Video can be a very effective tool for teaching and for reaching us emotionally. A really good video can make a more significant impact in a few minutes than a whole library of books or crowd of experts. Recently I came across a new promotional video by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), called "This is Who We Are." The gist of the video's message is that we're better than the horrific cruelty we perpetrate on animals (and that ALDF is working every day to protect animals).
See if you don't find this video (and the great music) as affecting as I did. Even though it's a promo for a specific organization, it's still a great tool for sparking discussion about who we are as human (and humane) beings:
~ Marsha
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2 comments:
Wow. In your experience working with children and youth, are "shock" tactics effective? I ask because I know I tend to "turn off" if I feel like somebody is trying to force me into believing anything, or seeing something that I am not ready to see. I remember being exposed to this kind of presentation many times in high school, and its true that I remember the presentations, but I definitely do not feel empowered or hopeful that things could be different. seems to me that no matter what you try to say to a group after this video, kids might just leave feeling overwhelmed and depressed!! Some pretty graphic images in there, though Im sure it could be much worse ~
I really enjoy and appreciate this blog, now that I have childern I just wonder what is usual at this time.
Hi, Monika,
Thanks for your comment. Humane education is never about traumatizing someone or trying to tell them what to think or believe. In fact, as humane educators, we emphasize to our audiences not to take our word for it and to go out and do their own research. Humane education is about providing age-appropriate accurate information and helping people think critically about these issues.
In my own humane education presentations, I'm careful not to use images or video that are too graphic. Other humane educators have had positive results using more graphic video clips and images with older youth (high school and up). Much of it depends on what's age-appropriate, and that's something that varies according to the audience and the context. It's challenging for humane educators to walk that fine line of providing accurate information and sparking people to think, while not causing them to shut down because of what they're learning. There is no magic formula.
I hope this helps :) So glad you enjoy the blog!
Peace,
Marsha
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