The contest encouraged them to express their understanding of children’s rights through digital storytelling. The winners were recently announced during the Children’s Rights Workshop held in February 2024 at the OSCE Academy. Other participants were also recognised, followed by a guided tour of the Academy.
A Platform for Youth Voices
Participants were invited to create short video reels highlighting key aspects of children’s rights, such as education, protection from violence, equality, and freedom of expression. The initiative provided a unique platform for teenagers to share their perspectives, experiences, and advocacy messages in an engaging format.
The submissions reflected powerful personal insights, and three outstanding videos were recognised in different categories:
- Most Touching Video – “Every child is important! Every child is needed!” highlights the daily responsibilities placed on a young girl—fetching water, childcare, cleaning—while she is denied the chance to enjoy her own childhood.
- Most Motivating Video – “Equality in education is a right, not a privilege” inspires action and advocacy for equal access to education.
- Most Creative Video – “What can be done instead” showcases how children can foster a collaborative, inclusive, and respectful environment.
The first video was created by Aliya Turdalieva, a 14-year-old student studying in Bishkek who comes from a village. Interested in creativity and public speaking, Aliya saw the competition as a great opportunity to reach out to adults and advocate for children’s right to childhood. Familiar with the issue of clean water and how adults often shift their responsibilities onto children—thereby stifling their potential—Aliya invited her younger brother and sister to star in the video.
I didn’t just want to show—I wanted everyone who watched to feel it.
The result is a deeply emotional story that resonates with anyone who sees it.
The second video was produced by Timur Rasulov, a 14-year-old student of the “Eureka” School in Bishkek. Timur runs his own YouTube channel, where he shares his life experiences and creates motivational and educational videos. He chose the topic Right to Education to highlight how many children and teenagers around the world still lack access to education, and to show how children themselves can be part of the solution.
It is education that helps children make decisions, understand the world around them, work in a team, and achieve their goals. Education is not a privilege, but a right that every child should have.
The third video was created by Nurkiyazova Salidat, a 14-year-old student from the village of Chym-Korgon in the Kemin Region of Kyrgyzstan. She was encouraged to join the contest by her biology teacher, who also runs a school media club where students learn to shoot, edit, and produce videos. With her teacher’s guidance, Nurkiyazova’s class focused on the problem of bullying—“how difficult it is when you are not accepted, and how important it is to notice such situations.” Together, the students decided to create a video that would not only depict the problem but also offer a solution. They wrote the script, selected the scenes, rehearsed, and filmed—all with the intention of delivering an important message:
Everyone deserves kindness, respect, and support, and there is always a way to do the right thing.
By blending creativity with advocacy, the “My Rights” Reels Contest empowered young people to take an active role in promoting children’s rights—demonstrating that digital storytelling is a powerful tool for social change.
Check out the three best videos!