ABSTRACT
In the current humanitarian crisis, pictures and stories about children and young people have been widely circulated in the global media arena. Though children and youth are pictured frequently, what rarely appear in media are the actual voices, opinions, hopes and desires of children and youth themselves. In essence, they are rarely invited to actually participate in media creations, productions and programs in a meaningful way to tell their own stories or to engage in public dialogue. Youth, as well as adults, are largely dependent on media organizations and humanitarian workers to tell their stories during crises, as well as during the often prolonged periods of displacement. Youthful voices are also usually excluded from the wider global dialogue that includes humanitarian affairs in public discourse in general. Yet they are disproportionately affected by the humanitarian crises that have come to define our world. This article details the work of educators, media producers and United Nations Organizations and NGOs to include youth media in global dialogue, outlining the need for youth media literacy education and support. It documents the successes of global youth video festivals that feature expressive and essential youth-produced media.
