Hollywood Foreign Press Association announces partnership with World Bank's 'edutainment' program

Washington [US], June 30 (ANI): The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), an organization that produces the Golden Globes, is set to jointly sponsor a series of events with the World Bank to promote the growth of educational entertainment programming.

Called 'Global Forums,' these events will feature panels of HFPA and World Bank spokespeople and entertainment representatives discussing the importance of educational programming including issues of poverty, gender inequality and climate change. The forums will utilize United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a framework to discuss issues, as per Variety.

"This partnership seeks to connect Hollywood with the global development community by developing new creative programming with the goal of helping to promote important sustainability goals, which improve the lives of millions of people struggling with healthcare, environmental and other challenges. The power of the Golden Globes brand internationally over the past 80 years gives us the unique ability to reach audiences and governments interested in harnessing the power of edutainment," Helen Hoehne, president of the HFPA, said in a statement.

These forums are a part of the World Bank's 'edutainment program,' which focuses on partnering with researchers, developers and media companies to foster innovation in edutainment in developing countries.

"High-quality edutainment can positively reshape attitudes and behaviours of millions, from empowering girls to preventing gender-based violence, COVID-19 and HIV. However, its potential remains largely untapped. This series of Forums aims to help catalyze more interest and investment in this sector in the entertainment industry, building on HFPA's strong commitment to the SDGs and global presence," said Victor Orozco, World Bank senior economist and 'edutainment research' program head.

The inaugural HFPA-World Bank global forum is scheduled on July 27 from 2-4 p.m. PT, and will be globally available for all to watch via Zoom. In addition to HFPA and the World Bank, creative advisor Michael Carbajal will help lead the global forums. (ANI)