International Documentary Festival DocsBarcelona has always been involved with human rights and this year is not an exception. Again it cooperates with the European Commission to stand up for children's education, no matter what their situation is, a fundamental right that many people around the world have to give up to. Cooperation will be with European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operation, DG ECHO. The goal is to raise awareness of the importance of education in emergency situations.
With the motto and the hashtag #EducationNoMatterWhat the idea is to emphasize that education is a fundamental right and a basic necessity for children all over the world. Different situations of humanitarian crisis threaten to interrupt kids' and teenager's education all over the world and therefore it is crucial to defend their access to knowledge for being able to have an outstanding future. Education cannot be interrupted, no matter how serious their situation is.
DG Echo encourages students from schools and colleges across Europe to participate in the 'Education in Motion' video competition, organised by the European Commission in collaboration with VICE World News.
The competition aims to get Europe's youth to reflect on the importance of education through a short 5 or 10 minute video. The deadline for entries is 12th February.
The winning video will be announced in March.
Ukraine is not the only country where access to quality education is disrupted, as unfortunately, this is the case for millions of children caught in many humanitarian crises around the world.
Marie, Hanan, and Sonia are three young girls from Burkina Faso, Syria, and Ukraine. They share similar stories despite living in different regions of the world. They are determined to claim their right to education, no matter what. You can discover their video stories here and you can get to know them, their teachers, and friends.
DG ECHO has also produced a 12 minute documentary in collaboration with directors Olivier Jobard & Claire Billet and the organization MYOP. It is called 'When I Grow UP', and shows the life of three tenacious young Ukrainians who resume their education despite the fighting. The film documents their ambitions and courage in a country devastated by war. This documentary will be finished in March.
