Kids with Cameras would like to thank the amazing Human Rights Education team at Amnesty International for the development of this curriculum guide. Designed primarily for high school students, this guide consists of three lesson plans centered around the following topics: Personal & Collective Responsibility, The Transformative Power of Art, and Discrimination and the Right to Education. Also included are activities, critical thinking questions and appendices of additional resources. This guide meets national education standards and can also be used in informal settings such as house screenings, group meetings and film festivals.

Please visit our friends at Amnesty International for additional human rights education materials, resources and feedback.

For questions or feedback about this guide, please contact us at info@kids-with-cameras.org.

November 2007 – Thoughts from Zana Briski

When I first went to the brothels of Calcutta I had no idea what I was doing. Circumstances had led me there and I had a deep visceral reaction to the place. It was as if I recognized it on a very personal level.

It took me two years to get inside, to be able to live in a brothel. I knew this was the only way I would move from visitor to resident, to fully experience, as much as possible, what it was like for the women and children living there. It was a difficult but precious experience and one for which I will always be grateful. I had the opportunity to understand lives lived behind closed doors, to help — when it was asked of me — in any way I could, and to communicate powerful stories with the outside world.

It has been my dream, since the beginning of the project, to inspire others to feel, to notice, to challenge, to take action. Some of the most inspiring moments I have had are at screenings of Born into Brothels at schools across the country. American children are riveted by the kids from Calcutta. They connect with them through the film in a way only kids can. Kids want to share, to know more, to get involved. This is why I wanted to build a curriculum around the film, so that it can be a catalyst for awareness and change. Amnesty International, in partnership with Kids with Cameras, has made this happen. I am deeply grateful to them for this.

In the film I say that I am not a social worker, or even a teacher. I am someone who follows my heart and puts myself in the 'shoes' of others. This is something we all can do. You don't need to go to Calcutta to notice what is happening around you, who needs your compassion, be it an animal, a friend, a stranger.

After all, it is up to us to make the world a better place.

The Born into Brothels curriculum can also be found on TakingItGlobal. TakingITGlobal is an online community that connects youth to find inspiration, access information, get involved, and take action in their local and global communities.

TakingITGlobal's TIGed is a great resource that allows educators access to global perspectives on global issues, new ways to express their creativity, and tools to better engage their students – all in an environment that they can control. Visit http://www.tiged.org for more information!