Connekt The newsletter of the Youth Network for Drug Abuse Prevention
Issue 1
UN eers Volunt The year 2001 has been declared the year of Volunteers by the UN General Assembly. The idea is to encourage young people and society at large to give freely of their skills for the benefit of the less fortunate. For further details on how you can become a UN Volunteer We encourage you to contact:
ht g i l t Spo Henry Valot, Postfach 260 111, D-53153 Bonn, Germany,Email: henri.
[email protected], www. iyv2001.org . This is a golden opportunity to know more about the UN system and to help make the world a better place. We hope you take it.
9 October 2000
THEME MEETING ON THE USE OF PERFORMANCE A hands-on theme meeting on the use of performance for Drug Abuse prevention was organised in Puebla, a town about two hrs southeast from Mexico city, under the aegis of the Global Youth Network Project from 1216 September. The aim was to tap the expertise of youth groups that are successfully using performance in order to write a short guide for other youth around the world who want to use Dance, Drama and Music as tools in their efforts to prevent drug abuse. Twenty people representing youth groups from India, Kenya, the US, Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico attended the meeting. The meeting was structured and conducted by Jan Taylor of the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Control Commission (AADAC), Canada. Jan is a theatre expert who teaches drama and works with troubled youth.
Some groups suggested that using the metaphor of performance is a way of encouraging young people to develop themselves in order to be able to live a joyous life.
A number of fun and interactive sessions were organised to exchange views about the range of issues that young people need to c onsider while planning and implementing performance based interventions against drug abuse. The participants also came up with a helpful list of Tips. One of the most exciting exercises was the creation of imaginary countries. The facilitators, Gautam and Jan, came up with different sets of circumstances (political, economic, social, substance abuse and cultural ) that were then given to four different teams. Each of the teams was supposed to imagine themselves as citizens of a country that had these characteristics. To generate new ways of using performance, each group was asked to design a performance-based prevention programme that was uniquely suited to the circumstances of their invented country. Though all the groups that came to Puebla used performance in very different ways, they agreed that performance is a powerful means of helping young people discover their own power to change their circumstances. This helps us make rational and well-informed choices not only about drug use, but also about other lifestyle issues. This theme meeting will help produce a chapter on the use of performance to be included in the handbook that the Demand Reduction Section is producing for youth who want to set up Drug Abuse Prevention Programmes.
Workshop on Needs Assessment and Programme Planning, South Asia This workshop was organised as part of the capacity building activities of the Global Youth Network. It was also used as a launchpad for the South Asian Regional Youth Network. The five-day workshop was attended by about 30 participants from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and various parts of India. Structured and conducted by Dr. H.S.Sethi from AASRA (An Association for Scientific Research into the Addictions), the workshop was an interactive and hands-on meeting wherein the participants learnt the techniques of Needs Assessment and conducted a sample exercise in three communities of street children in and around New Delhi
Interviewing street children in a drop-in centre located under a police station
The Group J Volunteered to establish an email list to keep in touch and to produce a quarterly newsletter J Proposed a follow-up meeting of the South Asian Youth Network next year in conjunction with a second training workshop on evaluation and programme management J Suggested that they be given training in people skills and general management techniques
Street theatre performance outside Delhi’s railway station
J Will be sending proposals for qualitative research & intervention projects to be evaluated and possibly funded by the Global Youth Network Project
Part of the audience watching the performance
railway station. Subsequently, the participants were given training on formulating project plans and were asked to present proposals based on their work with the street children. The groups made impressive project presentations on the last day and have since demonstrated their commitment by training close to 150 people in their own countries.
