Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards

It may not be news to the readers of this blog but it is good to heart the Office of the Un High Commissioner for G+Human Rights say it: “Movies are powerful” said Elena Ippoliti, Human Rights Officer for the UN Human Rights Office. “Sometimes, young people can open their eyes more through an eight-minute film, than through a two-hour lecture.”

For a decade the Office has partnered with the International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH) in carrying out an educational programme, which takes place during the annual film festival. It provides screenings and discussions of a selection of human rights films for students mainly attending the secondary schools in Geneva. The festival was getting good audiences, but films were being seen by people who were already familiar with the issues. He said reaching out to schools seemed a natural fit.

Ippoliti said the education programme is also a chance for the Office to work at a local level in the headquarters host city of Geneva: “We, OHCHR Geneva, work at the global level. But by working with schools here, we also reach out to the local level,”.

Films help educate students about human rights.

This entry was posted on May 12, 2015 at 20:03 and is filed under films, human rights, OHCHR.

Tags: City of Geneva, Elena Ippoliti, FIFDH, Geneva, human rights education, human rights films, images, International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH), Office of the United Nations High Commissioners for Human Rights, OHCHR, students