News
Education for dialogue and capacity building of children and youth as mediators for denormalizing violence: “MULTIMEDIANDO”
UNESCO Quito has implemented in partnership with the IberoAmerican Institute of Natural and Cultural Heritage Andres Bello Agreement IPANC CAB an innovative transmedia project named MULTIMEDIANDO This platform empowers 8 to 13 year old girls and boys to embrace and promote a culture of peace through peer mediation tools In the words of Gianella an 11yearold student who participated in this experience as a mediator In MULTIMEDIANDO we learned a method that has helped us to solve problems with reflection understanding and respect for each other
UNESCO promotes Global Citizenship Education GCE and peacekeeping to contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal SDG 4 targets 45 on elimination of gender inequality in education and 47 aimed at providing students with the necessary knowledge and tools to build a culture of peace and nonviolence It refers to the feeling of belonging to a wider community and a common humanity It is a way of understanding acting and relating to others and the environment in space and time based on universal ethical values of respect for diversity and pluralism
In light of the above the education system is called to develop confidencegenerating mechanisms among its members Schools and educational institutions have the potential to become spaces that can wide affective and creative capacities of human beings In this context UNESCO Quito fosters the GCE by underscoring new methodologies designing and implementing programmes acknowledging best practices and supporting Ecuador in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development In this line of action UNESCO Quito has implemented in partnership with the IberoAmerican Institute of Natural and Cultural Heritage Andres Bello Agreement IPANC CAB an innovative transmedia project named MULTIMEDIANDO
In Ecuador 60 of children have been victims of violence in schools according to a study published by the UN Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean UNECLAC This means that 3 out of 5 children have suffered insults threats robbery or physical violence in schools In order to address this serious situation MULTIMEDIANDO empowers 8 to 13 year old girls and boys to embrace and promote a culture of peace through peer mediation tools In order to achieve this purpose both an innovative transmedia tool and a web platform wwwmultimediandocom have been developed along with facetoface training sessions
A pilot was implemented in Esmeraldas and Sucumbíos at the Northern Border of Ecuador with Colombia Esmeraldas in particular faces up enormous challenges related to violence poverty and human mobility The Survey on the perception of security National Institute of Statistics and Census 2011 reveals that 12 of every 100 persons report having been victims of a crime in Esmeraldas and Sucumbios
In such context prone to violence a peer mediation process was designed and implemented to address a conflict situation that arose between two students and friends Yanibé and a friend threw stones on the roof of a classroom and one of them hit their classroom mate Jenifer This was the starting point of a confrontation that led them to a situation of physical violence Gianella an 11yearold student was the mediator of the conflict by using the resources and tools provided by MULTIMEDIANDO Gianella shares her experience There are many ways to react when we have to deal with a problem in our home school or community In MULTIMEDIANDO we learned a method that has helped us to solve problems with reflection understanding and respect for each other
In July 2017 MULTIMEDIANDO was distinguished as the Best Interactive Production category awarded by the Latin America Television Regional Network TAL in Montevideo Uruguay In August 2018 MULTIMEDIANDO was chosen as a finalist Platform Category in the framework of the Interactive comKids Festival 2018 held in São Paulo Brazil
UNESCO Quito will continue its work and support to CGE and cultural competencies initiatives in Ecuador and in the Latin American region