The web page of the South Asia Network: http://education.vsnl. com/aasra/sanyada.html
Using puppets to do needs assessment in a drop-in centre for children
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TURN ON MUSIC, TURN OFF DRUGS As part of UNDCP’s campaign “Turn on Music, Turn off Drugs”, a number of activities were organized globally. In Trinidad and Tobago, radio stations played the song “Watch out My Children” with a powerful antidrug message in the memory of the Ca lypsonian, Ras Shorty who composed the song. In Central America, a project was developed under the theme “United for a drug free world, Turn on Music, Turn off Drugs”. As a first phase, a music composition
contest was organised and two winners from each country in the region were invited to Mexico City for a concert. Specially made guitars signed by the artist Paul Stantley were given to each winner. The second phase was a concert for 10,000 people on 19 October, 2000 with a performance by famous Mexican Singer Emmanuel. Two edited CDs will be produced: one that contains the 14 winning songs and the other, a recording of the concert.
S IN U C CIR
Photos from the project in Central America
ETHIOPIA
T h gr e p o co up erfo ad me : M rm Th van fro ost m anc re is g tag m e em e ab gion rou ed b xtr ber ro s i p t ac em s ad n E ou kg ely . th rs rou di iop ot n ia her ds. an d
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m: ra og he opr g t ids kin is t k or th ee w of pr w str and rt his sho y e he ss pa f t a T ele are al o on mon ul s go ut f sef o p om er H gst ne elp bit a u O h a th i n un t. o yo ec is t l ear ng w oj i il pr gram h w egg ic e b wh plac re y. to tivit ac
A travelling troupe of young performers, the Circus Ethiopia is a group effort incorporating many traditional cultural elements of dance and song. Its aim is to build a future for the children of the circus and to give them support for their formal education by providing them with training opportunities The circus works with children and youth in three groups:
A yo circ ha uth us me s st : Th mov Et nt arte e o eme ye hiop with d a rigin nt f co ars p ia. in a yout al g or t tio rpo erf Thr nd o h m roup he da nal rate orm oug uts ov cu nce cos d m anc h th ide ltu re tum an e h e era pre es y t as l le s , m ra i ga ent u d cy at sic of ive an i- nEt of d hio pia .
Our programme involves more than 20,000 youngsters annually producing and performing in talent shows in some of the poorest and roughest neighborhoods.
violence by improving their ability to succeed on their own.
It is an environment in which young people are given the opportunity to challenge their own assumptions and support them to create new identities for themselves.
Performing is a key to the All Stars ‘s success as an anti-violence and anti-drug programme. Performance is an environment where young people would be themselves without getting hung up on right and wrong.
Performing is a key to the All Stars ‘s success as an antiviolence and anti-drug programme. We work with young people to: Develop an alternative to the culture of drug abuse and
Promote the All Stars in their communities by selling tickets,
taking part in the sound and light crew and/or security team,etc. Have a chance to be children again and to have fun doing it.
The programme is working to address the problem of 80 per cent of inner city youth who are considered to be “on the bottom” by creating a program that includes the diversity of inner city youtn. With the support of concerned adults, young people are able to create new forms of cultural life that are not destructive but developmental. The All Stars Talent Show Network treats everyone like a star and provides endless opportunities for young people to participate at every level.
The All Stars Talent Show Network E-mail:
[email protected]
heatre P P ogramme r T
f r o y t e i oc E ucation d
S
Society for Theatre Education Programme (STEP) was created to provide healthy and free entertainment to young people who are in difficult situations. In addition, STEP makes young people aware of their rights and provides them motivation to work harder. Performance plays a major role in making people aware of their problems and street theatre is an effective way to inform people about the dangers of drugs. It is also a way for people to interact and to clarify doubts by asking direct questions. With perform-
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ance, STEP shows that drugs are not a solution to their problems. Instead, they are often the start of more problems. By addressing problems in the street, STEP is trying to reduce the chances of teens having alcohol/drug problems. “We don’t impose our opinions on young people, but we have the flexibility to include them in our work by giving them the chance to participate in performances.” they say. Performances are usually followed by an intervention service where counsellors provide their services to drug ad-
dicts or give information to those who need it.
