Thessaloniki has now come back to its usual quietness (and shiny sun, today 29th november, 17 degrees), but for nearly two weeks of mid autumn (4-13 november) the city was transformed in a Cinema Mecca, crowded with Cinema freaks, journalists, artists, directors, producers and so on. The film festival was going.

More than 140 movies, 5 sections, 5 retrospectives, a selection of short movies, experimental screenings and screenings for youngsters and schools.

I personally watched nearly 40 movies, so i can give a detailed summary of the originality and beauty of this event, both from the organizing side, the illustrious guests and the public.

All the screenings were packed, no matter at what time, and queues of connoisseurs were forming in front of the cashiers to get the last tickets every day. With a card and some will, you could always enter.

There was no theme for the festival, but surely a big eye was given to new waves, new directors and with the Balkan Section, the cinema of Bulgaria, Turkey, Romania, Kosovo, Serbia and Bosnia was shown.

Big surprise for the new wave of Bulgarian Cinema, represented in Thessaloniki by the movie “Ave’”, by Costantin Bojanov, at his first feature. An autobiographic story of pureness, adolescence, hitchhiking and more; portrayed with a light and dreamy touch.

And, among all the Latin American movies shown (thanks!), a mention goes to “El estudiante” by the young Argentinian director Santiago Mitre, present at the screenings; a witty critique on the world of politics in the universities, namely in the new world capital Buenos Aires.

So, good cinema to all!

THE AWARDS:

Golden Alexander: Twilight Portrait by Angelina Nikonova (Russia 2011)

Silver Alexander: Eighty Letters by Vaclav Kadrnka (Czech Republic 2011)

Bronze Alexander: Porfirio by Alejandro Landes ( Colombia-Spain-Uruguay-Argentina-France 2011)

Best director: Mark jackson for Without (USA 2011)

Best screenplay: John Mcilduff (UK 2011)

Best actress: Stefania Goulioti for J.A.C.E. (Greece-FYROM–Portugal-Turkey-The Netherlands 2011)

Best actor: Wotan Wilke Mohering for The fire (Germany 2011)

Audience awards:

The Flood by Guy Nativ (Israel-Canada-Germany-France- 2010)

Super Demetrios by Georgios Papaioannou (Greece 2011)

The Enemy by Dejan Zecevic (Serbia-Bosnia&Herzegovina-Croatia-Hungary 2011)

Tyrannosaur by Paddy Constantine (UK 2011)

It ended last week the 25th annual Film Festival that Amnesty International Thessaloniki dedicates to Human Rights.
A project born as a rib of the biggest Thessaloniki International Film Festival, it has the same minds behind.
Activist and intellectuals of this city that have been operative for years since the miliary regime. And that at the end of the regime founded the local section of Amnesty International and, after , this Film Festival, that following a previous long season in Olympus Cinema is now hosted in the Port, at the Cinema Museum.

9 days of movies, 2 per nights, aimed at debating the issue of Human Rights on a global level.

We saw movies from all over the world, some tough to digest, as the latest Ken Loach’s movie “Route Irish”  about the exploitation of contractors ( armed bodyguards payed to protect privates in wars) in Irak; or the documentary “Everlasting Sorrow, Life after the Death Penalty” by David Andre and Jerome Mignard: an interview with Sean Sellers, condemned to death penalty at 16 years old that we see after 13 years of captivity, weeks before the execution. We will also see what happens next, with interviews to the other protagonists ten years after the execution: what has it brought to them?

The aim of this tribute festival is to sensitize and discuss internal controversies in our democracies and Amnesty International has been active for 50 years to defend and promote Human Rights.

http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/greece

The Manifesto contains Intentions and Beliefs of Youth Workers and Youngsters regarding Media and Media Literacy:

01. Media is images, sounds and text or a combination of them, created by people for people.

02. Media is a tool that people communicate with.

03. Media is connecting people and can facilitate relationships between people.

04. Media is an opportunity to share a message worldwide.

05. Media has a direct and everyday effect on our lives.

06. Media Literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media in a variety of forms.

07. A media literate person:

- is able to understand how and why people produce media
- is aware of manipulation and reacts to it out of personal choice, using critical thinking
- chooses what media to use, see, hear in daily life
- uses media creatively to express ideas and share information, in an accountable respectful way
- participate in society using media
- uses media to promote and claim human rights for himself/herself and others

08. We understand media as teaching and learning process

09. Everyone must have the opportunity to become media literate, through formal, informal and non-formal education, regardless of gender, disabilities, status, etc.

