Uniting Children For A Better World
"...if children were given the right environment to develop their potential."
The Social Harmony Project
(SHP) began as an initiative by children from Bangladesh and Cuba who
successfully performed in the World Amateur Children’s Theatre Festival in
Japan 2000 and Germany 2002. Their simple idea was to bring together two
very distinct and different cultures and show the world a positive image
of their respective societies, and what could be achieved if children were
given the right environment to develop their potential.
Mr Carlos A. Cremata, director of the Cuban children’s theatre group La
Colmenita (The Bee Hive), had recently finished a tour of the United
States of America and was very interested in creating a “fusion”
performance in Bangladesh, and acted upon this initiative in July 2002. He
made contact with the Peoples Theatre Association (PTA) in Bangladesh,
through Mr Alejandro Escalona, the South Asia representative for the Cuban
Ministry Culture, residing in Bangladesh.
The SHP received official endorsements from UNESCO and UNICEF in July 2003.
The SHP’s cultural exchange will symbolize the very best of Bangladesh and Cuba in the performing and fine arts and embody the 10 imperatives that form the basis of the rallying call for the Global Movement for Children. The children’s painting exhibitions will illustrate how fine art can celebrate the difference and complimentary nature of Bangladesh and Cuban culture. The fusion theatre will allow children from Bangladesh and Cuba to perform together on an internationally acclaimed stage and highlight their peace and harmony initiative to audiences from across the globe.
The SHP aims to:
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organise a cultural exchange between Bangladesh and Cuba in February and July 2004
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offer a global platform for children (aged between 7 and 14 years) to project the very best of their respective societies through theatre and fine arts
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promote a message of Social Harmony and the Rights of the Children
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produce learning points for peer to peer relationships and positive expression in children.
Among the objectives of SHP are to:
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facilitate the children’s theatre groups from either country to prepare and present a fusion presentation in Dhaka
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organise a day of theatrical workshops for 60 children from low income/disadvantaged backgrounds
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assist La Colmenita to perform a free, open air presentation at the esplanade in front of the parliament buildings
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exhibit the paintings of Cuban children at the Shishu Academy in Dhaka
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provide learning opportunities for rural and urban communities in Bangladesh and Cuba