"Never doubt that a
small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change
the world. Indeed, it
is the only thing that ever has." -
Margaret Mead
This
is about the greatness of human spirt, creativity, and determination in the
Middle East. And about help from "supportive others."
For several years, in these darkest of times --
when it is almost "fashionable" to give up on the
"other" and blame "them" -- visionary Palestinian, Israeli,
and Jordanian partners in television production have been working
together successfully to create a new future of shared TV
programming.
Three
days ago -- Monday, October 27, 2003 -- Sesame Stories began sustained
programming on major TV in all three countries.
This dream conceived by "thoughtful, dedicated
citizens" was finally born before the eyes of tens of thousands of Middle
Eastern families, broadcast on Jordan's JTV, Israel's Hop!TV and the
Palestinian's The Ma'an Network.
One sponsor, the European Union, says: "Building on the
well-established Sesame Street model, these Sesame Stories aim to
promote long-term respect and understanding in the Middle East among
Palestinian, Israeli, and Jordanian children, in the belief that ignorance of
others fuels the ongoing conflict in the region."
The breakthrough educational media initiative
presents rarely-seen positive images of each other, and gives children
alternatives to violence when dealing with anger.
The story behind Sesame
Stories
Beatrice Chow is Director of Publicity for Sesame Workshop, the non-profit
parent of both Sesame Stories and Sesame Street.
On the phone from New York today, Bea said: "I
can't tell you how happy everyone was when all programs got on the air for the
first time Monday."
She said that the 2-3 year process endured and
overcame real hardships "because each producer was very passionate and
determined."
"It was very difficult for the producers and
production teams from each country to meet. And it involved sending to
one another packages and tapes that would sometimes be intercepted by
government agencies. They had to meet in neutral, safe places, and rely
on e-mail and telephones a lot."
What does Sesame Stories mean to Beatrice Chow
and her other media producers? "Beyond teaching letters and numbers,
we are opening children's minds toward their neighbors, other cultures, and the
larger world around them."
Bea herself was passionate: "The point is that
the project in now completed as a testament to the hard work and determination
of producers, writers, actors, funders -- Israelis, Jordanians, Palestinians,
Americans -- in politically challenging times."
May this model of citizen creativity, courage,
mobility, and commitment cause more Arabs and Jews to move toward each other
and work together.
Truly, together we're better.
-- L&L
Other
stories -- and some streaming audio and video clips -- on the Web
Boston NPR
http://www.theconnection.org/shows/2002/08/20020802_b_main.asp
The European Union
http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/med_mideast/news/ip03_1411.htm
Softcom
http://www.softcom.net/webnews/wed/ah/Umideast-sesamestreet.Rium_DOK.html
Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/department/focus/puppets_peace-en.asp
Tantara.de -- Dialogue with the Islamic World
http://www.quantara.de/webcom/show_article.php/_c-478/_nr-41/i.html
Press Release
BOLD NEW PROJECT SESAME STORIES LAUNCHES IN MIDDLE EAST PRESENTING POSITIVE
IMAGES OF SELF & OTHERS FOR A NEW GENERATION OF CHILDREN
Educational Childrens Television Series and Comprehensive Outreach Initiative
Promotes Appreciation of Cultural Diversity
(Brussels, Belgium and New York, NY, October 20,
2003) In a press conference hosted today by the European Union (EU), the
production teams of Sesame Stories, a bold new television production and
outreach initiative that impacts children in the Middle East with positive
images of themselves and their neighbors, will come together for the first time
to discuss the challenges of developing this historic project.
Co-produced by Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame
Street, the project aims to help lay the foundation for future stability,
prosperity, and hope for peace in Jordan, Israel, and Palestine.
At a time when television and other media are
transmitting difficult news, Sesame Stories will encourage children to
appreciate similarities and differences in their own culture and others. Sesame
Stories celebrates the diversity of the human experience and examines that
diversity from within the childs own home and community, as well as in broader
societal contexts.
