Everything began quite simply in class seven in the Rosa-Luxemburg-School in Berlin. The class was looking at the topic of human rights, and as an example organization Amnesty International was introduced. The grade was to visit the Berlin Amnesty office and was encouraged to write a petition, in support of three young human rights activists in Myanmar (Burma) who had been arrested simply for protesting for better education, as unfortunately happens much too often in the military dictatorship.

One of the students was Marc Ludwig. That 15 year old boy could not believe, what takes place in the world, as human rights are trampled on. So he became active. Together with friends he created a working group at their school, in order to raise awareness with leaflets and petitions on the fate of the three young people in Myanmar. They collected supporters for the Amnesty petition, wrote appeal letters and organized cake bazaars.
Marc engaged himself then as a voluntary youth adviser in his Berlin district. His task: care for and connect groups of young people. To the assumption of office it tourte first times by the schools and presented to the pupils, which does in such a way amnesty. After their presentations many new groups of students developed, wanting to make their contribution in the fight against repression. Sometimes it seems as if young people are waiting for somebody to arrive with initiative and says how others can become active.

“Young people know simply know much too little about which rights are entitled to them, when these are hurt and what they are able to do to be active“,explains Marc, and therefore it wants to carry clearing-up work out?. “Not only in the third world human rights are hurt, but also directly in fact on our doorstep. Topics such as violence by government, domestic violence against women or neglect of protection-orders are also affecting us. “
Marc found like-minded spirits fast, not only in the new groups of pupils or internationally with Amnesty, but particularly in the Internet: By coincidence he discovered the largest international youth network on the Internet platform TakingITGlobal.org, also over 100.000 members. Here young activists from each corner of the planet meet, report from first hand on problems and solution methods in their homeland, presents their projects and ideas. The site also supplies information about international conferences and gives advice on how one best organizes a project,

Meanwhile Marc belongs to the tip of the spear of TakingITGlobal, and his life became just as international as this network: The International council meeting of Amnesty in Mexico, where he participated as youth delegates of the German section, back, he packed already again its suit-cases for the flight after Tunis, where he films for TakingITGlobal. Travellingbetween the continents has made Marc’s life fun, not only, because he meets many young openminded people and collects impressions from other countries, but above all, because a sense, a mission stands behind these journeys.
The current mission from Marc is called: Shout for your right! That is a cinema spot, which is to stop against violations to young humans in addition, to become active for their rights and for the human rights. The idea in addition came to him, when Amnesty turned an advertising spot and Marc asked himself, what does Amnesty concretely do, in order to offer also young participation possibilities. There did not occur to it not much, and the responsible persons with amnesty apparently also.

Therefore he started the initiative. In the city newspaper he published an advertisement, on the search for young people, who want to cooperate in an advertising spot for human rights. Approximately 60 interested ones, among them many students and beginning actors, announced themselves, and did them together to “the free group of films Berlin“. Honorary they sacrificed much time, trouble and also money, but after some preparation and only one turning day a 30-second-spot was finished.

The new generation film producers also to create an independent platform of all interested young people. They addressed organizations such as action of white peace, Unicef or bread for the world after (at least more idealistically) support, and since then the logos of these outstanding federations are at the homepage of “Shout for your right “.
At present the group is looking for money, in order to bring the Spot into the cinemas. 300 copies have already been sent to selected cinemas and afterwards in further cinemas to circulate to be supposed. Still the film producers do not know, where the money can come, but because of the support by the large federations one gives oneself optimistically that still another possibility opens itself.

On the homepage the initiative people can find finds information about how they can “Shout can for their right and the human rights”. An active data base is at developing: Whether one wants to support AIDS medicines in South Africa, the stop of the abuse of children as soldiers or the UN-Millenniumdevellopemt Goals: everywhere you can completely find concreate offers.
Marc will be working on this project for a while. He spends the day at the telephone, sending letters, and tapping at the keyboard writing emails.. Beside he has been working on another study into youth participation possibilities in federations, on behalf the child in need of help.
Where does he take the motivation from? “Many adults already gave up, if it means to fight for a better world with non-profit. Often they smile at this idealism and instruct themselves, we should rather worry about our own problems and that anyway nothing brings us a step forward. I believe, that they are simply wrong. We do not cover our mouth - we say what we think, because we may express ourselves and stand to our opinion. If by simply speaking we are not heard, then we need to shout instead of growing silent. “

if you have more questions you can visit
www.marcludwig.com
or write an email to marc@takingitglobal.org