DITSHWANELO   9th ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL 2009

19 MARCH – 3 APRIL 2009 MARU A PULA SCHOOL

DITSHWANELO – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights is pleased to announce its 9th Annual  Human Rights Film Festival. This year it will be held from 19 March to 3 April 2009. For the first time it will run for two weeks. All films will be screened at The AV Centre at Maru a Pula School.

The Film Festival is part of our awareness-raising and education about human rights. Our promotion of human rights is aimed at contributing to the development of a human rights culture in Botswana. We believe that knowledge of ones’ rights and responsibilities is an essential ingredient for the attainment of a sustainable ‘educated, informed, moral and tolerant Nation’ by 2016.

The Festival will be officially opened by Minister Skelemani, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on Thursday 19 March 2009 at The AV Centre, Maru a Pula School at 7.00 p.m.

The themes covered in the films this year include Zimbabwe, child soldiers in Sudan and Uganda,  the life of the late Abraham Tiro an anti-apartheid activist who was a teacher at St. Joseph’s College at Kgale and was murdered in Botswana by the apartheid regime in 1974; football on Robben Island during the apartheid era; poverty in Africa and Latin America; Oil and our dependence on it; the history behind the current situation in Gaza and the role of Israel; the role of the USA in democracy in Latin America; the story of Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai; the oppression of the media in Burma;  and the death penalty as seen through the eyes of a priest who accompanied 95 people to their deaths. There is a special free screening for students on Saturday afternoon 21 March 2009, about a former child soldier-turned emerging international hip-hop artist. Speakers at the film festival include South African film Director Mr Steve Mokwena, UNHCR official Mr Madoda Nasha and Member of Parliament Mr Dumelang Saleshando.

Tickets cost P25 per day and are on sale at Riverwalk Mall and at Maitisong.  The proceeds of the ticket sales will go towards the work of DITSHWANELO.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our current sponsors – Maru a Pula School, The British High Commission, Riverwalk Shopping Complex Mall, Yarona FM, Flemming Asset Management Botswana, Khan Charitable Trust, Multichoice Botswana, Shell Oil Botswana, UNHCR, UNICEF and individuals.

16 March 2009
Gaborone

For more information, please contact DITSHWANELO – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights at Tel: 267 390 6998 Fax: 267 3907778, Website: www.ditshwanelo.info.bw, Email:admin.ditswanelo@info.bw/ditshawnelo-myfuturetoday@info.org.bw