Roll Camera
On Global Development Day, NetAid Global Citizen Corps leaders from around the country taught their peers about development and led them in actions to fight global poverty. Alyssa, a leader from the Midwest, was one of them. NetAid caught up with her for a short interview on making documentaries and how young people can change the world.
What's your advice to other young leaders who want to fight poverty?
The first thing anyone needs to do is get educated. Few people will listen to what you have to say if you haven't established some sort of credibility. I recommend reading the newspaper or signing up to receive news updates by email, subscribing to online newsletters and joining campaigns to fight poverty. You'd be surprised at what 15 minutes everyday can do.
But when it comes down to it, it's not enough to just educate yourself. Bono said it best: "It's not enough to describe Everest, we've got climb it and we've got to bring everyone else along." If we are truly committed to ending poverty, we're going to have to get everyone involved. My question to every person in 50 years will be: what did you do while a third of the human population was living in poverty?
Can your generation make a difference in promoting good development?
Absolutely! There is so much hope for the future, from activists such as Bill and Melinda Gates to each and every high school student who signs the ONE Declaration. We have already made so much progress – like the recent cancellation of poor countries' debt – but there's still much to be done. This is the real world and poverty is a real crisis. Living in a rich and powerful country does not exempt us from helping out our less fortunate brothers and sisters.
So, what did you do to raise awareness on Global Development Day?
Last October, I created a show for my school's regular video announcements called "Spotlight." The idea for "Spotlight" was to highlight world issues that the average high-schooler doesn't hear about, such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic. For Global Development Day, I produced a "Spotlight" segment that focused on development. The whole school watched it – 1,700 people!
What was the video "Spotlight" about?
The show featured facts about global development, websites where students could get informed and take action, and clips of an interview I'd done with the Lost Boys of Sudan.
What was the message that really hit home with your peers?
Most of the students I talked to were very taken by the interview with the Lost Boys. The last line of the show came from one of the boys, who said, "I need to tell to the students at high school that we need to hear your voice, from you, that we need help from your country." The way he said it was so full of emotion that it really brought a whole new light to the issues, and what we could do.
How did you end up interviewing the Lost Boys of Sudan?
I really wanted to put a face on the issue of development instead of just listing facts. After asking around, I made contact with a few of the Lost Boys of Sudan – boys who were orphaned by Sudan's civil way – and traveled to Chicago (about an hour away) so I could interview them.
Once you'd done the interview, how did you make your video?
Well, after the interview, I wrote a script for the "Spotlight," filmed the segment and edited it, adding in clips from the interview. I worked from resources available on the NetAid Global Citizen Corps website, and did some further research about global development and the Lost Boys.
Filming, editing, script-writing – these aren't easy things to do. Where did you pick up all of your reporting skills?
I worked on the video announcements last year following the University of Illinois men's basketball team, so I had a year of experience before "Spotlight." Most of the reporting skills I taught myself or picked up from watching the news on TV. I always have help filming and I learned a lot of editing skills from people in our media center at school.
What motivates you to tackle an issue like development?
I can't sit by idly knowing that so many of my fellow humans are suffering and knowing that I can make a difference. I believe that along with the war on terror, our generation will be remembered by how we handle the crisis of poverty and AIDS, and I feel compelled to take action knowing my actions are influencing others.
Watch and learn: See the video “Spotlight” that Alyssa made about global development >>
