Colloque - CIFEJ

9 h 00 à�13 h 00

Message
du directeur général de l’UNESCO, monsieur Ko�chiro
Matsuura, adressé à l’assembl&#233e g&#233n&#233rale
du Centre International du Film pour l’Enfance et la Jeunesse
(CIFEJ). 
<a href=”unesco.html”>À lire</a>

</div>
<div class=Section1>
<hr width=”200″>
Liste
des intervenants :
Monic
Lessard (Canada), pr&#233sentatrice 

<a href=”#les”>Bio</a>
Mireille
Gagn&#233 (Canada) (text) 
 
Mireille Gagné, Comité de direction du Réseau
international sur la diversité culturelle et membre
exécutif de la Coalition internationale sur la diversité
culturelle. Après l’obtention de son diplôme
de droit à l’Université de Montr�al, Mireille
Gagn� a poursuivi des �tudes pour l’obtention de dipl�mes
en musique (B.A.) et en musicologie (M.Mus.), avec une sp�cialisation
en histoire de la musique canadienne contemporaine. En 1981,
elle a �t� nomm�e directrice du Centre de musique canadienne
au Qu�bec, un organisme pan-canadien ayant comme mandat
la promotion de la musique des compositeurs qu�b�cois et
canadiens � l’�chelle nationale et internationale. Mireille
gagn� a �t� pr�sidente de la Conf�rence canadienne des arts
(CCA) de 1996 � 1998. Elle repr�sente aussi la CCA aupr�s
de la Commission sectorielle sur la culture, les communications
et l’information de la Commission canadienne pour l’UNESCO.
 
