On 14 May 2014 Amnesty International published a new campaign video on torture. It is specially interesting as a very short summary – in images – of the history of the anti-torture campaigns started by AI under the leadership of Martin Ennals more than 40 years ago. Read the rest of this entry »
Archive for the 'films' Category
New AI video clip on Torture
May 28, 201445 NGOs demand that Syrian militants release Human Rights Defenders
May 27, 2014On 27 May RIA Novosti picked up the press release by Human Rights Watch calling for four prominent human rights defenders allegedly in custody of an armed opposition group in Syria to be immediately released. HRW together with 45 co-signing organizations states that irregular armed opposition groups in Syria are threatening and harassing journalists and human rights defenders.“Abductions of human rights defenders by armed groups in Syria are an assault on the very freedoms the armed opposition groups claim to be fighting for”. Almost six months a group of armed men kidnapped human rights defenders Razan Zeitouneh [or Zaitouneh], Wael Hamada, Samira Khalil, and Nazem Hammadi in a city outside Damascus, then controlled by a number of armed opposition groups, but there has been no information on the status or whereabouts of Zeitouneh and her colleagues, and no group has claimed responsibility for their abduction.
See previous post with video message by Zaitouneh: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/01/27/human-rights-defender-razan-zaitouneh-still-missing-in-syria-after-one-month/
Business and Human Rights Defenders in Side Event on Friday 13 June
May 27, 2014Under the title “From threats to opportunities: Business and Human Rights Defenders” the International Service for Human Rights [ISHR] organises a side event on Friday 13 June 2014, 12h15 – 13h45 in Room IX of Palais des Nations, Geneva. Note that it will be the first public appearance of the new Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Michael Forst. (https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/05/08/finally-it-is-final-michel-forst-the-new-rapporteur-on-human-rights-defenders/). For those unable to attend, a live webcast will be available at www.ishr.ch/webcast. You may also follow the event on Twitter @ISHRGlobal, using the hashtag #HRDs.
Cartooning for Peace award in Euronews video clip
May 23, 2014This clip was produced by True Heroes Films (THF) for Euronews which covered the event of the 2nd international Cartooning for Peace award. [for more on the award see http://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/award/cartooning-peace-press-award].
The foundation “Cartooning for Peace” went to Syria-Palestinian Hani Abbas and Egyptian Doaa Eladl for their work. Former Secretary General Kofi Annan handed them the international award for press cartoonists in Geneva, as part of World Press Day. French cartoonist Plantu gave Euronews his views on the significance of using cartoons as a form of expression: “We’re trying to show the level of resistance that exists today, from the perspective of the very people that allow us to understand the word “resistance”, the cartoonists that ultimately become the foot soldiers of democracy. In other words, they’re railing against different powers, not just the power of their editors but also against political and religious power.”
From Lake Geneva, euronews correspondent Wolfgang Spindler said: “Political cartoons can be subversive, provocative and amusing – they make us smile, they give us pause for thought. But we very often forget that the cartoonists behind them sometimes have to risk their lives daily for the sake of their work.” via: http://www.euronews.com/2014/05/05/drawing-for-peace
The cartoon exhibition on the banks of Lake Geneva runs until the beginning of July and then moves to Sarajevo.
previous post: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/05/04/cartooning-for-peace-international-award-and-exhibit-in-geneva-as-from-today/
Human Rights Asia Weekly Television Roundup: Episode 28
May 21, 2014Today the AHRC released the 28th Episode of the Human Rights Asia Weekly Roundup. In this week’s programme:
- encouraging new legislation in Sindh Province in Pakistan, banning child marriage under 18-years of age.
- disturbing footage of police torture in Jammu and Kashmir with a report of India’s “gangsters in uniform”.
- talk with prominent Indian social activist Harsh Mander about the serious violence that rocked western Assam earlier this month including some shocking footage shot by a survivor in one of the worst affected villages.
- Back in Pakistan’s Punjab province, fake police encounter killings continue. This time, however, one of the victims was still alive and desperately crying for help when he was dumped at the morgue.
- Trigger-happy security personnel in Papua, Indonesia, have injured several civilians when police opened fire on protesters.
- Rule of Law in Bangladesh, as the notorious Rapid Action Battalion is accused of further abductions and murders.
