Community-Based Video
Community Video
(sorry if I spelt names of organisations incorrectly!)
Community Video versus videos on Community
• Mainstream media do not include content that is relevant to grassroots communities and sideline community issues.
• Is difficult for marginalized communities to share their voices because of a lack of education and access to technology.
KOMAS – Malaysia
• video set up in indigenous communities, urban plantation/squatters
• Two ways, outsiders go in and highlight what is happening in the community, some times is human rights and community culture/traditions. Second way is to support friends who have skills already to develop their skills and do the work themselves to use the video to discuss about issues in their community and outside to share about the situation.
• Rights based approach, on human rights standard, ensuring that the process is not violating others rights
• Community organizing
• Themes for the video are decided upon by two methods: community led where ideas come out from the community it themselves or where the NGO makes a suggestion based on other activities they are carrying out (however this is done in a participatory method)
PEKKA – Indonesia
• Most women do not have access to power because they are very marginalized in their own communities
• Entry points into the community have been CO, micro credit, small business and video – VDO is used as a tool for organizing
• Also use other tools like drama, writing, art work for organizing
• There is also a community video approach that happens once a video has been finished.
KAWANUSA-BALI – Indonesia
• video is used for community organizing
• They have been using community video for the last three years
• they have been practicing community video in six different villages over the past two years
• Training with community members so that they are able to use the technology and develop videos themselves
• Concept is that the first four villages in the first year would be the educators for the two villages in the second year
• After the two years the villages can work together because they live in a single village administration structure. So the river that runs through all villages has been a common issue.
• Most people who are involved are the old people, farmers, truck drivers, small scale sellers
• They organization are both people from outside the community and also members within the community
• Need about three months to start working with the community
• Initial idea or approach is lets make videos – often a large part of the community can’t want to be involved because they don’t wee the impact of the project
• For those who agree to be involved they am make a worksho9p with people from different villages
• Some reasons people do not want to bee involved is because of work,
• They approach the community through the local leader and place
KAMPUNG HALAMAN – Indonesia
• Work in communities with youth
• Youth are members of communities that have never been heard
• Many issues in communities, occur because there is not a lot of communication between the youth and leaders
• Youth working for youth – based in urban areas
• Mainstream media only see youths in urban high social economies, and but this is not true
• Transition areas – people who want to get out for their communities, for example to leave for a job, to study , to go to the city
• Youth never see that they can help their communities, so we don projects to with youth in the communities
• Put videos as a tool for youth in the community to see their potential, social capital and make their own self image with all the visual technology
• Community video only starts after a video has been finished, it needs to be screened to be discussed and then the work begins
• The screenings and discussions can start parents and elders talking to the youth
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE VIDEO IS MADE. IT IS IMOPORTANT TO USE VIDEO AS A TOOL FOR INFORMING AND SINSPIRING ACTION!
LOOK RT WA WAYS TO USE THEIR NEW SKILLS FOR INCOIME GENERATION
Burma Issues – Burma
• members of marginalized communities will make trips to communities in Burma’s civil war zone to film and give trainings
• It is not possible to give screenings of the finished product because there is no electricity or venues and it is difficult to do screenings using the small video cameras (limited battery power, even with solar panels)
• Try to give trainings and equipment to villagers so that they can document their own situation, but still in no place for them to edit their footage
• A lot of security issues working in these areas
• Difficulties in bring tapes and cameras across the border to Thailand
• Still feel that video is the most powerful medium because people can talk in their own voices and tell their own stories to people directly
• Important to remind people the power that their voices have since their voices have been repressed for so long
MALAYSIA - Kris • ione community was not able to use ports or doc their boats
• Made a video about the issue
• The video got banned
Maki goe Bangladesh
• in Bangladesh online video is very new
• online TV – not community video =- but focused on community issues
• cultural issues and vulnerable issues that is not difficult for the government
• even those it focuses on urgent issues it also affects marginalized communities
• situation is more exaggerated and miscommunicated in main stream media
• looking a new media initiatives and techniques
• use videos which keeps people‘s own voices
• Also do grassroots videos for festival that are screened in schools and education institutes
• Situation is dangerous with the current government
How do you make sure that your video is not being used to further marginalize the community?
• In one project with migrant children (12 – 16) girls who the video cameras were given to record their own stories and voices was not suitable. A lot of girls resigned after they were given cameras because the community called them snobs, what are you doing, and it made the community uncomfortable. However in the homes the parents want their daughters to work in the homes and were uncomfortable that they were working with the video. After more research they found that radio was more suited.
Question of how technology impacts on communities?
• In Indonesia men traditionally wear sarongs with a weapon on the side. In a community project with giving digital cameras. The people who could access this program were more the elite and the cameras were being worn as a new weapon and were a status symbol.
• Make sure there are different methods =- for example different ways that people can participate
• Not based on what they are giving and what they need. The community needs to choose!
• Consultation with the community, not just the leaders
• In some communities men have more power and you need to look at ways to not only empower men with technology and access to these
Outsider versus insider
• People are marginalized from japans see society by government, cooperation of the economy. So need to visit other nations and who are linked to the=Japanese society because this is not exposed in mainstream media. So we need to connect with communities, only have one entry point and have to go in without knowing anything including ht language and it is difficult to get the real stories that people have. Get so much from the community, but it is rare to be able to go inside and share the final version. Need to share with the people who were involved in reprocess. Maybe can budget some funding for a screening or work with apart organization in the area so that you work together. Very important to make the community a part of your family. Basically get to know the people before you take out the camera.
• Cool Loud – before film screening a film we also research what they do after they finish their documentary. If you keep the relationship with the community we will screen your film, but if you don’t we don’t. When we hold discussion in the film festivals we invite community members and NGOs more than directors, so to ensure that we are covering all issues and to be face-to-face with the audience. Before this some documentary workers made films and own prices and became famous but never came back to the community, so we want to change this situation. We hope that film festival behavior will encourage directors be more accountable to the people.
• Film festivals also need to teach audiences to appreciate community video.
• People can be both inside or outside, it is not a black and white area but it is a grey area.
Where do you pout the power – in you or in the community?
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