Firdaus Kharas Achieves Milestone of 5,000 Media Productions for Social Change

Firdaus Kharas, the visionary Founder of Chocolate Moose Media, has reached a groundbreaking milestone: the creation or co-creation of 5,000 media productions aimed at driving positive social change.
Since founding the social enterprise Chocolate Moose Media in 1995, Kharas has dedicated his career to tackling some of the world’s most pressing issues through innovative media solutions. His work focuses on fostering societal and individual behavioral change using human-centered communications that transcend cultural and national boundaries, all with the goal of improving the human condition.

Firdaus Kharas is a trailblazer in using animation for social change and has emerged as the world’s leading and most prolific individual producer and director of media dedicated to social good.
These 5,000 productions, grouped into 100 distinct series, cover a vast array of topics from Anti-racism to Zika eradication. Capacity building, children’s rights, climate change, democracy, dementia, disease prevention, domestic violence, education, governance, health, housing, human rights, literacy, mental health, migration, peace, refugees, sexual harassment, universal values, and violence reduction, are some of Kharas’ main topics that span the entire spectrum of social challenges.

Kharas’ media has been viewed by over a billion people in 198 countries and exist in hundreds of language and accent versions. Over 6.5 billion people can see some of his work in their own language. His commitment to inclusivity is evident in the use of both widely spoken and local languages.

With commissioning and distribution organizations such as United Nations agencies, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), other international governmental and non- governmental organizations, and numerous governments and universities, Kharas’ impactful content that fosters real-world change have been disseminated both online and on the ground across the globe.

Reaching the 5,000th production recently included two animated videos on perimenopause based on research by two professors; and a live-action educational documentary on the mental health context and needs of Afghan refugees.
Over 95% of Kharas’ media productions do not carry a copyright notice and are available under a Creative Commons license allowing them to be freely viewed, downloaded, and used without any cost. This fully open-access model, implemented since 1995, reflects his dedication to maximizing the free availability, reach and impact of his work. With over 3,600 videos available on his Vimeo channel, and hundreds of others hosted on sponsors’ websites, Kharas ensures that his content remains accessible to all.

In recognition of his extraordinary contributions, Firdaus Kharas was appointed an O]icer of the Order of Canada. A recipient of the prestigious Peabody Award, and a recipient of honorary doctorates from two alma maters, he has received 125 awards and recognitions throughout his career.

The cumulative e]ect of Kharas’ 5,000 productions continues to inspire, educate and empower individuals and communities worldwide, proving that values-based innovative media content can be a powerful force to better the human condition in today’s hyper- connected world.