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Nashe Maalo Children's TV Programme - Macedonia

Country

Macedonia (Republic of)

Programme Summary

Nashe Maalo, meaning "Our Neighborhood", is a Macedonian television series designed to encourage mutual respect and understanding among ethnic Albanian, Macedonia, Roma and Turkish youth, ages 7 to 12. It works to build intercultural understanding, to encourage conflict prevention, and to help build conflict-resolution skills, to the end of achieving active tolerance and intercultural literacy. Co-produced by Common Ground Productions (CGP) and Search for Common Ground in Macedonia (SCGM), Nashe Maalo entered its fourth season in the fall of 2002.

Communication Strategies

Broadcast on both Macedonian- and Albanian-language channels, the half-hour show stars Karmen, an animated building whose mission is to harbour peace. She has been trying to talk to the grown-ups for years, but they have never listened. In their children, though, she sees a great capacity for learning, understanding, generosity, and kindness. Karmen selects six children from Macedonian, Roma, Turkish, and Albanian backgrounds, and creates an opportunity for them to meet. By leading them on journeys through magical doorways, she provides them with the opportunity to see and learn about the world from each other's perspectives. In light of the fighting that occurred in 2001, the fall 2002 season focuses on the topic of hope.

An in-school series extension and community outreach programme encourage viewing of the show in more intimate settings. Conflict Resolution Games, a programme currently operating in 4th-grade classes in over 100 schools throughout Macedonia, will have access to tapes of the Nashe Maalo and conflict-resolution curriculum. In addition, 80,000 copies of a parents' guide (written in Albanian, Macedonian, and Turkish) were distributed to parents of 4th through 6th graders across the country.

A CD of music from locally musicians performing songs from series is being produced as a follow-up to a music video that featured three of the country's pop stars - an Albanian, a Macedonian and a Rom - singing in each other's languages.

Development Issues

Children, Conflict.

Key Points

After a period of formative research, seminars, and work with local writers and producers, a Production Team was established. This team consists of approximately 100 professionals and support staff from the Macedonian, Albanian, Turkish and Roma communities. The child actors that star in the series also hail from all four groups. Nashe Maalo offers ongoing training opportunities for the Production Team. Although a Resident Producer is also on hand to provide guidance at the set and in post-production, local professionals take on primary responsibility for the writing and production of Nashe Maalo, along with the day-to-day management of operations - skills they can continue to use after the series has concluded.

Nashe Maalo has won several honors for children's television programming, including the Zlatna Buba Mara Award For Best Children's Television of 2000.

Partners

Sesame Workshop, CCP, Search for Common Ground in Macedonia (SFCG Macedonia). Funded and supported by the British Department for International Development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, UNESCO, and USAID.

Contact

Search for Common Ground - Headquarters

1601 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Suite 200

Washington DC
20009
United States
Tel: 202 265 4300
Fax: 202 232 6718


Placed on the Communication Initiative site October 17 2002
Last Updated June 03 2009



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