From student Madison Noall: Effie Pappa, "1.2 Million Children

The NO Project utilizes music, art, dance, film, animation, sport, creative writing and social media to promote human trafficking awareness throughout the youth population. Based in Athens, Greece, the NO Project involves numerous artistic pieces that target modern-day slavery, attracting diplomats, government officials, educators, and leaders across the globe. Effie Pappa, an artist involved deeply within the program, is a National Film and Television School graduate that works with numerous techniques to convey modern-day topics through animation. Born and raised in Greece, she had a significant connection to the NO Project, passionate about educating others about the problems of human trafficking through her animations. Her short film, “1.2 Million Children” has won several awards and has stood as a significant contribution to the NO Project. The short animation illustrates an African child that dreams of freedom but becomes one of the 1.2 million children involved within child slavery. Although the United Nations adopted and promoted the Convention of the Rights of a Child, which recognizes rights of children such as the right to life, vaccination, education, and a loving environment, several children across the globe continue to be violated and degraded. There have been several different approaches regarding child trafficking awareness, yet they often cause controversy due to the explicit, dark content, yet Effie Pappa’s “1.2 Million Children” utilizes a child-friendly, uncontroversial approach to appeal to all age groups, increasing awareness amongst numerous different individuals. This video prompted me to do more research, as I was unaware of the extent to which childhood slavery exists within our global culture. With such a creative, artistic approach to spreading awareness, Effie Pappa has effectively reached out to the community, using her creative talents to create a true visual masterpiece.