If given the golden opportunity, can mere children rise up and tackle social and political issues - that have challenged their parents for decades - and effect real change?
After screening "The World We Want" - an uplifting documentary which premiered at the AFI Fest this afternoon - I wholeheartedly assert that the answer is a resounding "yes".
The well-crafted doc focuses on an organization - Project Citizen - which gives children from a handful of participating Nations around the globe an opportunity to launch a project that addresses the needs of a particular community.
The ones that show promise from the get-go ranged from one that focused on the need for clean drinking water in an African Village, to a call for stringent controls on underage gambling in Russian, and an altruistic goal to create a constitution in a war-torn town crying out for a healing solution.
The inspirational log follows the students as they struggle to convince local and national leaders to implement their proposed ideas for the good of all in the community.
Like their parents before them, the "dreamers" run smack dab into red tape - and the tangles of bureaucracy that threaten to thwart their unselfish plans - before they get out of the starter's gate.
In the final analysis - after marvelling at their bold-faced efforts for a call to action - it becomes quite evident that children from races of all persuasion (as one astute young lady pointed out) are the same at the "core".
And - of course - each is just as enthusiastic, emotional, passionate, articulate, engaging, and determined - as the other in pursuit of a vision for a future they recognize they must seize as their own.
After reviewing hundreds of the programs - and taking stock of the issues that were tackled - producer Patrick Davidson selected eight stories to feature in the upbeat "World We Want".
The tales are all heartwarming and inspiring.
"We the People - Project Citizen" is an international program for young people funded by the U.S. Department of Education, by an act of Congress (1995).
The program is administered and implemented in the U. S. and abroad by the Center for Civic Education (CCE) which is a National and International leader in Civic Education.
It's important to note that the documentary, on the other hand, was financed entirely through private investments.
"The World We Want" screens: November 8th / 7:00 pm (MANN)
Ticket Info: http://www.afi.com/
In closing, I would like to point out that the project from Senegal for "clean water" was honored as the most worthy "Project Citizen" entry in a recent round of competitions.
Although the project to guarantee water to the town is underway - and should be operating in the near future - funds are still needed for basic parts essential to the proper function of the water tower.
"Angels" out there are kindly asked to consider making a contribution to "Project Citizen" so that the dream to provide a clean water facility may be fully realized by the children of this humble African Village.
Info: http://www.civiced.org/
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