Based on the world-renowned childrens series Sesame
Street, the centerpiece of each Sesame Stories episode is a tale
chosen for its ability to illuminate the core themes of tolerance, child
self-empowerment, empathy, and respect. Sesame Stories, developed
for children between the ages of four and seven, consists of three parallel
series Hikayat Simsim (Jordan), Sippuray Sumsum (Israel), and Hikayat
Simsim (Palestine) that were created, written, and produced by local
educators and television professionals. The shows combine segments
featuring the Sesame Street Muppet characters with animation and
mini-documentaries to create uniquely engaging programming. Locally
developed Muppet characters will appeal to young children through cleverness
and humor relevant to their respective cultures. Animation and live
action pieces fostering self-esteem and mirroring the rich cultural heritages
will present joyful moments from childrens everyday lives.
In addition to the television series, a comprehensive
outreach initiative will extend the series messages. Educational
materials have been designed for use in a variety of settings including early
childcare centers, preschools, kindergartens, and homes. These materials
include teachers guides, home videos, educational posters, and audio/video
cassettes.
The project is funded in large part by the EU as well
as other donors. Jordans Hikayat Simsim is produced by Jordan
Pioneers in Amman and will launch on JTV this month. Israels Sippuray
Sumsum is produced with Zebra Communications in Israel and airs on Hop!
TV. Palestines Hikayat Simsim is produced with Al Quds University
in Ramallah and will debut on The Maan Network this month. With a
sustained commitment to improving the lives of all children in the region, the
three production teams continued over the years despite endless practical and
physical challenges in the creation of their own Sesame Stories
productions.
Working with children today will help build peace
tomorrow, said Michael Leigh, Deputy Director General for the Middle East in
the European Commission External Relations Directorate General. The Sesame
Stories project is an inspiring initiative which should help build
understanding and mutual respect. The Commissions support to this project
testifies our long-term commitment to peaceful coexistence and tolerance in the
Middle East.
Sesame Stories is the cornerstone and model for
Sesame Workshops global initiative to produce educational media with a specific
focus on respect and understanding, said Gary E. Knell, President and Chief Executive
Officer, Sesame Workshop. Through the dedication of our talented partners
and commitment from generous funders, Sesame Stories strives to counter
the negative images that children see on television everyday and offer hope for
a better world. Sesame Stories conveys realistic and positive
messages, and provides a valuable tool to children in developing new
perspectives about themselves and those around them.
For years, television programs have been doing a great
job in teaching children the alphabet, said Khaled Haddad, Executive Producer
of the Jordanian Hikayat Simsim. But Jordans Hikayat Simsim
does much moreit teaches children the alphabet of life by delivering messages
of hope, and of respect and understanding.
We have the privilege of producing and broadcasting
for the most vulnerable audiencepreschool children, said Alona Abt, Executive
Director of Israels Sippuray Sumsum. This privilege also obliges
us to try and use the media in the most innovative ways to make a truly worthy
contribution. We have always been very engaged in pushing media to its
limits in terms of the depth and complexity in which we present images to
children.
We are proud to have been able to produce this high
quality series dealing with issues of culture and pride, as well as respecting
the other, despite the difficult circumstances that we and our children are
going through, said Daoud Kuttab, Executive Producer of the Palestinian Hikayat
Simsim.
Funding for Sesame Stories was made possible by
the European Union, Charles H. Revson Foundation, The Kahanoff Foundation, The
Ford Foundation, The Atlantic Philanthropies, Joseph and Harvey Meyerhoff
Family Charitable Funds, The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Human
Security Program of the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, The Zanvyl and
Isabelle Krieger Fund, The Double H Foundation, Inc., and The Wolfensohn Family
Foundation.
Contacts:
Beatrice Chow
Sesame Workshop
beatrice.chow@sesameworkshop.org
(212)
875-6586
Ellen
Lewis
Sesame Workshop
ellen.lewis@sesameworkshop.org
(212) 875-6396
Sheila Feren
Publicist for Sesame Workshop
sheilaf@ferencomm.com
(212) 983-9898