The Red Elephant Foundation facts for kids
The Red Elephant Foundation is a group led by young people. They work for fairness between genders and for peace. They do this by sharing stories, using art to speak up, creating helpful technology, and using social media. Kirthi Jayakumar started it in Chennai, India, on June 5, 2013. In June 2017, the United Nations (UN) recognized them. This means they can advise the UN on important issues.
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What They Do
The Red Elephant Foundation has several ways they work to achieve their goals.
Sharing Stories
The foundation wants to help people think differently over time. Their goal is for everyone to naturally choose fairness, peace, and kindness. They collect stories from people who have overcome challenges, who are making a difference, and who work for peace. These stories help others feel empathy and learn about the world. They have shared stories from many inspiring people, like Maya Azucena and Zak Ebrahim.
ChalkPeace Programs
The foundation turns their stories into action through special learning programs. These programs teach about gender fairness, peaceful ways to communicate, and how to understand gender-based violence. The programs are made for different groups, like schools, colleges, and community centers. They use these programs to hold training sessions.
Their education programs are on a platform called ChalkPeace. The ChalkPeace Program has even made new versions of classic board games. These games, like Snakes and Ladders and Guess Who, teach about gender equality and peace in a fun way.
Tech For Good
The foundation also helps people who have experienced violence right away. They created an online tool called the GBV Help Map. This map shows organizations that offer legal, medical, and other support in 196 countries. It also lists police, ambulance, and embassy services.
They also collect stories about online bullying through the Troll Register. They gather stories about bullying in schools and colleges using Report a Bully. The United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network featured their #GBVHelpMap. They called it one of the top 50 ideas worldwide to achieve #SDG5 on #GenderEquality. The foundation also created Saahas, which is a mobile app version of the GBV Help Map. Kirthi Jayakumar coded this app.
The Building Peace Project
The Building Peace Project is an online program that lasts for eight weeks. People from all over the world can join. Trained leaders guide sessions based on peace education, talking, writing, and creative thinking. Even though there's a plan, the sessions let participants explore their ideas freely.
Digital Advocacy
The foundation runs online campaigns to raise awareness and encourage discussions offline. Some of their campaigns include "More than my Body" and "Break a Gender Stereotype." They also take part in the "16 Days of Activism against VAW" and "He For She" campaigns. The "Break a Gender Stereotype" campaign won the People's Choice Award from Femvertising in 2016.
The foundation has also worked with other groups on their campaigns. For example, they helped fight against the idea that stalking is normal in Indian movies. They also supported the United Nations' MyWorld Campaign by collecting votes online. In 2016, they partnered with the US Consulate in Chennai for their Pride Month event. They also supported the Her Story Wikipedia Editathon campaign in August 2016. The team also helped choose questions from civil society for candidates running for UN Secretary General.
The foundation has also done research to help their work. Offline, they have helped communities during natural disasters. This includes the Nepal earthquake, the Manipur earthquake, and the floods in Chennai.
Awards and Recognition
The Red Elephant Foundation has received several awards for their important work.
- People's Choice Award, 2016 (Femvertising)
- Finalists (Women's Empowerment), 2017 (Social Media for Empowerment Awards, DEF India)
- Finalists (Early Stage Innovation Category), 2017 (mBillionth Awards, DEF India)
- Outstanding NGO Award, 2018 (FICCI FLO)
- UN Online Volunteering Award, 2018 (UNV)
- Finalists (Women's Empowerment), 2018 (Social Media for Empowerment Awards, DEF India)
- Outstanding Social Enterprise of the year, 2018 (FICCI FLO)
- Special Mention, 2018 (sm4e Awards, DEF India)
- mBillionth Awards, 2017 (mBillionth)
See also
In Spanish: La Fundación Elefante Rojo para niños
