Itanagar: Fifteen local youth from Roing, Arunachal Pradesh, recently participated in the final workshop of “Community Youth Hub”, organized by the U S Consulate General Kolkata recently.
During the workshop, organised in collaboration with Prayasam and Amyaa non-profit organizations, the participants acquired skills in photography, video creation, and editing, which they used to produce social media content addressing issues pertinent to today’s youth.
Additionally, they formulated action plans to serve as mentors, role models, and coaches for future cohorts of the Community Youth Hub.
The project aimed to empower youth leaders from Kolkata and Roing, encouraging them to exercise their freedom of expression and voice opinions for their marginalized communities.
It also focused on enhancing awareness of citizens’ rights, roles, and responsibilities, empowering youth to advocate at a grassroots level for their individual and community rights.
The 15 youth leaders, selected for the project initiated in 2023, were physically and virtually connected. They attended a series of workshops covering various civic and democratic issues, rights, and activities aimed at building capacity for freedom of expression.
They also received training in leadership, personality development, film making, social media content development, mobile video editing, and mass awareness generation.
“The United States’ commitment to freedom of expression is steadfast, as it forms the foundation of a healthy democracy. We are dedicated to upholding these ideals and promoting their value. Programmes like the Community Youth Hub empower youth leaders and encourage peaceful expression of thoughts and opinions,” said Elizabeth Lee, director of the American Center in Kolkata.
Throughout the project, the teams translated their learning into action by identifying key community concerns and producing short films. These films were screened at various locations to raise awareness and garner support for addressing these issues.
The topics covered in the short films included climate change, misinformation, gender-based violence, drug abuse, and the preservation of heritage and culture, among others. The hub aims to eventually serve as a central hub for youth communities in the region.
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