Human Right Film Festival launched to mark Human Rights Day

Various organisations and embassies opened the Human Rights Film Festival last night so that people could watch movies that have a message on human rights. 

Regional Office for the Pacific of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, European Union, Embassy of Spain, South African High Commission, Inclusive Fiji, Pacific Disability Forum, Psychiatric Survivors Association and Damodar Cinemas have partnered to organise the week long film festival to mark this year’s Human Rights Day. 

Speaking at the launch of the film festival at Damodar City, the Deputy Regional Representative of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hunecke says domestic violence is one of the major human rights issues in Fiji. 

He says the OHCHR are trying to make their contribution in order to build capacity and to have a look from an international human rights perspective in this particular issue.

Chargee d’Affaires of the Delegation of the European Union for the Pacific Galia Agisheva says ending violence against women and girls requires a firm commitment not only an institutional level, but it requires broad involvement of international organisations, NGO’s and the civil society.   
  
She says a change of mindset is taking place since the international community accepted that women and youth are agents of change in their lives,communities, countries and globally. 

This years theme for Human Rights Day is Youth Standing Up for Human Rights.

Hunecke also adds that people can make a difference in the world by way of leading by example and by raising awareness about each human being, by helping the rights of the most vulnerable, by upholding human dignity. 

He says raising our voice is essential to a creation for a future of peace, justice and sustainable development.     

Meanwhile, South African High Commissioner to Fiji, Bingo Thamaga has pledged his support to the campaign of advocating for human rights awareness. 

People can watch Sami Blood(with English subtitles), A Beautiful Mind, Even the Rain (with English subtitles) and Sister of the Wilderness at Damodar Cinema at Grantham Rd, Suva at 6pm on the 4th - 6th and the 9th of December respectively.