Oxfam GB in Indonesia In Action

Film is a media that has the biggest power in influencing its audiences.  It can capture different points of time in life such as in struggles and happiness, in the form of perfect live portraits.  

One of the uses of film is to empower people which is known as Community Video.  Its role is increasingly more important than before, especially in the past few years. Community Video is a tool to encourage social change because it is based on real experience, need and expectation of a community in a particular place.  

Based on such thinking, Oxfam GB located in Papua has taken an important step in improving the ability and experience of its partners in making community video.  

Oxfam GB Papua organised Video Training for 3 (three) days from 4 – 6 March 2008 in Yasmin Hotel, Jayapura. 

“Oxfam believes that internal changes come from within every individual. Video training has an objective to improve the ability of local NGO so that they can use the film as an alternative media to achieve various objectives, for instance in voicing their interests, using it as a tool for advocacy or to make social change and a tool for self-learning from them for them,” said Roy Rindorindo, area programme officer from Oxfam GB Papua.  

The training was led by three film professionals who have produced many independent and commercial films.

“We are very grateful to see such enthusiastic responses from the participants in Papua. I know that the training was exhausting due to a great deal of materials that had to be fitted into such limited time. Not to mention that we need to conduct the shooting on real location, such as along the Sentani Lake to get special footages. “said Muhammad Yogi, one of the trainer.  

On the last day before the wokshop was officially closed, Theo, one of the participants from Jayapura said, ”It is a great pity that the training is very short due to limited time.  I would like to learn a lot more from our mentors.  I feel that this training is very useful for me as it helps me to understand how the film is made from start to finish. I am sure that I can use this knowledge in the future.”