Youth Media Project on Suicide - Kyrgyz Republic
Young students associated with the Children's Media Center (CMC) in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic have worked to produce articles and a video on the issue of suicide among youth. The purpose of the project was to increase public awareness of the issue, as well as to change the minds of youth considering suicide as a solution to their problems.
Communication Strategies
As in all of its projects, CMC's central strategy here was enabling young CMC members to define their problems, work out themes, conduct research, and write their own scripts and articles. Adult organisers only assist and consult with the young people, help with film production, and coordinate their work. The approach is to facilitate, but not to lead.
Members of CMC wrote articles about suicide in Russian for CMC's youth magazine Neboskreb - Munara (Skyscraper). Many of the young authors explained that suicide is not the way to escape from the problems young people and adults face. One article, written in an ironic style, asked readers, "Imagine! Do you think that you would look so attractive, when your tongue is out and your face is blue?". The strategy here involved communicating with young people on the part of their peers, who ostensibly understand them better and know what to say to help to raise awareness and deter them from acting on their desire to end their lives.
Issues of the magazine were distributed to schools, youth organisations, and orphanages in all districts of the Kyrgyz Republic in an effort to give young people from all over the Republic an opportunity to read the magazine. Feedback letters were later published in the magazine.
In addition, young CMC members produced a video about suicide to be aired on the youth TV programme Neboscreb (which has been broadcast monthly on the national channel of Kyrgyz Republic since October 2002). Following a period of fact-gathering, CMC members talked with young people who wanted to commit suicide or who had attempted the act and "failed". The video, which is in the Russian language, featured young people telling their own stories about what led them to come to such a decision. Experts (doctors and psychologists) were interviewed as well as part of this video story.
Members of CMC wrote articles about suicide in Russian for CMC's youth magazine Neboskreb - Munara (Skyscraper). Many of the young authors explained that suicide is not the way to escape from the problems young people and adults face. One article, written in an ironic style, asked readers, "Imagine! Do you think that you would look so attractive, when your tongue is out and your face is blue?". The strategy here involved communicating with young people on the part of their peers, who ostensibly understand them better and know what to say to help to raise awareness and deter them from acting on their desire to end their lives.
Issues of the magazine were distributed to schools, youth organisations, and orphanages in all districts of the Kyrgyz Republic in an effort to give young people from all over the Republic an opportunity to read the magazine. Feedback letters were later published in the magazine.
In addition, young CMC members produced a video about suicide to be aired on the youth TV programme Neboscreb (which has been broadcast monthly on the national channel of Kyrgyz Republic since October 2002). Following a period of fact-gathering, CMC members talked with young people who wanted to commit suicide or who had attempted the act and "failed". The video, which is in the Russian language, featured young people telling their own stories about what led them to come to such a decision. Experts (doctors and psychologists) were interviewed as well as part of this video story.
Development Issues
Youth, Health.
Key Points
Click here for a description of CMC.
Organisers say that they received a lot of letters from readers - not only young people but adults as well - after the articles on suicide were published.
Organisers say that they received a lot of letters from readers - not only young people but adults as well - after the articles on suicide were published.
Partners
The television programme is funded by UNICEF; the magazine is funded by the Democratic Commission of the US Embassy.
Sources
Letter sent from Nuriya Djunushbekova to The Communication Initiative on November 19 2003; and posting from Nuriya Djunushbekova to the Young People's Media Network on September 5 2003 (click here for the archives).
- Log in to post comments