WORLDbytes’ latest programmes challenge vetting laws & myths on race

WORLDbytes, the pioneering digital channel run by the East London based charity WORLDwrite has today launched a line up of news programmes which stand up for young people’s development as independent adults free from CRB checks which undermine their judgement and anti racist programmes which stir up tensions. Here’s a summary of what’s on:

Bitter Sweet Sixteen
This report attacks government plans to expand CRB checks to under 18s. It focuses on the
concerns of sixteen year old WORLDwrite volunteer Adelah Bilal. As soon as Adelah celebrated her sixteenth birthday she notes: “It was as if the government was telling me that, as I was entering adulthood, I had gone from being a child to a potential paedophile.” Now she will need to be vetted before she can continue to look after her little brother and his friends in the playground or volunteer in her local community. As Adelah explains: “Making this report was important because my generation is growing up without the capacity to develop our own judgement about who to trust. I hope it will open people’s eyes to the realities of the vetting system, and make them realise that it’s not a “necessary evil”, or just an impractical,bureaucratic process, but worse than that.”

Tales from the Missionary Hut: Just suck
Globally concerned inventors do come up with some interesting ideas and in this month’s Tales from the Missionary Hut; we learn how to sort out shortages of clean drinking water across the globe with a simple drinking straw. Does it suck? Can they be serious? The invention is real enough.

The Myth of Racist kids
The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 made it law for schools to report ‘racist incidents’ to local authorities. A growing race relations industry has moved into schools, and even nurseries, to supposedly combat prejudice in children as young as three. In discussion with a studio audience, film-maker and anti-racist campaigner Adrian Hart argues the idea of racist kids is a myth and intervention can in fact create ethnic tensions and says we should leave the kids alone.

From Macpherson to the BNP: Race today
Everyone got their rocks off about the BNP on the BBC’s Question Time, meanwhile politicians have been competing to say they will limit immigration to the UK in order to stop the BNP. If everyone wants to clamp down on immigration what has happened to anti-racism you may well ask. The highlights of this debate, filmed at the Battle of Ideas provide some important answers.

Frugal TV: The beauty range
Frugal TV is a new and truly alternative shopping channel dedicated to environmentally conscious shopping on a tight budget. Learning from the ‘Blitz spirit’ its beauty product range show the opportunities to be financially lean, green and beautiful are endless. Austerity chic is where it’s at.

Ethical shopping: The pros and cons
Does ethical shopping improve life for our peers in the developing world? The UK now spends nearly £40bn a year on ethical products. But is this really more about making Westerners feel good? What about ethical trading schemes and ensuring we know the goods we buy are sourced from industries globally with sound labour practices? The highlights of this feisty debate, filmed at the Battle of Ideas festival with speakers: Ceri Dingle WORLDwrite director; Pauline Tiffen Divine Chocolate company founder and Dan Rees from the Ethical Trading Initiative, may make you think again about what you put in your trolley.

Nepal: The struggle for a democracy
For 400 years Nepal was a Hindu kingdom, ruled by successive monarchs. In 2006 a massive
uprising forced King Gyanendra to step down and a democracy was introduced. Tasi Lama and the head of the People’s Liberation Army Commander Anant give accounts of the uprising and talk about their vision for the transformation of Nepal, currently one of the poorest nations on earth.

Don’t shout at the telly: An army of emotion
In this month’s compelling on the sofa discussion, young volunteers consider the response to the death of British soldiers in Afghanistan. John Conroy argues the terrible tragedy for families should be a personal one and our emotional reactions will not help clarify what’s going on but further undermine the politics we need.

Reproduction: Whose right to choose?
Should decisions about abortion, IVF treatment and sex selection be a matter for parents and ultimately the women involved or is there more to it? This glimpse of a debate at the Battle of Ideas festival, supported by the Welcome Trust and British Pregnancy Advisory Service is really revealing.

A filmed round-up of what’s on presented by Ruje Yasmin, is available at:
www.worldbytes.org/programmes/012/012_001.html

All the programmes are available to watch at www.worldbytes.org

WORLDbytes is an alternative on-line channel of reports and programmes created by young volunteers. They aim to get behind the headlines and promote a people-first perspective on a wide-range of issues. The programme’s credo is “don’t shout at the telly, change the message on it”.

WORLDwrite provides free film training for young people interested in volunteering with its news channel WORLDbytes. Details of the latest training sessions and an online application form are available at www.worldbytes.org/volopps.html

For more information and interviews contact:

Viv Regan
Email: vivregan@btconnect.com
Tel: +44 (0)7939 449 604
or +44 (0)20 8985 5435

Ceri Dingle
Email: ceridingle@btconnect.com
Tel: +44 (0)7866 806 918
or +44 (0)20 8985 5435