express willingness to be part of the campaign as they saw the topic very important. On the framework of the campaign young people produced 25 products that include one video, one Vox pop, two articles and twenty-two photo-products.
In the framework of the awareness campaign, young participants will were provided with an opportunity to put the newly received knowledge in practice and develop Youth-led community actions. They organized three community actions. The first one was on World Refugee Day, which is an international day organized every year on 20 June by the United Nations. Young participants at Youth Center “Perspektiva”, in cooperation with EU Corner, Municipality of Durres and #hiskaters community organized a flash mob in the city of Durres. Find out more here.
The second one was on World Youth Skills Day, which is an international day organized every year on 15 July by the United Nations, will pay tribute to the resilience and creativity of youth through crisis. Young participants at Youth Center “Perspektiva”, organized volleyball and football games in the city of Elbasan. Find out more here.
The third community action was on 22nd July which is an Action Day in Support of Victims of Hate Crime. Youth Center “Perspektiva”, young activists and participants organized an action in the city of Durres, in cooperation with EU Corner, Municipality of Durres. This Action Day aimed to mobilize young people to speak up and take action against hate crime, as well as show solidarity and support for the victims of hate crime. Find out more here.
A short documentary of the implementation of the project during all it phases was produced. Find out more here.
The project is supported by Council of Europe through the financial support of European Youth Foundation.