<div align=”left”></div>
Vigdis
Lian (Norv�ge)
Vigdis
Lian is a long established and influential figure in Norwegian
film. She was Norway’s first children film consultant and
later the first female Head of Programming at the Norwegian
film festival. Vigdis Lian has held a number of important
committee posts in the fields of children’s film, school
films and broadcasting. She has recently been appointed
Director of the Norwegian Film Institute
Vahid
Vahed (Australie)
Vahid
Vahed est directeur artistique de CINEWEST Multim&#233dia,
un organisme de développement culturel communautaire
dont l’objectif principal est la production multimédia
et les activités de culture cinématographique
pour les enfants et la jeunesse de la région ouest
de Sydney. L’organisme vise à�développer, chez
les enfants et les jeunes, le désir d’exprimer leurs
vues sur des sujets tels la culture, l’économie, la
politique et ce grâce à�des productions multimédias
et des activités liées à la culture cinématographique.
Les projets de CINEWEST multimedia en 2003 sont : un
prrogramme de développement professionnel et des techniques
multimédias, le développement de l’accessibilité
au cinéma, via des programmes tels la cinémathèque,
la présentation, la promotion, la distribution de film,
de vidéo et d’oeuvre multimedia qui n’ont aucun ou
peu de support à�la distribution, et un programmes
d’échanges nationaux et internationaux.
Jia
Peijun et Wang Cheng (Chine) <a href=”#jai”>(article)</a>
Le
Conseil de Développement  de la Télévision
pour l’Enfance de la Province de Qingdao, Chine, est une
organisation non gouvernementale qui travaille au développement
d’émissions télé pour enfants et veille à�leur
diffusion.
L’émission
pour enfant "My Heart" a été nominé
pour le Fonds des Nations Unies pour l’Enfance. Au Conseil,
M. Jia PeiJun a été nommé à�la direction
d’un nouveau département. Le studio prendra en charge,
la production des émission de télévision,
du multimédia et du marketing.
Thomas Akodjinou (Bénin)
Le Centre Béninois du Film pour l’Enfance et la Jeunesse (CEBEFEJ)
à�été créé en 1984 par le Ciné
Club Atelier Shango. Depuis ce temps, il a été
impliqué dans plusieurs activités pour la jeunesse
du Bénin. En juin 1990, à�une assemblée
en Norvège, le CEBEFEJ, représenté par
Thomas Akodjinou, a signé un accord avec le Centre
du Film de Belgique pour l’Enfance et la Jeunesse, représenté
par Roland Biernaux. Suite à �cet accord, le CEBEFEJ
organise une série de semaines du film, durant lesquelles
sont présentés des films destinés au jeune
public, avec l’appui du Ministère de la Culture et
des Communications. 
Du
20 au 28 septembre 1999, CEBEFEJ organisait les manifestations
préparatoires du Festival International de Cinéma
et de Télévision pour l’Enfance et la Jeunesse
de Cotonou (FICECO). La première édition a eu
lieu en décembre 2000. La seconde aura lieu du 23 au
30 novembre 2002. Le CEBEFEJ a posé la première
pierre de l’Institut Panafricain de Formation des Carrières
de l’Audiovisuel et du Multimédia à�Lobogo au
Mono en compagnie de tous les invités, les autorités
de l’Institut de cinéma de Moscou VGIK, de la fondation
Roland Bikov, de la Suisse, du FESPACO, de la FEPACI, du
Sénégal et des autorités béninoises. Le CEBEFEJ recherche des partenaires sur tous les
continents pour la réalisation de ce projet.
Alejandro
Malowicki (Argentine)
Alejandro
Malowicki est réalisateur de films et de programme
de télé, spécialisé dans la production
pour l’enfance et la jeunesse. Voici quelques titres présentés
à�la télévision argentine et à�l’étranger
; Los Cuentos Del
CapitÄn, Los Sue�à os de Arquito, Los Imprescindibles
del Rock, Red-accion, FM Chicos,Pinocho,
entre autres. M. Malowicki est vice-président de l’Association
des réalisateurs de films d’Argentine. Il a siégé
aux jurys de plusieurs festivals de films internationaux
et de programmes télé. Il est professeur ��l’Université
Nationale de Buenos Aires. M. Malowicki s’intéresse
également à �la coproduction d’émissions
ou de films pour enfants avec des partenaires étrangers.
</div>
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<td width=”245″ valign=”top” align=”left”>
<div class=Section1>
<div class=Section1>
<div align=”left”>Preserving
cultural diversity for children’s media in a global market.</div>
</div>
<div class=Section1 align=”left”> 
</div>
<div class=Section1 align=”left”>Colloquium held during the CIFEJ
General Assembly in Sandnes, Norway</div>
<blockquote>
<div class=Section1 align=”left”><o:p></o:p></div>
</blockquote>
<div class=Section1 align=”left”>November 15th  2002.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class=Section1></div>
<div class=Section1> 
9:00 am to 1:00 pm</div>
<blockquote>
<div class=Section1><o:p></o:p></div>
</blockquote>
<div class=Section1>Message from
the Director-General of UNESCO, Mr. Koïchiro Matsuura, to the General Assembly of the International Centre of Film for Children
and Young People (CIFEJ).<o:p> <a href=”unesco.html”>Read
it here.</a></o:p></div>
<div class=Section1>
<h4 style=’margin-right:38.3pt’><o:p></o:p></h4>
<hr width=”200″>
<h4 style=’margin-right:38.3pt’><o:p></o:p>List of speakers<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p></h4>
</div>
<div class=Section1>Monic
Lessard (Canada), moderator<o:p> <a href=”#les”>Bio</a></o:p></div>
<div class=Section1> 

<div align=”left”>
Mireille Gagné (Canada) (text) 
 
Mireille Gagn� : Steering Committee member of the International
Network for Cultural Diversity and Executive Member of the
Coalition for Cultural Diversity. 
After
getting a diploma in Law from the University of Montreal,
Mireille Gagn� continued her studies and added a BA diploma
in Music and a Master Degree in Musicology, specialized
in the history of Canadian contemporary music. In 1981,
she became the Director of the Quebec office of the Canadian
Music Centre, a pan-canadian organization whose mission
is to promote the music of Quebec and Canadian composers
in Canada and abroad. Mireille Gagn� was the President of
the Canadian Conference of the Arts (CCA) from 1996-1998.
She now represents the CCA at the Sectoral Commission on
culture, information and communication of the Canadian Commission
for UNESCO. 
Vigdis Lian (Norway) 
</div>
</div>
<div class=Section1>
<div align=”left”></div>
</div>
<div class=Section1>
<div align=”left”><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class=Section1 align=”left”>Vigdis Lian is a long established and influential figure
in Norwegian film. She was Norway’s first children film consultant
and later the first female Head of Programming at the Norwegian
film festival. Vigdis Lian has held a number of important committee
posts in the fields of children’s film, school films and broadcasting.
She has recently been appointed Director of the Norwegian Film
Institute.</div>
<div class=Section1 align=”left”> 

Vahid Vahed (Australia)
</div>
<div class=Section1 align=”left”>
Vahid Vahed is artistic
director of CINEWEST multimedia, a community cultural
development organization that focuses on multimedia productions and
screen culture activities for children and young people in
the Western Sydney region. The aim of this organization is
to empower children and youth to express their social, cultural,
economical, and political concerns through multimedia
productions and screen culture activities. CINEWEST
multimedia Projects 2003 include : multimedia skills
and professional development programs, audience development
through special programs such as Cinemateque, presentation,
promotion and distribution of film, video and multimedia works
that have no or limited distribution support,
and national and international exchange and curatorial programs.