10. By developing media literacy we want to empower youth to take action in using media.

I, undersigned, fully agree to the above Manifesto

http://www.slideshare.net/globalsoma/3b-final-manifestoformatted

Η Global Soma θα συμμετέχει τον Οκτώβριο σε ένα διεθνές εκπαιδευτικό πρόγραμμα για τη χρήση των νέων μέσων.

Το πρόγραμμα θα υλοποιηθεί από το VEGA YC από 9 έως 16 Οκτωβρίου στη Σερβία.

Στη διάρκεια του 30 νέοι, εργαζόμενοι με νέους και εθελοντές από όλη την Ευρώπη θα μάθουμε να εργαζόμαστε μαζί και θα αναπτύξουμε νέες ικανότητες στη χρήση των νέων Μέσων.

Το κόστος συμμετοχής είναι 50Ε. Σε αυτά περιλαμβάνονται η εκπαίδευση, διαμονή και διατροφή για το σύνολο του προγράμματος.
Ταυτόχρονα, οι συμμετέχοντες θα πληρώσουν μόνο το 30% του εισιτηρίου.

Είναι μια καλή ευκαιρία αν σας ενδιαφέρει να εργάζεστε με τα νέα Μέσα (κυρίως video και internet) και μπορείτε να το παρακολουθήσετε αν έχετε μία βασική (ελάχιστη) κατανόηση της αγγλικής γλώσσας.

Αυτή τη στιγμή έχουμε 2 κενές θέσεις για Έλληνες συμμετέχοντες.

Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες δείτε το επισυναπτόμενο Info Letter.

Αν ενδιαφέρεστε επικοινωνείστε μαζί μας στο athina1707@hotmail.com

Organised by the ReDesign Informal Group in cooperation with Egyesek Youth Association, this project is a 10 days long exchange for young people from 5 different EU countries ( ITALY, CYPRUS, GREECE, SPAIN, HUNGARY), who want to learn and get new experience in the field of creative recycling, and share them in a creative way. This means will come together for 10 days, provide workshops and many ideas for each other, participants will sew, designing, paint, draw, cut, tint, hammer…involve local people from the villages, share  ideas and development, and present all the work for an audience.

Date: 18th – 28th September 2011

Place: Holloko, Hungary

Do you want to know more?

Download the Information Letter http://www.egyesek.hu/images/text/redesign.pdf

Apply now

Fill in the application form and send it to re.creativity2011@gmail.com

Summer Events of the International Synergy Group

Training for practical communication and coaching

4-10 Ιουλίου 2011, στο Ommen της Ολλανδίας. Το πρόγραμμα διοργανώνεται από το Olde Vechte Foundation. Είναι ένα εκπαιδευτικό πρόγραμμα σχεδιασμένο για εκπαιδευτικούς, ανθρώπους που δουλεύουν με νέους, managers, και εκπαιδευτές. Είναι αυτοχρηματοδοτούμενο

YES! Youth, Employability Skills

12-22 Ιουλίου 2011, στο Ommen της Ολλανδίας. Το πρόγραμμα διοργανώνεται από το Olde Vechte Foundation και το International Synergy Group, και χρηματοδοτείται από το πρόγραμμα Youth in Action. Υπάρχουν 40 θέσεις συμμετοχής απευθυνόμενες κυρίως σε άνεργους νέους, ηλικίας 16-25 από τις παρακάτω χώρες: Ελλάδα, Πορτογαλία, Ουγγαρία, Πολωνία, Λιθουανία, Ρουμανία, Σλοβακία, Ολλανδία.

Choice Training

Εκπαιδευτικό πρόγραμμα προσωπικής ανάπτυξης. 24-29 Ιουλίου 2011, στο Ommen της Ολλανδίας. Το πρόγραμμα διοργανώνεται από το Olde Vechte Foundation. Απευθύνεται σε κόσμο που έχει προηγουμένως συμμετάσχει στο Basic Synergy Training, και αυτή τη στιγμή υπάρχουν λίγες θέσεις ελεύθερες.

