Not always easy, but eventually enriching, cultural differences appeared in the DIGIT-E-MED Meeting that took place in Greece last October/2013 (for the program and further details see https://digitmed.wordpress.com/2013/10/02/conference_greece_oct2013/). Even though we, the participants, are all academics, nothing better than our researches to show how different we are and how human are our emotions. Dedication and passion for academic investigation probably are the only characteristics that the whole group shares, however, what more could we ask for? Diverse voices spoke, stood their own ground, made everybody sensitive towards their work, why not say, perhaps, cause?
While talking about gestural communication, Prof. Dr. Norval Baitello shared his thoughts on what human communication might be and, according to him, it’s all about capillaries, connections, between all that is important in a persons’ universe. This is what moves us, what drives us, just as the videos analyzed by Prof. Dr. Manolis Dafermos, Prof. Dr. Sofia Triliva and Dr. Christos Varvantakis showed. Kids reflection on their country’s situation, Greece, in a crisis that their inhabitants aren’t used to. Consequently, this youth is making sense of their future through video media.
Prof. Dr. Dafermos, supported by Prof. Dr. Triliva, discussed the difficulties involving digital media research, especially while dealing with contemporary youth, so well self-educated when it comes to media apparatus but in need of guidance in these uncertain times. A direct connection to the Indian youth presented by Dr. Supriya Chotani in her article. Political stands during protests in 2012/2013 in form of online and offline protest, evidencing what the entire group believes: digital media is used to enlighten youngsters’ life; it’s a tool for a greater good, at least in discourse.
Also dialoguing with Prof. Dr. Dafermos concerns with the methodological and epistemological investigations in media education, was the research presented by Dr. Prof. Fernanda Liberali and her group. Yet the wish to transform through media education wasn’t shaken, they shared the difficulties and the resistance presented by a group of students in São Paulo. Everyday practices were taken into account just as in Germany’s and India’s researches. The almost omnipotent presence of video games in lives of young Germans was an interesting aspect revealed by Dr. Nino Ferrin. The importance of the relationship with digital media also appeared in Prof. Dr. Gurram Srinivas and Dr. Anil Kumar Patel work. As was reported by Dr. Natalya Ulanova, but in a whole different matter. In the Russian’s case, media education is clearly a significant part of self-reassurance to children with special needs.
Such diverse group points to a unit: comprehending media education. Respecting cultural differences but also identifying bounds that keep us together. Seeing through others people’s eyes, learning from their experience was definitely the objective accomplished.
Nádia Lebedev
P.S. In the following link you can find an article about the conference in the greek press: http://www.rethnea.gr/article.aspx?id=9109 [Greek]
Global Perspectives on Learning and Development with Digit@l Video-Editing Media 