Envision

I have long admired this creative film initiative, Envision, to bridge stories that address global issues through documentaries and was honored to meet the people who started this initiative in New York. Envision 2012 just started today and will be continuing until tomorrow. Its theme this year is "Stories for a Sustainable Future" and will highlight such topics such as "The Promise of Cities, The Value and Vulnerability of Water, Power to the People: Documentary Pitching Session" and more.

You can catch the live stream tomorrow (please see below for details).

About Envision

Founded in 2008, Envision is a unique partnership between the Independent Filmmaker Project, the United Nations Department of Public Information and, as of this year, the Ford Foundation. Our partnership is built on the shared belief that storytelling and documentary film can be powerful tools in building a better future for all people.

Anchored by the Millennium Development Goals, Envision’s annual gathering connects UN experts and NGO advocates with some of the most creative minds in filmmaking and new media, with the goal of finding fresh, compelling ways to create momentum for social change. The gatherings offer a critical opportunity for filmmakers and social change activists to forge creative, cross-sector partnerships to promote their causes and reach wider audiences.

The UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) serve as the focal point for screenings, panel discussions and social networking. The Spotlight Focus in 2012 is the MDGs and their impact on ensuring environmental sustainability.

The MDGs are to eradicate poverty, achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and develop global partnership for development.

Q&A with Jeff Skoll

Here's a wonderful Q&A with Jeff Skoll, former President of eBay, Founder of Skoll Foundation, and Participant Media. Skoll embodies the whole concept of storytelling with a social aspect, and best of all, he gets it.

Some highlights from the interview:

By Forbes’s estimate, Skoll has donated about $1.2 billion, putting him in an elite club of the 20 living people in the world who have donated the most money (think Bill Gates, Li Ka-shing, and Carlos Slim Helú).

Skoll’s first philanthropic venture was the Skoll Foundation. Since its founding in 1999, the foundation has been instrumental in supporting and popularizing social entrepreneurship. The foundation has done that the traditional way, by providing financial and logistical support to hundreds of social entrepreneurs. But it’s also gone about it in a unique manner, through storytelling—a sophisticated program to popularize social entrepreneurship that includes underwriting documentaries on PBS NewsHour, broadcasts on National Public Radio, feature-length movies with the Sundance Institute, the Social Edge blog, and the Skoll World Forum.

When the foundation was just beginning, Sally Osberg [president of Skoll Foundation] and I paid a visit to John to ask what advice he might have for us on how to really be effective and how to be different. And John said, “Bet on good people doing good things.” That advice became our mantra. Eventually that translated into our mission of working with social entrepreneurs, who truly are those good people doing those good things.

The incremental development of our mission statement over the years went from investing in, connecting, and celebrating social entrepreneurs dedicated to solving the most pressing problems in the world, to investing in, connecting, and celebrating social entrepreneurs and other innovators dedicated to solving the most pressing problems in the world.

To read the full article, please click here: Interview with Jeff Skoll

Featuring Sparkseed and Social Entrepreneurship

With special thanks to Nicole at Pop Culture Activist for her blog mention, I've decided to post one of the Catalyst videos about an amazing organization doing incredible work called Sparkseed.

Catalyst "Sparkseed" from Sharlene Yang on Vimeo.

In this episode, Mike Del Ponte of Sparkseed discusses social entrepreneurship including Sparkseed's role in mentoring and developing young emerging leaders in the field.

Of melody and harmony...

I've been MIA these couple of days but was reminded recently of the kinds of stories I would love to share...

It's also been an honor to meet fellow like-minded filmmakers who are interested in using their talents to bring awareness and further social change. I am also humbled by the number of organizations that are sprouting up and taking action by using such communication tools to drive change. It also makes a lot of sense as storytelling tends to be the most effective way of reaching others and building community. With our new digital and social media age, videos are many times the most cost-effective and personal way of connecting people to one another. Gone are the days where you need a fancy camera setup or even a high-end editing system, one could easily grab a Flip camera and shoot footage that can easily be distributed through social networks. Even dSLRs can now take high quality, beautiful shots with cinematic feel. Sometimes, the most powerful stories are straight from the field; unscripted, organic, honest, authentic...

And that's what I love about documentaries and its impact in the public sector. Occasionally, I will be featuring selected works here on this blog that are inspiring, impactful, and stirring examples.

This first one I would like to share with you is one that was made a couple of years ago. Released in 2006, Director Paul Taylor decided to make a film about the kids he met during his volunteer experiences in South Africa. It also happened to be his first feature and one that took 4 years to make. A couple of things that make this film stand out: 1) strong and compelling characters, 2) subtle themes connected within the overall story, and most of all, 3) lightheartedness in the midst of complex issues. What I enjoy about this film is that it really ties in the whole human experience, of joy and deep sorrow, yet with such a hopeful tone.

Like Paul Taylor says,

"A lot of stuff we see about Africa and the developing world is very depressing, and although this story is sad in places, it's enjoyable in places, too."

Something else that also distinguishes this documentary is its theme of song, of melody and harmony. It's not the typical theme you would expect to see in a documentary about orphans and Aids.

"We South Africans sing before we sleep, sing before we eat; we sing when we are happy, we sing when we are celebrating, we sing when we are sad." (Zwai Bala)

It also doesn't hurt that the film has gone on to raise over £150,000 to directly benefit the orphanage. It is films such as "We Are Together" that inspire me to continue in this craft of sharing compelling stories filled with a hopeful spirit.

And without further ado, introducing the kids at Agape...

One Tablet per Child

When I was visiting Mercycorps' Headquarters, I got a good look at the One Laptop per Child computer. Very neat technology that transforms the field of international development and education! I was immediately impressed at the idea of offering such educational tools and resources for children in developing countries.

Now there's a prototype for One Tablet per Child.

I see a lot of potential here but the possibility also raises some questions. What is the best way to utilize technology in international development? What are some measurable results? Is the aim to bring access to educational tools? Communications? Scalable?

All in all, this is a promising start and it would be interesting to see how this develops further.

What are your thoughts? I'm curious to hear what other technology is being implemented in this field, especially case studies and the impact of technology.