Full Screen on Human Rights!

Posted by Magali Perreault on March 29th, 2010

Dumelang, le kae? Ke teng!
(Hi everyone, how are you? I am good!)

Here for you my last blog from Botswana. My placement at DITSHWANELO is ending Friday April 9, 2010, which is exactly in two weeks.

The last event in which I am currently involved with is DITSHWANELO’s 10th annual Human Rights Film Festival. It is part of DITSHWANELO’s awareness-raising and education activities about human rights, and it is one of the Organization’s biggest yearly events.

The Festival is held from 18 to 31 March 2010, at the A.V. Centre of Maru-a-Pula School. Are presented a total of 15 documentaries all related to human rights issues, and followed by focus discussions with the audience. As a volunteer, I contributed to the logistics for the venue, the ticket selling, and I still provide technical assistance during the projections. Therefore, I have the chance to see every movie.

The film selection is absolutely amazing and DITSHWANELO’s Director Alice Mogwe usually does it. The themes covered by the films this year are: Climate Change, Zimbabwe, Children and Youth in South Africa, Land Rights of Indigenous People in Kenya, Poverty and Development in Kenya, Life Experiences of the Palestinian People, The International Criminal Court (ICC), The Criminal Justice in the United-States and the Story of the Political Activist and Former Black Panther member Mumia Abu-Jamal, Female Genital Cutting in Mali, Rape as a Weapon of War in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Gay and Lesbian Rights and the Church during Apartheid.

Special speakers are invited to conduct the discussions after the films. Were invited: the Attorney General Dr. Molokomme, a representative from the General Agricultural and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe (GAPWUZ), and a representative of Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana (LeGaBiBo) and South African Director, Mark Kaplan. Also, Minister P.H.K Kedikilwe, Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources officially opened the Festival.

For me, as a Masters student in International Development, this event represents a great opportunity to increase my awareness about important human rights issues taking place both in African countries and worldwide. Genuinely speaking, participating to this Festival makes me feel like a teenager again because it revives the fire of activism in me. I guess it sounds “cheesy” but it is sincere. How can you not feel concerned about people suffering next to your door?

Here are some of my thoughts triggered by the Festival. First, I realized how lucky some of us are, to live in safe and wealthy countries where basic human rights are respected and usually taken for granted. The right to work, the right to shelter, the right to food and to clean water, the right to education, the right to self-expression, the right to vote, the right to culture… the list goes on and on.

Second, some of the movies have pushed my reflection deeper regarding the real nature and role of the State. In Western countries, people debate on the relevance and the efficiency of the Governments in place, and tend to loudly criticise laws, policies, and institutional reforms, which I consider essential in the exercise of democracy. In the academia, when pushing the reflection further, some of us even challenge the necessity of States because of important problems related to corruption and power abuses. For instance, I did. But, when watching some of the films, I could hardly believe how much a society can become chaotic when there is a lack of institutional structure, legal authority, and social support. Thus, I figured that even if many institutions remain imperfect in peaceful countries such as Canada, we still have the luxury to improve them, and they still establish important rules of conducts and behaviours which create a significant level of order.

Finally, watching quality documentaries on current international events made me realize how media easily fall into extreme sensationalism and transforms realities. Mainstream media may be important to get daily news but they should not be one’s only source of information. Thus, this week I challenge you to grab any piece of independent/sideline/underground newspaper or magazine for the pleasure of getting a new perspective on political issues.

Thanks to all of you for your comments and interest in this adventure. It has been a great learning experience and I hope my writings brought relevant perspectives both on Botswana and international development work.

All the best!!

Gosiame.

Posted in SWB