Bell Bajao
Encyclopedia
Bell Bajao is a campaign which urges local residents to take a stand against physical abuse through simple acts. The campaign was launched on August 20, 2008 by Breakthrough
in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development, UNIFEM and the UN Trust Fund. "Bell Bajao!" is a domestic violence awareness campaign. This campaign promoted individual action against domestic violence. The campaign featured award-winning Public Service Announcements, as well as media and training tools. The campaign targets boys and men and calls on them to intervene if they witness domestic violence. A key aspect of the campaign was thinking of men as partners in ending domestic violence, instead of only as violators. The PSAs reached over 130 million people. Like the "Is This Justice?" campaign, this campaign was produced pro bono by the advertising agency Ogilvy and Mather
. The global campaign was launched at the Clinton Global Initiative. United Nations Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki Moon joined the campaign as the inaugural global “champion,” and Breakthrough will join forces with his UNiTE to End Violence Against Women campaign as its first global partner.
is an international human rights organization using the power of popular culture, media, and community mobilization to transform public attitudes and advance equality, justice, and dignity. "Restore Fairness" (urges U.S. government to restore due process to US immigration system), "Is this justice" (about domestic violence) and "What kind of man are you" (about HIV/AIDS and condom usage) are other initiatives in the United States. Most recently, Breakthrough created America 2049 a Facebook game set in a distopic
alternative future which deals with issues of immigration
, sex trafficking
, and labor rights
. Breakthrough addresses critical global issues including violence against women, sexuality and HIV/AIDS, racial justice, and immigrant rights.
Mann Ke Manjeere music video that has become a cult classic that speaks to woman’s celebration of self-discovery and the ability to make choices in life. The Bell Bajao! campaign brought attention to domestic violence through a powerful series of PSAs which
Breakthrough (human rights)
Breakthrough is a global not-for-profit organization that uses pop culture to promote human rights. Breakthrough's stated mission is to "empower individuals and communities to stand for universal human rights by using multimedia tools that transform hearts and minds." They promote a message of...
in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development, UNIFEM and the UN Trust Fund. "Bell Bajao!" is a domestic violence awareness campaign. This campaign promoted individual action against domestic violence. The campaign featured award-winning Public Service Announcements, as well as media and training tools. The campaign targets boys and men and calls on them to intervene if they witness domestic violence. A key aspect of the campaign was thinking of men as partners in ending domestic violence, instead of only as violators. The PSAs reached over 130 million people. Like the "Is This Justice?" campaign, this campaign was produced pro bono by the advertising agency Ogilvy and Mather
Ogilvy & Mather
Ogilvy & Mather is an international advertising, marketing and public relations agency based in Manhattan and owned by the WPP Group. The company operates 497 offices in 125 countries with approximately 16,000 employees.-History:...
. The global campaign was launched at the Clinton Global Initiative. United Nations Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki Moon joined the campaign as the inaugural global “champion,” and Breakthrough will join forces with his UNiTE to End Violence Against Women campaign as its first global partner.
About Breakthrough
BreakthroughBreakthrough (human rights)
Breakthrough is a global not-for-profit organization that uses pop culture to promote human rights. Breakthrough's stated mission is to "empower individuals and communities to stand for universal human rights by using multimedia tools that transform hearts and minds." They promote a message of...
is an international human rights organization using the power of popular culture, media, and community mobilization to transform public attitudes and advance equality, justice, and dignity. "Restore Fairness" (urges U.S. government to restore due process to US immigration system), "Is this justice" (about domestic violence) and "What kind of man are you" (about HIV/AIDS and condom usage) are other initiatives in the United States. Most recently, Breakthrough created America 2049 a Facebook game set in a distopic
Dystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
alternative future which deals with issues of immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
, sex trafficking
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
, and labor rights
Labor rights
Labor rights or workers' rights are a group of legal rights and claimed human rights having to do with labor relations between workers and their employers, usually obtained under labor and employment law. In general, these rights' debates have to do with negotiating workers' pay, benefits, and safe...
. Breakthrough addresses critical global issues including violence against women, sexuality and HIV/AIDS, racial justice, and immigrant rights.
Focus
Violence against Women – Every person in this world is entitled to a fundamental set of human rights that allow her or him to live with dignity and self-respect. For too long, women have been regarded as less than human, and therefore, not entitled to these human rights. Breakthrough works to transform attitudes towards women so that they can realize their full potential. One key example is the BreakthroughBreakthrough (human rights)
Breakthrough is a global not-for-profit organization that uses pop culture to promote human rights. Breakthrough's stated mission is to "empower individuals and communities to stand for universal human rights by using multimedia tools that transform hearts and minds." They promote a message of...
Mann Ke Manjeere music video that has become a cult classic that speaks to woman’s celebration of self-discovery and the ability to make choices in life. The Bell Bajao! campaign brought attention to domestic violence through a powerful series of PSAs which
Creating Awareness
Breakthrough uses innovative tools to engage youth and create a culture of human rights. Here are a few ways that Breakthrough spreads the Bell Bajao! message throughout the country:- Celebrity involvement: The actor Boman Irani who is brand ambassador for this campaign weaves in men into the initiative saying that men can stop domestic violence by becoming sensitised and involved in the issue.
- Television, Radio and Press: 32 million people have seen and heard the message of Bell Bajao! through television, radio and press. Television advertisements depict men and boys who hear domestic violence and take a minute out their everyday lives to intervene and stop the violence.
- Video Vans: Mobile vans have been on the road for 150 days, traveling 80,000 kilometers across 6 districts in Uttar PradeshUttar PradeshUttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
and MaharashtraMaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
and have exposed 2.7 million people to this burning issue. Innovative and interactive, the van built audience-participation through games, street theater, audio visual tools and quizzes.
- Interactive, dedicated website: Breakthrough’s ground-breaking blog on www.bellbajao.org provides a platform – previously nonexistent in India – for dialogue about domestic violence. To date, witnesses, victims and advocates have all had an open space for personal testimony and reflection.
- Leadership Training: The Rights Advocates program embodies on-the-ground youth and community leadership training to reaffirm the message of Bell Bajao! and help Indian youth recognize and fight domestic violence in their own communities. The trainings develop the capacity and life skills of the trainees on a variety of complex like human rights, gender based violence and reproductive health. In 2008, the program trained over 100,000 people and aims to double its reach in 2009.
Awards and Recognition
- Silver Lion, Cannes Film Festival (Bell Bajao), 2010
- Gold and Silver at Goafest, (Bell Bajao), 2009
- Gold Spike, Spike Asia (Ring, Ring/Bell Bajao), 2009
- Young Achiever's Award from Advertising Club of Bombay (Bell Bajao), (O &M's Ryan Mendonca), 2009
- Best Integrated Campaign of the Year, Media Abby Award at Goafest for Public Service, Appeals and Charity (Bell Bajao), 2009