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Youth Chat the Planet |
Baghdad Youth and a crew member on a hotel roof during taping.
Youth Chat the Planet
by Jen Nevins and Alex Recchio
Imagine a world where modern-day technology is used effectively as a forum for crossing cultural borders and embracing the union of humanity. This is the mission of the new groundbreaking global dialogue company Chat the Planet. Each mesmerizing episode presented on TV and online is a collection of prerecorded clips from multiple video conferences between youth from all over the world that have one thing in common--a determination to remove the cultural barriers between them.
The format is set up so that a group from the U.S.--anywhere from Ohio to New York--is only a high-definition video screen away from a group abroad including Baghdad, Capetown, and Jordan. Usually between ages 17 to 23, conversations between the engaged are so informative and inspiring as they face each other with difficult topics like racism, homosexuality, and war.
Despite the content of dialogue, what is most inspirational about Chat the Planet is the smile on everyone's face as each person uses the opportunity as a platform to not only use their words to communicate effectively--but their ears and hearts as well. It's apparent that the content stirs up confusion and differences of opinion but it doesn't stop anyone from listening, questioning and digging up the truth behind their differences to confront them head on. As a relatively new program, Chat the Planet has already reached millions. The 9-10 episodes that aired globally contacted about 30 million households in the Middle East, 5 million in Australia, and over 25 million through their American outlet, Link TV.
Michael Dibenedetto, assistant producer and business developer at NextNext Entertainment, says that by diversifying accessibility to global communication through multimedia, a cultural exchange in relationships is possible.
"It's all about creating bonds and building bridges," Michael says. "TV is a dominant way of communication that can portray a powerful message and create a quilt of understanding."
The inquisitive minds of youth at work are visible in this communication series. The existing concept of using today's media to unify voices is spreading and Chat the Planet is an exhilarating foreground for anticipated social change.
Chat the Planet has just produced a documentary, Hometown Baghdad, with a group of award-winning Iraqi filmmakers. The film follows the lives of young people in Baghdad and reveals portraits of their everyday lives.
"They so desperately want to be heard and understood by the rest of the world--by Americans in particular," says Michael, "and for this, they risked their lives every time they met with our crew and every time they turned their cameras on. Now it is up to us to get the world to watch."
Contact: Chat the Planet, www.chattheplanet.com
Tel: 212-375-2620 x203, Michael
The format is set up so that a group from the U.S.--anywhere from Ohio to New York--is only a high-definition video screen away from a group abroad including Baghdad, Capetown, and Jordan. Usually between ages 17 to 23, conversations between the engaged are so informative and inspiring as they face each other with difficult topics like racism, homosexuality, and war.
Despite the content of dialogue, what is most inspirational about Chat the Planet is the smile on everyone's face as each person uses the opportunity as a platform to not only use their words to communicate effectively--but their ears and hearts as well. It's apparent that the content stirs up confusion and differences of opinion but it doesn't stop anyone from listening, questioning and digging up the truth behind their differences to confront them head on. As a relatively new program, Chat the Planet has already reached millions. The 9-10 episodes that aired globally contacted about 30 million households in the Middle East, 5 million in Australia, and over 25 million through their American outlet, Link TV.
Michael Dibenedetto, assistant producer and business developer at NextNext Entertainment, says that by diversifying accessibility to global communication through multimedia, a cultural exchange in relationships is possible.
"It's all about creating bonds and building bridges," Michael says. "TV is a dominant way of communication that can portray a powerful message and create a quilt of understanding."
The inquisitive minds of youth at work are visible in this communication series. The existing concept of using today's media to unify voices is spreading and Chat the Planet is an exhilarating foreground for anticipated social change.
Chat the Planet has just produced a documentary, Hometown Baghdad, with a group of award-winning Iraqi filmmakers. The film follows the lives of young people in Baghdad and reveals portraits of their everyday lives.
"They so desperately want to be heard and understood by the rest of the world--by Americans in particular," says Michael, "and for this, they risked their lives every time they met with our crew and every time they turned their cameras on. Now it is up to us to get the world to watch."
Contact: Chat the Planet, www.chattheplanet.com
Tel: 212-375-2620 x203, Michael
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