- Finally, in Voices of Survivors this week, courageous journalist Tongam Rina from Arunachal Pradesh, India. Tongam Rina was shot and critically injured in 2012.
The AHCR welcomes both human rights feeds to be considered for weekly news bulletin and your suggestions to improve the news channel. Please write to news[at]ahrc.asia.
The documentary “E-TEAM” goes really public via Netflix
May 14, 2014Yesterday I referred to the upcoming Human Rights Watch Film Festival in June. One of the films shown there will also appear on Netflix and therefore be able to reach a much larger audience. Interesting development for human rights films!!
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The Associated Press reported on May 8 that Netflix Inc. had purchased E-TEAM as a high-profile “Netflix original,” and would distribute the film via its vast online platform as well as through a limited theatrical release in the United States. The film focuses on four researchers in the Human Rights Watch emergencies division, or E-Team, as they interview witnesses and gather other evidence of rights abuses and war crimes in Syria, Libya, and Kosovo. It highlights the personal commitment required to stop human rights violations over the long term. The filmmakers, Ross Kauffman and Katy Chevigny, operated with full creative control and had free rein from Human Rights Watch to produce a “warts and all” portrait of human rights activists in the field. It is the first time filmmakers have documented Human Rights Watch’s work so extensively.
Human Rights Watch Film Festival celebrates 25th anniversary with 5 films on Human Rights Defenders
May 13, 2014The Human Rights Watch Film Festival, which celebrates 25 years, announces a line-up of 22 features, which includes 20 documentaries and 2 fiction films – 16 of which were made by women. It will run from 12 to 22 June 2014 in New York. There is a special section on “Human Rights Defenders, Icons and Villains”, which features:
“E-TEAM”
(New York premiere)
Filmmaker(s): Katy Chevigny and Ross Kauffman, directors; Marilyn Ness, producer
Year: 2013 / 89m
“Dangerous Acts Starring the Unstable Elements of Belarus”
(New York premiere)
Filmmaker(s): Madeleine Sackler
Year: 2013 / 76m
“The Green Prince”
(New York premiere)
Filmmaker(s): Nadav Schirman
Year: 2014 / 101m
“Nelson Mandela: The Myth and Me”
(US premiere)
Filmmaker(s): Khalo Matabane
Year: 2013 / 84m
“Watchers of the Sky”
(New York premiere)
Filmmaker(s): Edet Belzberg
Year: 2014 / 114m
2014 Havel Prize for Creative Dissent awarded to Erdem Gunduz, Pussy Riot, and Dhondup Wangchen
May 5, 2014On 2 May 2014 the Human Rights Foundation announced as the recipients of its 2014 Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent the Turkish performance artist Erdem Gunduz, Russian punk protest group Pussy Riot, and imprisoned Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen. They will be honored at a ceremony during the Oslo Freedom Forum on Wednesday, May 14. Read the rest of this entry »
AI animation to galvanise support for human rights defenders
April 15, 2014We have a tendency to take for granted that there is a worldwide human rights movement to support all the actions and campaigns in favor of human rights defenders. But, this movement needs to be created and galvanised. One tool is the use of animated images with a simple message: that a loud voice can save lives. The example above (animated by Cesare Davolio) is a “commercial’ commissioned by Amnesty Netherlands for the “Use your power” campaign, explaining what the Amnesty urgent action network can accomplish. This short film – published on You Tube on 8 April – explains how the Urgent Action Network works, from receiving news of a human rights defender being arrested to news being sent out to AI activists and members all over the world via text messages (SMS), email etc to individuals taking action. Shows how effective these individual acts can be when coördinated to produce a ‘louder voice’.
Funding for human rights film festivals in developing countries
April 7, 2014Those who are planning to organise a film project with human rights films in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Middle East could apply for (modest) funding from the Netherlands-based NGO “Movies that Matter”. The organisation also offers advice to initiate human rights film festivals and helps to circulate and exhibit human rights films. Its support covers projects like mobile cinema projects, human rights film festivals, travelling film festivals, outreach programmes, and educational activities at schools and universities, but it does not support film production! The deadline for applications is 15 April 2014.
For more information, selection criteria and application forms, see www.moviesthatmatter.nl/international
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 