Event Wise – summer edition (Basic Synergy Training)

Εκπαιδευτικό πρόγραμμα προσωπικής ανάπτυξης. 13-20 Αυγούστου 2011, στο Ommen της Ολλανδίας. Το πρόγραμμα διοργανώνεται από το Olde Vechte Foundation. Είναι ανοικτό για συμμετοχή σε κόσμο κάθε ηλικίας και εθνικότητας!

Προγράμματα στην Ευρώπη

You(th) can be the director! – Σλοβακία

Διεθνής ανταλλαγή νέων. 18-28 Ιουλίου, στην πόλη Banska Bystrica, της Σλοβακίας. Η ανταλλαγή διοργανώνεται από την οργάνωση Preles Slovakia και χρηματοδοτείται από το πρόγραμμα Youth in Action. Οι χώρες που συμμετέχουν είναι παρακάτω, Ουγγαρία, Λετονία, Ελλάδα, Ρουμανία, Λιθουανία, Βουλγαρία, Σλοβακία. Οι αιτήσεις συμμετοχής είναι δεκτές μέχρι τις 31 Μαΐου, στα πρόσωπα επικοινωνίας από κάθε χώρα. Για λεπτομέρειες δείτε το επισυναπτόμενο info letter.

Unique and United – Τσεχία

Επικοινωνία και διαπολισμικότητα. 14-24 Ιουλίου, στην πόλη Kamenka, της Τσεχίας. Το πρόγραμμα διοργανώνεται από την οργάνωση Nase Kamenka και χρηματοδοτείται από το πρόγραμμα Youth in Action. Οι χώρες που συμμετάσχουν είναι οι παρακάτω: Ελλάδα, Τουρκία, Βουλγαρία, Ρουμανία, Ουγγαρία, Τσεχία, Κροατία. Προτεραιότητα έχουν μετανάστες και νέοι που ανήκουν σε μειονότητες.

Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες, μπορείτε να κατεβάσετε τα info letters που βρίσκονται επισυναπτόμενα στο email αυτό. Για να δηλώσετε συμμετοχή συμπληρώστε την δήλωση που υπάρχει σε κάθε info letter και στείλτε την στη διεύθυνση synergy.group.gr@gmail.com . Λόγω περιορισμένων θέσεων όσο πιο γρήγορα δηλώσετε τόσο πιο εύκολα μπορούμε να εγγυηθούμε ότι θα υπάρχουν θέσεις συμμετοχής. Για οποιαδήποτε απορία μη διστάσετε να επικοινωνήσετε μαζί μας!

Φιλικά,

Γρηγόρης Μιχαηλίδης,

Στέλλα Σαράτση,

Αλέξης Τσιάμογλου

A media literacy training for Multipliers for Audiovisual and Media Literacy Skills developed by Global Soma and the international Synergie Group

Title: Study Session; a study session for multipliers, youth workers and NGOs
Date: 6-12 june
Place: Budapest
Countries: HU, GR, IT, NL, LT plus all 42 members countries of the Council of Europe
Places availables: 35 (1/2 per country plus 4 participants per HU, GR, IT, NL, LT)
Cost: travel cost refunded up to 100% (340euro) plus 50 euro participation fee

What is this training about?

35 youth workers from the member countries of the Council of Europe will meet in Budapest for 6 days to answer the question: how can I use media as a process & tool with young people?
We will work in the form of workshops, audio- communication, and the exchange of good practices and practical solutions.

Global Soma is part of the International Synergy group, an informal network of associations that has developed a methodology for critical, informed and empowering use of new media in youth work.
This methodology makes our local youth activities even more attractive and engaging, personal development is brought to a level of awareness, and there is a considerable multiplying effect and visibility related to each project’s outcome.
Over the past years we have been doing various projects with less opportunities target groups, such as young people from children’s homes, youth from low socio- economic status families, and different minority groups. Now it’s time for us to share our methods, tools and philosophy across Europe, so that others can also benefit from the work we do.

You will:

• meet the existing good practises and successful methodological approaches in the cross-section of media education and youth work
• explore the implication of the role of new technologies and media in the life of young people
• draft recommendations regarding the use of audiovisual media
• identify key areas of media literacy that are essential for the access of young people

Ask for the application from this address:
viktoria.csakany@egyesek.hu

vimeo

“A flash mob (or flashmob) is a term coined in 2003 to denote a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and sometimes seemingly pointless act for a brief time, then disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment and/or satire. Flash mobs are organized via telecommunications, social media, or viral emails. The term is generally not applied to events and performances organized for the purposes of politics (such as protests), commercial advertisment, publicity stunts, that involve public relation firms, or paid professionals.”  (wikipedia.org).