</div>
<div class=Section1 align=”left”>Jai PeiJun and Wang Cheng (China) <a href=”#jai”>(article)<o:p></o:p></a>
Qingdao Children’s TV Development Council in China is a non-governmental
organization set up for developing programs and broadcasting
to children. Their children program "My Heart" was
nominated for the United Nations Children’s Fund Award. Mr.
Jia PeiJun was nominated as head of the new department of
the Qingdao Children’s TV Development Council, namely, Qingdao
Station Golden Children Studio. The Studio will take care
of TV program production, multimedia production, Internet
marketing, and TV program exchange.
</div>
<div class=Section1 align=”left”>
Thomas A. Akodjinou (Benin) 
</div>
<div class=Section1 align=”left”>
M. Akodjinou is president of FICECO, the International
Film Festival for children and Youth in Cotonou, Benin, and
Secretary Tresorer of the Pan African Association of filmmakers
(FEPACI). M. Akodjinou studied at the National Film Institute
in Moscow, before starting to direct his own films. Convinced
of the necessity of a cinema for children, he opened the international
Center of film for children and youth in Benin, and started
the FICECO in 2000. The 2002 edition will host a Colloquium
on Audiovisual production for youth and its financing in Africa.
</div>
<div class=Section1 align=”left”>
<o:p></o:p>Alejandro Malowicki (Argentina)
</div>
<div class=Section1 align=”left”>
Alejandro Malowicki is
a film and television director specializing in the creation
and production of films and programmes for children and young
people. His productions are shown on television in Argentina
and abroad. Some of their titles include: Los Cuentos Del
CapitÄn, Los SueÈos de Arquito, Los Imprescindibles del
Rock, Red-accion, FM Chicos, Pinocho, among others. He is also
Vice-President of the Film Director’s Association of Argentina.
He has participated on juries at various international festivals
of film and television for children and, in 1997, was a member
of the CIFEJ jury at the Prix Danube in Bratislava, and in
2001 in the International Film Festival for Childrens in Mar
del Plata,Argentine. 
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class=Section1 align=”left”>Mr. Malowicki is Titular
Professor at the National University of Buenos Aires.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class=Section1 align=”left”>He is interested in working with foreign
partners on co-productions for children for distribution worldwide.<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class=Section1 align=”left”><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p></div>
 
