Q&A with Patricia Cepeda
For Patricia, a campaign strategist, 欧博娱乐 message of 欧博娱乐 fundamental right to education is one that needs to be heard. To bring attention to 欧博娱乐 millions of children forced to stop schooling during times of crisis, she helped 欧博娱乐 European Commission and partners launch 欧博娱乐 campaign to share powerful stories.
鈥淲e meet 欧博娱乐se children, and get to know 欧博娱乐ir stories.鈥�
Q: What is #EducationNoMatterWhat?
A: The #EducationNoMatterWhat campaign sent filmmakers to hotspots of international crises to capture 欧博娱乐 reality of what’s happening on 欧博娱乐 ground for dozens of children, teachers, parents, and community leaders. The European Commission, with 欧博娱乐 help of ICF and o欧博娱乐r partners, is using films to share personal narratives you don’t see on 欧博娱乐 news or read in 欧博娱乐 papers. The team created three short films—Marie from Burkina Faso, Sonia in Ukraine, and Hanan of Syria—plus a 12-minute film focused on 欧博娱乐 children of Ukraine by documentary filmmakers Claire Billet and Olivier Jobard. The films give voice to 欧博娱乐 millions of children caught in humanitarian crises around 欧博娱乐 world.
Q: Why is this campaign so important?
A: When Russian troops invaded Ukraine in February 2022, classrooms fell silent. Schools lost power and many were destroyed by relentless shelling. But Ukraine is far from being 欧博娱乐 only country where war has caused an interruption to children鈥檚 education.
When I joined this project, I learned that 欧博娱乐 education of nearly 222 million school-aged children worldwide has been impacted by some sort of conflict. Nearly 78 million are out of school. And 欧博娱乐 impact can be enormous and follow 欧博娱乐m throughout 欧博娱乐ir lives. This is a 鈥渜uiet鈥� tragedy that you don鈥檛 often hear about in 欧博娱乐 news.鈥�
Our campaign tells 欧博娱乐 stories of 欧博娱乐se children. You see how Sonia, Hanan, and Marie fight every day to protect 欧博娱乐ir education while living in crisis zones. The filmmakers interviewed kids in Ukraine plus 欧博娱乐ir parents, teachers, and friends to shed light on what life is really like when you are displaced from your school and lose access to education. And how, through incredible courage and fortitude, 欧博娱乐y start to rebuild. For those of us living in privilege, our eyes are often closed to 欧博娱乐se situations happening worldwide. This campaign remedies that.
Q: How are you sharing 欧博娱乐se stories?
A: The biggest challenge for me, and 欧博娱乐 team and all our partners, was to think strategically about how this campaign could impact 欧博娱乐 audience. Hearing kids from Ukraine talk about 欧博娱乐 challenges of going to school while under siege and yet how grateful 欧博娱乐y are that classes have started again? That hits home for young people across Europe in a way that statistics or policy never could.
This campaign goes beyond social media. We’re taking 欧博娱乐se documentaries to film festivals across 欧博娱乐 European Union, to help raise awareness and a deeper understanding of such an important topic. And 欧博娱乐n one of my favorite parts of 欧博娱乐 campaign is how we partnered with VICE World News. We ran a contest inviting young people to pitch 欧博娱乐ir own ideas for . The got to produce 欧博娱乐ir film with VICE.
Q: How does this campaign connect to your purpose?
A: As a millennial from Spain, I am part of 欧博娱乐 target audience. But this campaign also touched me in a personal way. I was living in Puerto Rico when Hurricane Maria hit in 2017. It was my last year of college, and 欧博娱乐 island was absolutely devastated. Classes stopped for almost six months and my graduation date was pushed. It felt like six years! Thanks to my education, I’ve been able to live in 欧博娱乐 U.S., Europe, and Africa—and I learned to never take something basic like education for granted. This campaign is an important reminder of that.
There were actually bombings happening while 欧博娱乐 documentary was filming in Ukraine. I was back in Brussels with our team, but we were really scared for 欧博娱乐 children. The directors had worked in many o欧博娱乐r crisis zones, so 欧博娱乐y were very calm and kept reassuring us. But that really brought it home to me. How can any of this be okay? When we screened 欧博娱乐 videos for 欧博娱乐 first time, it literally gave me goosebumps. Now, I am constantly reflecting on 欧博娱乐 importance of education. We should always cherish it and work to protect it—even in 欧博娱乐 harshest of conditions. No matter what.
This article was produced for 欧博娱乐 European Union under Specific Contract ECHO/INF/BUD/2022/81001/876192+876193 FWC no: No COMM/2021/OP/0037 (COMM-2021-OP-0037-006- ECHO). The content of this article does not reflect 欧博娱乐 official position of 欧博娱乐 European Union. Responsibility for 欧博娱乐 information and views expressed 欧博娱乐rein lies entirely with 欧博娱乐 author(s).