Approach 1 – SarahS

ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE IN THE UNITED STATES

Draw attention to the pathetic child marriage laws in America as a way to encourage people to look into the issue and take a stand against it.

Background

Statistics show that in the US, there have been more than 200,000 child marriages in the last 15 years, some being girls as young as 12 years old.

Child marriage in the United States is a silenced issue, swept under the rug. As a cultural issue, I think it is major, but not very well known. Or perhaps people choose to look the other way, refusing to believe that those kinds of things could be happening in the United States, a major world leader. There are Child Labor Laws, Child Protective Services, and many other ways that children are protected in this nation, and yet marriage is not one of them? Too often young girls are being pressured into marriages that they are afraid to contest on their own.

Many times there is psychological manipulation involved in these parent-approved marriages, as well as an effort to avoid statutory rape charges on behalf of the man involved (9 states allow underage girls who are pregnant to marry, which legitimizes the pregnancy as well as the rape).

Explanation:

This project would just be the beginning of what could be a long-term relationship with already established organizations help to further the cause against child marriage. My first step involves creating simple posters with shocking, but true, facts about child marriage and placing them around places and on social media that would attract attention. The less “shocking” posters could be placed in Pediatricians offices, while others at community-centered areas like colleges, parks, and libraries (if they’ll let me).

Budget:

My budget is initially low. Because I have the Adobe Creative Suites on my computer, I could come up with posters for what a subscription for the software costs. As I gained support or the interest of organizations, I could create more elaborate media (videos, photos for the posters, promoting of social media posts, etc…).

Credits:

Unchained At Last, Frontline Podcast, Tahirih Justice Center, Graphic at the top

Overview
*Original posters are a good start, maybe aim for a “design/look” but with some variety; e.g. use your color scheme & man/woman image, but vary the image as well as text–so we see the problem (i.e. one could be man striking a very young woman); also while you list credit organizations and mention possible relationship, I’m not clear how this would work. How about partnership with Bangor Partner for Peace: http://www.partnersforpeaceme.org You might want to borrow their design colors, or ask them to add a menu to their site for this topic–if you can actually create a project around this? They have internships for college students, so you might work with a current intern on this project, and/or design a new “new media” internship for a student to help with this kind of campaign? I think they would be very supportive if you called them to describe your project (if you decide to pursue this as your main project).
Concept
* many-many? web; social media; community organization, possible college interns?
* NMD strategies? visualize, mobilize, network
* central issue/concept? educate people about cild marriage laws to promote change in laws
Design
* clear/apt? yes, good start; could use some variety, and briefer text: “Nine states allow child marriage to cover up rape and force girls to marry their rapists”
* interactive/participatory? so far, it’s just poster to educate; could use some interactive aspect, a call to action; see http://www.partnersforpeaceme.org/get-involved/ for a whole page of ways they say volunteers can help…
Technical
* tech? good posters; campaign might benefit for either social media campaign, or website, or link to local organization (best)
* sustainable? uses currently in place tech plus posters to help girls forced into marriage
Audience
* audience? who is the audience? is it the public? state legislators? both? in which states? women? men? who can make this change fastest?
Creativity
* personal mark? Good use of posters & design idea, though it’s still basic; not yet really creative or original solution to problem–could push the creativity and cleverness of approach.

One thought on “Approach 1 – SarahS”

Joline Blais says:

February 26, 2018 at 5:22 pm

Overview
*Original posters are a good start, maybe aim for a “design/look” but with some variety; e.g. use your color scheme & man/woman image, but vary the image as well as text–so we see the problem (i.e. one could be man striking a very young woman); also while you list credit organizations and mention possible relationship, I’m not clear how this would work. How about partnership with Bangor Partner for Peace: http://www.partnersforpeaceme.org You might want to borrow their design colors, or ask them to add a menu to their site for this topic–if you can actually create a project around this? They have internships for college students, so you might work with a current intern on this project, and/or design a new “new media” internship for a student to help with this kind of campaign? I think they would be very supportive if you called them to describe your project (if you decide to pursue this as your main project).
Concept
* many-many? web; social media; community organization, possible college interns?
* NMD strategies? visualize, mobilize, network
* central issue/concept? educate people about cild marriage laws to promote change in laws
Design
* clear/apt? yes, good start; could use some variety, and briefer text: “Nine states allow child marriage to cover up rape and force girls to marry their rapists”
* interactive/participatory? so far, it’s just poster to educate; could use some interactive aspect, a call to action; see http://www.partnersforpeaceme.org/get-involved/ for a whole page of ways they say volunteers can help…
Technical
* tech? good posters; campaign might benefit for either social media campaign, or website, or link to local organization (best)
* sustainable? uses currently in place tech plus posters to help girls forced into marriage
Audience
* audience? who is the audience? is it the public? state legislators? both? in which states? women? men? who can make this change fastest?
Creativity
* personal mark? Good use of posters & design idea, though it’s still basic; not yet really creative or original solution to problem–could push the creativity and cleverness of approach.

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