British Red Cross launches student's online videos competition

Following the release of the “Robots in War” interactive teaching resource, the British Red Cross is launching an exciting students’ online video challenge aimed at exploring the relationships between people and machines in conflict. The project is funded by the Bonita Trust, which supports programmes that use technology and the internet to deliver benefits to communities both in the UK and internationally.

Ruth Parasol DeLeon of the Bonita Trust Advisory Board commented: “As well as benefiting charities, we hope that the Media Award will both reward and provide an incentive to students to engage in the humanitarian and global issues highlighted by the Robots in War online resource”:

Interested participants have to be under the age of 18, and can enter the competition by uploading their videos to school websites, personal blogs and social media sites such as YouTube and Radiowaves. Entrants will then email the British Red Cross education team reducation@redcross.org.uk with the link to their video 

Nadia Robinson of the British Red Cross education team said:
“We are offering £150 cash to the winner while £350 can be donated to the charity of the video-makers' choice.  In addition, the first fifty entrants will be awarded £50 to go to a charity of their choice.

“As a simple idea, one or a group of students can pick a question about robots, do a vox pop asking the views of a few people, edit the clips and post it online. The winning prize will be awarded for innovation, humanity and interest. We are hoping that the intriguing topic of robots will allow students to explore aspects of international humanitarian law as well as how people experience modern warfare,” she explained.

The latest online initiative from the British Red Cross education team can be viewed at www.redcross.org.uk/robotsinwar. The Bonita trust funded the Red Cross to develop an interactive humanitarian education project to engage students and teachers on global issues.

The videos cover the remote operation of unmanned drones, medical robots that retrieve the wounded from battle, mine detectors, armed border guards and much more.

For more information on the British Red Cross online humanitarian education resources, please visit www.redcross.org.uk/education