Nashe Maalo Children's TV Programme - Macedonia

Broadcast on both Macedonian- and Albanian-language channels, the half-hour show stars Karmen, an animated building whose mission is to harbour peace. She has been trying to talk to the grown-ups for years, but they have never listened. In their children, though, she sees a great capacity for learning, understanding, generosity, and kindness. Karmen selects six children from Macedonian, Roma, Turkish, and Albanian backgrounds, and creates an opportunity for them to meet. By leading them on journeys through magical doorways, she provides them with the opportunity to see and learn about the world from each other's perspectives. In light of the fighting that occurred in 2001, the fall 2002 season focuses on the topic of hope.

An in-school series extension and community outreach programme encourage viewing of the show in more intimate settings. Conflict Resolution Games, a programme currently operating in 4th-grade classes in over 100 schools throughout Macedonia, will have access to tapes of the Nashe Maalo and conflict-resolution curriculum. In addition, 80,000 copies of a parents' guide (written in Albanian, Macedonian, and Turkish) were distributed to parents of 4th through 6th graders across the country.

A CD of music from locally musicians performing songs from series is being produced as a follow-up to a music video that featured three of the country's pop stars - an Albanian, a Macedonian and a Rom - singing in each other's languages.

Children, Conflict.

After a period of formative research, seminars, and work with local writers and producers, a Production Team was established. This team consists of approximately 100 professionals and support staff from the Macedonian, Albanian, Turkish and Roma communities. The child actors that star in the series also hail from all four groups. Nashe Maalo offers ongoing training opportunities for the Production Team. Although a Resident Producer is also on hand to provide guidance at the set and in post-production, local professionals take on primary responsibility for the writing and production of Nashe Maalo, along with the day-to-day management of operations - skills they can continue to use after the series has concluded.

Nashe Maalo has won several honors for children's television programming, including the Zlatna Buba Mara Award For Best Children's Television of 2000.