Inspiring Film Raises Civic Awareness
30 Jan 2008 in Civic Participation
Abdullah Al Thawr is the Youth Programs Officer for the Democracy School, San'na, Yemen and the MEYI Youth Ambassador.
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Recently, I was watching a movie that was shown on one of the TV channels called "Pay it Forward" starring Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, and Haley Joel Osment. Pay It Forward is a 2000 American dramatic film based on the novel of the same name by Catherine Ryan Hyde.
The "Pay It Forward" Foundation and Movement focus on bringing back the idea of paying it forward to school age children, parents, and educators. The websites for this movement and foundation are at www.payitforwardfoundation.org and www.payitforwardmovement.org, which invite people to join this movement and share their stories.
The inspiring story of the movie made me put it on my "Must-See Movie List" for everyone who believes that he can make a change in this world. And to begin with, youth in the Middle East ought to be the audience number one for this movie as well as the Pay It Forward Movement, with hope that this will trigger the spirit among them to change their lives into a better one filled with hope far away from the frustrations and depressions that are faced by thousands of youth in this region as a result of their difficult life situations.
I will try to give a small enough description so as not to ruin the movie for those who haven't watched it.
The movie talks about a 12 year old boy named Trevor (played by Haley Joel) who has just started grade seven in middle school. During his first class of social studies, the teacher gives the students an assignment which asks them to "think of an idea that can change the world, and put it into action". Through gripping, emotional and inspiring events, the film shows the inspiring idea that Trevor created and tried to put into action. Trevor's idea is described as an obligation to do three good deeds for others in repayment of a good deed that one receives. Such good deeds should be things that the other person cannot accomplish on their own. In this way, the need to help one another can spread exponentially through society, creating a social movement with the goal of making the world a better place. It is an inspiring start for anyone who dreams of changing his community, his country or even the world by helping the others, and for those who plan to make a wide movement for this change to come true.
Today is the right opportunity for us as youth and community leaders, NGOs, civil society institutes, thinkers and academics to start applying the same idea in the Middle East countries through programs and campaigning in an attempt to encourage volunteering and community service among youth. So, let us start structuring a practical work plan to apply at local levels in the Middle East countries.
I invite everyone to watch it and share his/her insights and views with us.
Reference: Some sentences of movie description are quoted from Wikipedia Encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pay_It_Forward