Society for Theatre Educ ation Programme (STEP) E-mail:
[email protected],
[email protected]
Involving the audience in our plays gives the performance the form of people’s theatre
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Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF Month – October 1-31, 2000 (USA) This is a chance for school children and young people to learn about their peers in the developing world while raising funds to help improve their lives. Some people still go door-todoor on Halloween while others find unique ways to collect for UNICEF such as bake sales, car washes and dances.
The funds raised will provide medicine, clean water and sanitation, nutrition and education to children in more than 160 countries and territories.
www.unicefusa.org/tot2000
National Red Ribbon Week-October 23-31,2000 (USA) It’s a small piece of ribbon which has remarkable significance. The Red Ribbon is the symbol for drug, alcohol and tobacco prevention across America. Wearing or displaying a Red Ribbon during the Red
Ribbon Celebration unites people for a drug free youth. This celebration has become a major www.nfp.org/main/redribbon. force for raising public awareness and mobilizing communities html to fight alcohol and drug use among youth.
Conference on “PARENTS AGAINST DRUGS”, 3-4 November 2000 (Lithuania) This conference will take place in Vilinus, Lithuania from 3-4 November 2000. It’s aim is to launch the first parental drug prevention organization in Lithuania. The goals of this organization will be to:
Work to recruit more people from various layers of society Do prevention work to help parental groups working with drug addicts and school children. Distribute information on the harms of drugs, especially on children.
Gediminas Jakubcionis Chairman Tel./Fax.:+370-2-223396 E-mail:
[email protected]
National Addictions Awareness Week-November 14-21, 2000 (canada) This week-long celebration of an addiction-free lifestyle in Canada seeks to offer information and support various activities that will create responsiveness on addiction issues. The special week is designed to en-
courage people to join and strengthen the Circle of Life. There will be a Theme Contest 2001 for young people ages 818. The winner will receive $1000 and deadline for all entries is 30 November 2000.
Nechi Institute, Box 34007, Kingway Mall P.O. Edmonton, AB T5G 3G4. Tel.: 1-800-459 1884 . Www. visions.ab.ca/doc_repository/ NAAW_documents/ NAAW_frontpage_platform_page. html
Let’s Perform! Jouhaida Hanano Gautam Babbar Jeragynn Paras UNDCP Demand Reducation Section P.O.Box 500 A-1400 Vienna Austria Phone: 0043-1-26060 5041/4244 Fax: 0043-1-26060 5928 Email:
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
LINX Http://www.reachout.asn.au/ home.jsp Chill Out! This page has loads of info…keeps you up to date with the latest movies, music and News. It also provides advice dealing with tough time and offers a peek into the lives of different people. Http://www.drugsafe.org A cool site on drug education! Check and see different stories of young people’s battle against drugs. Includes useful information for families and teachers. Also, try out the youth links on movies, music, sports and games. Http://www.UNESCO.org/youth Acting with and for young people… UNESCO. Visit this page and learn about the Youth Coordination Unit. Read about the different programmes on education, culture, science and communication of the organization in their commitment to youth.
If there is anything that is common to human beings across the world-regardless of social, cultural and economic disparities-it is the ability to perform. Be it music, dance or drama, the ability to “put on a show” unites us as very few things can. It is this commonality, as well as the power to change oneself, that makes performance such an important tool in our work of drug abuse prevention. Groups of young people across the world use performance to send out anti-drug abuse messages. Some use a simple straightforward drama about the effects of drugs. Others build on the ideas of control, confidence and catharsis, which are vital to performance. They provide young people the ability to make rational choices and to take control of their lives. We have dedicated this issue of “Connekt” to the various ways in which performance is being used to combat drug abuse. The groups we focus on have successfully used performance in their own communities and we hope that you will get some ideas about how you can do the same. Needless to say, if you need any help in designing a performance based programme please contact us and we will help you in any way we can. Also feel free to contact any of the groups featured in the issue directly, if you want to know more about their work, they will be happy to help you. That, after all is what Networks are all about! This newsletter is just an initial effort. Tell us how we can improve it and what would you like to read about. Do send us your comments and suggestions at the address given above.