</div>
</td>
</tr>
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<o:p></o:p> 
<o:p><a name=”les”></a> 
</o:p>
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<td width=”140″ align=”center” valign=”top”>
<div align=”center”><img src=”lessard.GIF” width=”125″ height=”179″ align=”top”></div>
</td>
<td valign=”top” align=”left” width=”398″> Portrait
of Monic Lessard, CIFEJ’s New General Secretary<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>(Text
extracted from CIFEJ INFO # 110, September 2002)
<o:p></o:p>It
is never easy to introduce oneself.  I’ll start right now with the reaction
concerning my recent nomination as General Secretary of CIFEJ.
I am thrilled! 
Thrilled because I see the chance to stay close to my pet
project, my long-standing cause, that of the children.  Furthermore, the idea of working within CIFEJ to move forward
with the fascinating issue of youth and the media is an honor
and a delight.
<o:p></o:p>For
the past few years, I was Vice-President of Canal Famille, a television
channel specializing in programs for youth. 
In that capacity, I was often faced with budgets that were
far from adequate for the concept and creation of original productions
made for various target audiences: preschoolers, 6 to 9 year-olds,
and 9 to 12 year-olds.  Also, let me tell you that you have to
get up very early and in a good mood in order to find the product
or the series for the youth market that meets the barest minimum
of requirements.
<o:p></o:p>I
also had the pleasure of working for many children’s programs,
among them: Watatatow, for the past 12 years, a youth series on
Société Radio-Canada, and Télé-Pirate,
a magazine with services for 9 to 12 year-olds. 
What luck, to be able to work with a team of scriptwriters,
directors, researchers, all looking to create and produce a good
show for youngsters.  My training in journalism allowed me to travel.  In conjunction with UNICEF in South America,
I covered news (unfortunately, still current) about street children
and infant mortality; in Africa I had the pleasure of teaching
television journalism.
<o:p></o:p>This
CIFEJ nomination arrives at just the right time in my professional
and private life since I have chosen to work on more humanitarian
causes.  I am still
very active: I teach scriptwriting, directing, youth television
production and I am manager of contents for an educational television
project.  In truth,
my volunteer and consulting work in the television milieu keep
me happy, on the lookout for everything that is happening in the
media and with young people.
<o:p></o:p>The
causes defended by CIFEJ are noble ones. I endorse them without
hesitation. I am delighted with the idea of getting to know you
better at my first General Assembly in Norway next November.
<o:p></o:p>I
will then be filling the shoes of outgoing Secretary Robert Roy. 
They are big shoes to fill and it will be honor to meet
that challenge.  I am also pleased to be working with the
office staff in Montreal with whose competence and dedication
I am already acquainted.
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<td>
<div class=Section1 style=’layout-grid:15.6pt’>
<a name=”jai”></a>Children
and Media in China<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>
Jia Peijun  &  Wang Cheng<o:p></o:p>
The
present situation of the TV industry<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>
TV
has been widespread in China since 1978, with an increasing
quantity of TV set and TV stations. So far, the national statistic
for TV possession is 23 sets per 100 families, and in big and
middle-sized cities up to 96 sets or even more. Some families
having one TV set still want to buy another one or more. A survey
on children and media, undertaken continuously from 1991 to
1997 by our authorized institutes, shows that in the 1990’s
different media began to enter ordinary Chinese families. All
in all, children in China can now encounter twelve kinds of
media. Of course, TV is the medium most frequently used. There
have been 657 TV stations in China, covering 93.65% of the population,
namely some 1 billion people, by the end of the year 2000. The
survey also indicates that a Chinese child of school age watches
television at home on an average of 35-50minutes a day, and
a pre-school child 103 minutes a day.<o:p></o:p>
China
has more than 200 million students in primary, junior and senior
level schools. Every day, almost all of them can watch children’s
TV programs at a fixed time. These programs are quite different
from those for adults, and are mainly produced by China Central
TV station (CCTV) and the stations in 29 provinces and autonomous
regions as well as several hundreds of cities. There are many
other programs made by colleges and schools.<o:p></o:p>
The
Children and Youth Center of CCTV has three departments: the
Children’s Department, the Youth Department and the Multipurpose
Department. CCTV arranges 45 minutes for children daily on Channel
1. This time period, 18.00-18.45,is called Large Windmill
and can be received by all cities and areas. Its format includes Sun
Kiddy
(for babies and pre-school children), Large Windmill Theatre
(children’s TV plays, short dramas, children’s folk rhymes,
etc.), Young Journalists (documentary programs), Local
Plate of ‘Large Windmill' (programs provided by the local stations), and so on. Since 1995, CCTV
has transmitted its programs by satellites and its number of
channels has increased to eight, among which channel 7 broadcast
four hours especially for children. On other channels, CCTV
sets aside 45 minutes for a repeat of Large Windmill
mentioned above, 90 minutes for Cartoon Castle and 80
minutes for children’s films on the Movie Channel every day.
Although CCTV has the ability to cover all of China and the
child viewers are over 100 million a day, the children have
little opportunity to participate in its programs and activities.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>Children’s
participation in local TV stations<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>
There
are more than 600 local TV stations in China, something that
makes them superior to CCTV in some respects. Thanks to Chinese
television’s policy made by our government, local stations can
broadcast programs and films made by themselves or imported
both form foreign countries and other domestic TV stations.
Since the areas they serve are comparatively smaller, they can
directly approach the young audience and easily involve them