Flashmobs are a way to communicate, break schemes and make free and public art. They give expression to the desire of people to be free and have a purpose at the same time, the desire to  be visible while self-expressing, together with people,  in an easy, positive and funny way. They dont need money or equipment, just the willingness of the participants and our (and your) camera to film it.

Flash mobs are a new way to join and be active.

You can have the chance to experience it here in Thessaloniki, this June, as a Global Soma’s local action, so stay tuned for more informations or register in our mailing list

vimeo

New Media Training Coming up!
9-17 April 2011

Press Play and Start Growing

vimeo

A media literacy traning developed by Global Soma-Greece, Synergie Romania-Romania, Zemgale NGO Centre-Latvia, Russian School Students Union-Lithuania, Semper Avanti-Poland, Informancne Centrum mladychziar-Slovakia, Akte-Estonia

Title: Press play and start growing, non formal educational training intended for everyone
Date: 10-16 april
Place:   Durau, Romania
Countries: GR, SLK, RO, LV, PL, EST, LT
Places available: 4 per country
Costs: 30% of travel and 0 euros participation fee

What is this training about?

Goals: Our exchange: “Press play and start growing intends to bring a completely new method of  personal development to the youth in Europe: media

The five senses are sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste. During the training we  introduce the sixth sense: communication throught media using all senses.

We will work with the question: How can the five senses join using media? How can we  communicate by other means than talking? What are the wins and the challenges?

You will:

• practice your leadership and teamwork skills
• see how (your) “image” works
• participate in activities, games and processes where movement, visualization, voices and sound will be actively used
• receive feedback on the impact of your communication from others around you
• experiment and play with media and all your sense
• learn methods for the creative use of media for activities with groups

Download a full lenght content & the Application Form! Hurry up! (the dead line has been extended)

A media literacy training developed by Global Soma

Title:    Media training for educators, trainers and youth workers
Date:    6-14 May
Place:    Prepes, Greece
Countries: ESP, GR, IT, HU, SLK
Places available:    5
Costs:    30% of travel and 50 euros participation fee

Online Prep Training: 5 April – 5 May

What is this training about?

Goal: To increase the quality and quantity of youth work by adding or improving the use of media as a tool in youth work.

This training is intended for experienced youth leaders from European countries interested in introducing media as a tool in their organizations and in their work with young people.

You will:

• learn new media by creating media
• discover what is your personal visual culture
• create a mental & physical state that supports your learning style
• be equipped with basic audiovisual competences
• draft and add recommendations to the New Media Literacy Charter for Youth
• develop your online and physical marketing skills
• learn to deal with difficult issues
• transform yor ideas into a product, presentable at the end of the Training Course

Practical information about costs, arrival-departure  & accommodation

Content & Programme

Download the Application form!

This training course is part of the 18months long-term project Video Volunteers – Solidarity in the Age of Social Media.

This meeting is the first event, then there will be four more:

• a flashmob organized in Greece in June
• a media exchange in Hungary
• video productions in Greece for six months and
• a meeting in Spain in October

Participants of this long term project will practise to organize flash-mobs, media workshops and to lead groups of less opportunities youngsters successfully.

Bring video activism in youth work!

Educational programs for Greeks residents in Europe

Travel & Learn 04-06 | 2011

Romania, Iasi 10-16 April 2011	Prespa, Greece 6-14 Μay 2011	Prespa, Greece 15-23 Μay 2011	Budapest, Hungary 5-12 June 2011
Press Play and Start Growing!
Information Letter and Application Form	Content & Programme Practical details Information Letter Application Form	Content & Programme Practical details Information Letter Application Form	Information Letter request Application Form at viktoria.csakany@gmail.com
Participation fee 70€ Travel refunded up to 192€	Participation fee 50€ Travel refunded up to 30%	Participation fee 50-75€ Travel refunded up to 30%	Participation fee 50€ Travel refunded up to 340€

Δήλωσε το ενδιαφέρον σου μέσω email:

global.soma@gmail.com

A media literacy training developed by Global Soma within the Birth of Image partnership

Title:    Digital Puzzle – Media training for educators, trainers and youth workers
Training dates: 15-23 May (arrival 15th, departure 23rd)
Place: Prepes, Greece
Countries: HU, RO, LT, ES, IT, FR, NL, SI, SK, MT, GR
Places: 2 participants per country
Cost:    30% of travel and 40-65 euros participation fee
(depending on your country of origin)
Online prep training: 18 April – 15 May 2011

What is this training about?

