Four student films on social issues to go for Stanford summit

NEW DELHI - Technology met social consciousness Thursday when documentaries on various social, environmental issues by young students were showcased of which four will participate at a social change summit in Stanford University.

The Adobe Foundation, a wing of the technology major Adobe, that aims at using technological resources to bring about social change along with international development organization American India Foundation (AIF), announced the successful completion of the Adobe Youth Voices Programme in the national capital Thursday.

Around 1,000 students aged between 13 to 18 years from 25 schools in the national capital and Bangalore were inducted into the programme that aimed at empowering youth to comment on their world using multimedia and digital tools, share ideas, demonstrate potential and take action in their communities.

The students were asked to fill up forms and write about their ambitions. They were also asked to make documentaries on how they look at community issues. The students attended brainstorming sessions with Adobe volunteers, who helped them make their documentaries.

Ten documentaries made by students on issues like water conservation, terrorism, democracy, consumer rights as well as environment threats from plastics, were showcased Thursday.

A total of eight students and four teachers - four students and two teachers are from from NGO Akshay Pratishtan and Noida Public School here - will go to Stanford University to attend the first Adobe Youth Voices summit from July 29 to Aug 1, Rashmi Soni, senior communications manager, Adobe India told IANS.

Saurabh Sharma, a student of Akshay Pratishtan who made “Beating Terror” - a documentary on terrorism, is one of the selected children.

I am happy that we got this opportunity to showcase our creativity. We thank Adobe India and AIF for giving us this platform, Sharma said.

I am happy that our documentary was shown here and it was also appreciated by everyone, said Rahul from Jamia Middle School, who was on the team that made “No Polybags - We Care”, another documentary.

Around 5,000 students participated worldwide in the Adobe Youth Voices programme from 31 countries and 100 of them have been selected to attend the summit at Stanford University.

Naresh Gupta, managing director Adobe India said: “Our global initiative, Adobe Youth Voices, is about enabling young people with critical skills and confidence that helps them become productive and engaged members of the community.

Sanjay Sinho, chief executive officer American India Foundation told IANS: “I feel energized by such simple depiction of such powerful messages by the children. By watching these documentaries, I can see there is so much of potential in the youth of today.