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Faculty News: Sean Jacobs

admin — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:08:43 +0000

Professor Sean Jacobs discussed South African media and South African Olympian Oscar Pistorius on NPR’s The Talk of the Nation. Listen to the audio or read the transcript for “The Media Frenzy Surrounding Oscar Pistorius“. Sean wrote a blog post for Social Science Research Council’s forum African Futures, titled “New Media in Africa and the Global …

Days of Fighting and Days of Glory: a short film

TheNewContextTheNewContext | TheNewContext — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 21:33:13 +0000

This past summer, I helped conduct a youth media workshop for adolescents living in the unpacified favela of Maré in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. An unpacified favela is a slum community situated in an urban area where state police is not actively present. The films were focused around the theme of play, as selected by the NGO Viva Rio. At the conclusion of the workshop, each student presented their own film to teachers, families and friends. As part of the 2012 Brazil IFP, The New School provided cameras to students associated with Luta Pela Paz (Fight for Peace) —an organization located in Maré and where we worked. Luta Pela Paz teaches kids about boxing, martial arts and capoeira. In addition to these mental and physical building courses, the kids are required to take citizenship courses on human rights. During our workshop, the students were cautioned not to film outdoors, as they would run the risk of accidently photographing drug traffickers. But despite these restrictions, the students found ways to film and construct their own narratives. In this personal narrative, 13-year-old Lucas not only explores the impact of sports on his life, but also attempts to overcome a brush with death, and [...]

Empowering South African Youth

Marcela Gara — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 04:58:27 +0000

If you met 17-year-old Ayanda Xoeie on the street, he would immediately tell you his name, the neighborhood he lives in, and that he is an activist. Ayanda believes that every generation has its own struggle, and for him, this is the right to a quality and equitable education. This past summer, five youth members from the South African township Khayelitsha collaborated with GPIA students and the nonprofit organization Equal Education. Together, we created a youth media and social activism workshop called Amazwi Wethu [Our Voices]. Too often, young people—predominantly those in underserved communities—are spoken for instead of with and lack access to the appropriate tools to create change on their own. Through Amazwi Wethu, our students became socially conscious storytellers. They gained video documentary and photography skills, and began advocating for themselves and their communities. While engagement at the policy level is crucial in a country built on institutionalized inequality, so is empowering the youth to shape their own future. Two distinct structures make up the education system in South Africa. The first serves children from the wealthiest 25 percent of families. It is known for its established infrastructures, qualified and motivated teachers, recognized success rates, and renowned functionality. [...]