in taking part in meaningful dialogues and activities. Thus,
the children’s awareness of the issues closely related to
them can be enhanced and their capabilities to take action are
improved.<o:p></o:p>
Qingdao
TV Station has taken the first step towards the improvement.
Early in 1990, the station organized a group of children who
are fond of photography. We call them ‘Kacha Young Journalists’.
With their cameras, they take pictures of things happening in
our city and suburbs, factories and villages, especially in
their schools, which children are interested in and concerned
about. Their pictures are often shown on the TV news of Qingdao
TV Station and have had a particularly positive effect on social
civilization. In the winter of 1996, Qingdao TV Station and
Qingdao Children’s TV Development Council worked together to
give Qingdao’ s children a chance for the 1996 International
Children’s Day of Broadcasting (ICDB). Boys and girls presided
over the program Our Aspiration in which they expressed to the
audience their hopes and opinions on children’s rights and
discussed issues that affect their future. They also had a face-to-face
interview with Qingdao municipal leaders. In the last part of
the program, the hosts led us through the activities on the
ICDB of 1996, first in our city, then in a mountain village.
This program eventually won the honor of being nominated for
the Emmy Award by UNICEF.<o:p></o:p>
In
1999, the Qingdao TV station is planning not only to broadcast
more programs for local children, but also to try to let children
produce some programs by themselves-write, direct, play, shoot
and edit, that is, to be involved in the whole process of TV
production. It is a trial operation for the station and will
surely be a success. It is reported that many other local stations
are about to follow this way to develop their work. Years ago,
some local stations founded some different kinds of children’s
art troupes, which attracted more than 10,000 children to attend
a large variety of activities after school including singing,
dancing and musical instrument performances for TV programs
and TV dramas.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>Better
programs for children <o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>
As
TV now reaches the great majority of the Chinese population,
our children in both cities and most of the rural areas can
watch TV at home. How eagerly they want more and more quality
children’s programs.<o:p></o:p>
Since
the beginning of 1990’s, the governments at all levels and the
whole society have started to pay close attention to the importance
of children’s programs. But the lack of funds and other social
factors have become the obstacles in the development of children’s
programs in China. Many problems stand in need for immediate
solutions: quite limited investment in children’s TV production,
lack of methods for enhancing the quality of children’s programs,
and insufficient broadcasting time for children in the weekly
schedule. Because our government and the departments concerned
attach great importance to children and violence on the screen,
we should first of all solve the problem-besides the problems
listed above-that adults produce children’s programs with the
consequence that the children just passively watch them sitting
before the TV screens. Such programs do not satisfy children’s
demand. As a result, this causes a worrisome phenomenon, that
is, children are forced to watch a lot of adult programs, including
“love” films and acrobatic fighting or gun-fighting TV series,
which often result in intense and disruptive fears, and sometimes
other unhealthy feelings and negative emotional responses, even
criminal behavior, among children.<o:p></o:p>
Generally
speaking, the 1980’s to 1990’s was a period of fast development
of children’s TV in China. Chinese children have obviously gained
by TV, especially in terms of knowing much more about the world.
But the TV production still cannot meet the demands of more
than 200 million students and a great many pre-school children.
CCTV and several hundred local TV stations cannot ensure that
children are well-served in this new multi-channel environment
in terms of quantity, but in terms of range and quality of programs
made especially for alternative but to watch foreign animated
films of programs and films for adults. We will try our best
to produce healthier and interesting programs, which may bring
more knowledge and information to children. We know this cannot
be realized in a simple way. However, we will try our best to
make it true; that is our obligation.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>If
we say TV has the biggest impact on children among all the media,
maybe, to the second should be the Internet, which has the potential
of replacing TV’s position in a day.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>Internet
opens up a new window to the world for children in China<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>
Internet
was introduced into China in mid-1990s. At that time, few people
could have accession to it and most people even didn’t know
what it was about. However, at present, surfing on the Internet
has become very popular among the ordinary people. The ordinary
people can use Internet as easily and conveniently as they use
telephones and mobile phones to acquire information and make
communications. Along with the popularization of the computer
and web knowledge, even farmers living at rural areas can search
for market information and sell their products on the Internet.
The children Internet users have been increasing remarkably
for the past few years. At present, most of the urban families
have computers with Internet accession. The command of using
computers and the Internet is considered as a necessary skill
for children just as playing pianos and learning foreign languages.
The idea is very popular among a large majority of the parents,
especially those in the economy-developed regions. <o:p></o:p>
Internet
has opened up a window to the world for children. One of the
obvious features of the Internet, which attracts children’s
attention most, is that it has alternative and interactiveness.
For example, in the past, children had to wait patiently in
front of the TV screen for their favorite cartoon to be on show
after a big flow of advertisements. But now, they can easily
choose their favorites of any kinds and enjoy them at any time
