ERASE Child Trafficking Virtual Reality Media Project
The livestream featured Ryan A. Bell from ERASE Child Trafficking speaking with Dipak M. Patel, the CEO of a company called Zeality that creates virtual reality media experiences. Through the partnership, they will be creating a series of virtual reality video experiences, referred to as the “empathy engine”. This will help tell the stories of trafficking victims in a more engaged and empowering way. Said Patel, “The general public needs to understand the broad and complex trauma that these children go through. Through this empathy engine we’re going to start to build more awareness around that. The right kind of awareness drives activation. It’s something that needs to be done.”
Virtual Reality Media – Bringing ERASE To The Forefront
The partnership between ERASE and Zeality is designed to get communities talking in a way that empowers action. But there’s a third unique element to these virtual reality experiences, ones that will draw on another kind of medium. Each virtual reality experience will also feature music submitted by talented indie artists that will help tell these stories. Music can be submitted by independent artists worldwide up until September 23, 2016, directly through a special Facebook Group. The music submission process is being organized through 1WorldNow Media, which is amplified through Indie Music Plus. It’s a powerful combination of media that ERASE hopes will lead to real advantages in the fight against child trafficking.
In the end, we want to ultimately drive successful reclamation back into society. Once a child goes into that world…and then comes out of it, that’s when the healing journey will begin for a great deal of these children.