Goal: To increase the quality and quantity of youth work by adding or improving the use of media as a tool in youth work.

This training is intended for experienced youth leaders from European countries interested in introducing media as a tool in their organizations and in their work with young people.

You will:

• participate in media production try-it-yourself sessions
• practice basic audiovisual skills and critical thinking about media
• learn how to bring youth-related issues to mainstream media
• develop strategic thinking for nonprofit organisations
• use social and audio visual media as working method
• participate in sessions of creating educational materials which can be passed on to other youth organizations, ready to use
• learn to deal with difficult issues
• become aware of the opportunities provided by the European Commission for youth work

Download the Application form!

A media literacy training developed by Global Soma and the Olde Vechte foundation

Title:    Media training for educators, trainers and youth workers
Date:    2-11 March
Place:    Netherlands, Ommen – Olde Vechte Foundation
Countries:    HU, LT, RO, TUR, LV, SK, FR, PT, CZ, NL, GR, IT
Places available:    2 per country
Costs:    30% of travel and 50 -75 euros participation fee
(depending on your country of origin, NL 150€)

What is this training about?

Goal: To increase the quality and quantity of youth work by adding or improving the use of media as a tool in youth work.

This training is intended for experienced youth leaders from European countries interested in introducing media as a tool in their organizations and in their work with young people.

You will:

• participate in media production try-it-yourself sessions
• practice basic audiovisual skills and critical thinking about media
• learn how to bring youth-related issues to mainstream media
• develop strategic thinking for nonprofit organisations
• use social and audio visual media as working method
• participate in sessions of creating educational materials which can be passed on to other youth organizations, ready to use
• learn to deal with difficult issues
• become aware of the opportunities provided by the European Commission for youth work

Practical information about costs, arrival-departure  & accommodation

Download the Application form!
Download the analytical daily programme!

Global Soma Youth Association is currently being re-structured as a result of a successful first year of operation in Greece and in projects in Europe. During 2009/2010 we have involved approximately 80 Greek young people in our programmes, and achieved a very high visibility through our flagship projects: Birth of Image and Capturing Reality. We have invited Athina Mourtiadou (Paidiko Xorio, media educator & youth worker) to join the staff of the organization on a project basis, and from March 2011 we are hosting two European volunteers in Thessaloniki. The successful cooperation with the International Synery Group (Netherlands) and the Youth4Media Network (Germany) means that more opportunities are ahead in 2011 for Greek young people, university students and adult learners.

Global Soma founder Miki Ambrozy has returned from a mission in Austria, where he was filming volunteerism in two Austrian NGOs, as a part of his work as the Relay reporter of the European Year of Volunteering 2011. The trailer for the upcoming video reports is posted on our video channel on Vimeo. An article on the journey has been published on the official website of the EYV 2011, you can read it here (in Hungarian).

To sign up to our newsletter on Greek places for international projects, click here.
To become a volunteer at the organization, click here.
To donate a small amount to support our activities, click on the button on the sidebar!

Εργαστήρια Οπτικοακουστικής Κατάρτισης στην Ευρώπη

θέσεις συμμετοχής 02-04 | 2011

Ολλανδία, Ommen 2-12 Μαρτίου 2011	Σερβία, Βελιγράδι 16-25 Μαρτίου 2011	Ιταλία, Poggio Mirteto 20-27 Μαρτίου 2011	Ρουμανία, Iasi 14-22 Απριλίου 2011
Information Letter Information PDF Application form	Information PDF	Information Letter	Information PDF
Κοστος συμμετοχης 75€ Πληρωμένα έξοδα ταξιδιού έως 275€	Κοστος συμμετοχης 50€ Πληρωμένα έξοδα ταξιδιού έως 52€	Κοστος συμμετοχης 0€ Πληρωμένα έξοδα ταξιδιού έως 225€	Κοστος συμμετοχης 50€ Πληρωμένα έξοδα ταξιδιού έως 160€

Δήλωσε το ενδιαφέρον σου μέσω email:
global.soma@gmail.com