they want on the Internet by simply clicking the mouse in their
hands. Internet provides children with a large variety of options
to their own liking. That is to say, children have the right
to choose by themselves by using the Internet. The interactiveness
of the Internet, to children, means they can input something
on the web and then they get responses. In this way, they win
the chance of communicating with others. Let’s take the children’s
website of China’s CCTV for instance. It launched a Filling-picture
Competition on the web. Children can use the colors and tools
provided on the web to fill pictures as what they like them
to be. After handing in the pictures, their works can be displayed
on the web like a painting exhibition. The little painters can
have a good time appreciating his or her works shown on the
web and at the same time they can also enjoy other’s works.
And even more, if he or she really does a good job, he will
be awarded with prizes or gifts. This point is of great importance
to the Chinese children. China is implementing the policy of
family planning in order to keep its fast increasing population
under control. One couple can only have one child if there is
no special reason according to the policy. Therefore, most of
the families of the new generation only have one child, who
has no possibilities of having a sister or a brother. The children
may have little chance to communicate with companions at their
age in their families as their parents used to. The Internet
may play a role in helping children get to know each other and
enjoy themselves in their own way.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>To
keep children safe from violence in media<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>
There
is enormous information of violence publicized in media everyday.
We may have no way to get rid of all the garbage on TV screen
and on the Internet. But, what we can and will do is to keep
the children safe from the violence in media. A survey shows
that about 52.7% of the Chinese parents in some big cities would
like their children to use the Internet. But, at the same time,
they are worrying about that the children may meet bad information
on the web. Certainly, we should take the responsibility of
keeping children far from violence. As media producers or educationists,
what we should do is to produce programs good for children.
If there is a TV cartoon which is nice to children audience’s
taste with a vivid story, lively characters, beautiful colors
and sound effects, they may lock the channel and focus their
attention on the program. And if we give instructions to children
on how to take advantage of the Internet by providing them the
websites that are serving their demand, they will have little
chance of accidentally meeting bad information on the web. <o:p></o:p>
Preserving
cultural diversity urgent for Chinese children<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>
According
to a survey sponsored by the departments concerned of Shandong
Provincial Government in 2002, the imported culture is standing
at the dominant position in the youth’s culture. The survey
adopted questionnaires and face-to-face interviews to some 5,000
children in the major cities such as Qingdao, Jinan, Yantai,
Heze and Dezhou in the Province. Figures show that 85.2% of
the survey-targeted children are interested in watching TV and
reading books at their spare time. Especially for the primary
school students, 38.7% of them often watch the imported films
and cartoons as their favorites such as Harry Potter and Stuart
Little. In addition, 79.3% of the children like collecting cards
printed with the characters in Japanese cartoon, the Rascal
Rabbit from the ROK and the gifts from McDonald and Kentucky
Fried Chicken. They made the expression that the reason why
they are favor of the imported culture is that the techniques
of expression are novel, and the stories are always interesting
and full of imagination. As a Chinese media educationist, I
must ask the questions: Is there anything wrong with the Chinese
culture? And why the children loose the interests in traditions?
How can we preserve the cultural diversity for children? As
we know, the Chinese culture has a history of over 5,000 years.
With its uniqueness, profoundness and continuity, the Chinese
culture plays an important role in the overall oriental cultural
system. But the problem is that the world is changing fast.
There are always conflicts between traditions and trend. The
imported culture, for example, the overseas-produced films and
books, may cause double effects on Chinese children. The positive
one is that the Chinese children can find something new and
different from that in their own culture, which may broaden
their views and enrich their experiences. And to a certain extent,
it may be helpful to relieve the children’s physical and psychological
pressures during the process of their growing-up. The negative
point is that the imported films and books are born from some
other cultural background which is quite different from the
Chinese culture. The Chinese children live in the Chinese cultural
background and unconsciously affected by the Chinese traditions.
They meet the strong conflicts between different cultures. The
children may not recognize the conflicts themselves since they
are not psychologically mature enough to do that. But the conflicts
can really cause a kind of unsteadiness in their mind. For example,
some children blindly imitate the fighter characters in the
Japanese cartoons. They fight with each other and regard the
winner as a hero. The imported culture distorts their mind and
leads them to a wrong way.   That is simply because they are
unable to judge what’s right and what’s wrong from the other
cultures. To preserve the culture diversity for children, in
a sense, is to let the children know the standard of the morality
in their own culture. The standard will help children to set
up a right view to the world and to values. The traditions,
based upon a cultural background, are the roots of children
to let them grow up in the earth of the culture.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>References<o:p></o:p>
China
Publication Annual (1997)
China Publication Office.<o:p></o:p>
China
Radio and TV Annual (2000) China Radio and TV Annual Press<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>
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