Menu
Children of Jordan – اطفال الاردن
The Adventures of Looney Balloony
As part of the Multi-Sectoral National Plan of Action to End Violence against Children, and complementing the efforts made by the “#Allem_La_Tallem” campaign, UNICEF and (NCFA) organized a variety of community festivals in Amman, Zarqa, Irbid and Aqaba in 2018 to raise public awareness about violence against children and promote positive parenting skills as alternative and acceptable practices for disciplining children. Launched by Her Majesty Queen Rania, the festivals, under the theme “Looney Balloony Diaries” or “The Adventures of Looney Balloony”, were held over the course of a month, offering an educational, reflective, and empowering environment for parents / caregivers and children alike. The festivals worked specifically to magnify the grim and dreadful reality of family violence, and highlighted the need for interventions. The evaluation of the festival underscored the positive changes that have occurred in terms of knowledge and attitudes about VAC prevalence. More specifically, there has been a significant increase in awareness of alternative disciplinary practices that can help end violence against children in Jordan.
The main objective of the festivals was to raise awareness about children’s rights and child protection issues by promoting “positive parenting” practices as a solution and tool to reducing violence in Jordan by engaging parents, caregivers and children in a dialogue on violence against children and by encouraging them to take a stand against all forms of violence against children.
- Create public awareness and support on the issue of violence against children.
- Shed light on violence against children as a widespread societal issue.
- Call for action and engage parents, caregivers, the community and children in a conversation about violence.
- Urge and encourage children to take a stand against all forms of violence.
- Advocate for social and attitudinal change towards violence and the way children are treated.
- Introduce and promote the concept of positive parenting.
• 4 cities, 4 festivals, 8 days (Weekends)
• 7 characters representing positive parenting methods
• Around 40,000 visitors across 4 cities (33% beyond target)
• 80% of media outlets covered festival activities
• More than 2 million impressions on social media, reaching around 40,000 people via Facebook live
• 1,248,676 people reached via social media campaign
• 231 visitors (parents and children) pledged to combat violence against children by sharing their photos on social media
• 50 presentations, 10 seminars, 1 talk (on young influencers)
“The Adventures of Looney Balloony” festival was implemented through two key venues, the first of which was a mobile festival held in different governorates of the Kingdom to achieve direct interaction with children and parents. The program included various activities that included interactive theatrical performances on positive parenting.
The festival embraced five different corners or booths, each with a specific educational purpose. Upon entering the gallery, the visitor encountered an exhibition that included 30 illustrated stories inspired by true stories of children who are victims or survivors of violence, followed by 30 educational messages for both parents and children introducing alternatives to violence in a bid to curb this phenomenon.
The second event included an interactive play dedicated to children consolidating the concepts of positive parenting.
A special corner was dedicated for reading inspiring short stories in the presence of parents and children, during which an educational guidebook was handed over to parents.
click to download the first book
Click to download the second book
Click to download the third book
Click to download the fourth book
As part of its events, the festival also included counselling services for parents attending the festival offered by experts and specialists who were around in all events to provide assistance and advice to community members.
The second venue for “The Adventures of Looney Balloony” festival was through broadcasting episodes of a cartoon program entitled “Looney Balloony Diaries” on Facebook, which sheds light on some social problems and challenges facing parents and caregivers in the upbringing and raising of their children. It also provides solutions through stories and characters inspired by our local community. The episodes also include guidelines for family care providers.
Looney Balloony episodes
The Adventures of Looney Balloony - نوبة غضب (Episode1)
The Adventures of Looney Balloony - الروتين (Episode2)
The Adventures of Looney Balloony - العزلة
(Episode 3)
The Adventures of Looney Balloony - ولد وبنت
(Episode 4)
The Adventures of Looney Balloony - ابني متنمر (Episode 5)
The Adventures of Looney Balloony -الموبايل مش حل(Episode 6)
The Adventures of Looney Balloony - محير (Episode 7)
The Adventures of Looney Balloony - بابا وماما (Episode 8)
The Adventures of Looney Balloony - وجبة صحية (Episode 9)
Looney Balloony’s seven characters representing positive parenting skills:
The adventures of Loony Balloony is a community-based video program that reaches out to people in their own homes, in their own communities and across all governorates in new engaging ways. It is a festival for the whole family addressing all its members, parents and children alike. Through dialogue among its seven characters, the program attempts to give solutions to various problems facing children. The program also offers direct counselling services by specialists
The stories are based on cartoon characters who impersonate qualities and methods that are needed in positive parenting to promote healthy development and a caring environment for the child. Eight characters attended the festival embodying methods of positive parenting, the first of which is the character of “Saber” (i.e. “The Patient”), a loving and a calm character that always reacts positively to things, thus highlighting the importance of patience in the parenting process. “Al-Sami’i” (i.e. The Listener) is another character known for being a good listener, like any good mother and father would do in order to understand their children’s needs.
As for “Madame Bravo”, she is a supportive character who always has your back; as encouragement is conducive to children’s growth and development and helps them attain their goals and get to know themselves.
“Mr. Fahim” (Mr. Informed) represents a wise, understanding and intelligent personality, symbolizing the parents’ ability to know their children’s potentials and their progress thorough their knowledge of developmental stages and their requirements.
“Super Nashmiyah” is a character with a strong personality that does things properly, and always reminds parents that they are an example to their children.
Expressing love and tenderness, comes “Sit Habouba” (i.e. Mrs. Affectionate) representing a character that considers passion as the foundation for learning, success and development of children’s skills. Finally comes “Khuth w A’ati” (Give & Take), two characters who express the necessity of dialogue to solve all problems, denoting a positive child/parent relationship.