something to check out

A couple weeks ago, as I was semi-drugged with Tylenol PM, battling a raging migraine, I plopped myself in front of the tube and watched this beautiful film about Sesame Street around the world. I was so deeply heartened to watch the production process in action. Instead of taking the US version of Sesame Street, and dubbing it into "fill in the blank" language, they send people from the Children's Television Workshop to the country of development to work with people from that country. They act more as advisers instead of directors.

It was beautiful to watch groups of people discuss how they can best address the educational and safety needs of the children in their country. They are actively teaching tolerance and reconciliation between historically divided ethnic groups. One woman in this documentary says that while many children in Kosovo already have negative feelings towards one another, it is through this dialogue that we create more space and understanding for the next generation. This speaks to hope for the future and for peace.

I thought this project was beautiful, creative and in a way it is indeed revolutionary. Sesame Street in the US was revolutionary - created in the late 70's to assist low income children learn the ABCs and numbers, so they could be on pace with children who had the luxury of pre-school. Of course Sesame Street has become a marketing empire, but I really believe that it still holds true to its original goals and as it moves around the world into places where children are working at the age of six in trash dumps to help their family eat. Sesame Street is able to reach out to them and help them grow and develop. Even the muppets are developed with each culture's needs and traditions in mind. In South Africa there is a muppet with HIV, since HIV/AIDS is so prevalent in the everyday lives of so much of the population. I think it is wonderful that they are addressing it, instead of treating it like a silent ghost that the puritanism of the US doesn't want anyone to talk about. I remember the conservative backlash about this, back when the muppet was created.

Anyhow - click on the entry title for a link to the film - you may still be able to catch it on PBS, though it is also available on Amazon.