09 January 2004

Tirana, Albania: The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme along with the Circus of Tirana, the Albanian Youth Council, and the NGOs MJAFT! and VIS have used the power of the Circus to bring the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) closer to the children of Albania. UNV/UNDP past experience has shown that innovative approaches appealing to all ages and genders can succeed. The previous success of the “Regional Cinema Screening for the MDGs” demonstrated the effectiveness of promoting the MDGs in Albania through arts and how such way of mobilizing communities as an initial step to more concrete action was through film and culture. Following that experience and focusing 2004 International Volunteer Day’s (December 5th) activities on children of vulnerable groups, UNV organized another event where MDGs and the concept of volunteerism were promoted using arts, particularly one of those that children enjoy the most: the CIRCUS.