The Geneva International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH) is the leading international event dedicated to cinema and human rights around the world. As part of Interpeace’s 25^th Anniversary celebrations, we are thrilled to partner with FIFDH in its 17^th edition and co-host two events in this year’s forum. The Film Festival will take place from 8 to 17 March 2019, in 60 locations throughout Greater Geneva and French-Speaking Switzerland.

For the past 16 years, the Festival has taken place in Geneva, the human rights capital, parallel to the annual main session of the UN Human Rights Council in March. The 10-day forum provides screenings and high-level debates in which human rights violations are denounced. Activists, NGOs, diplomats, artists, journalists, decision-makers and the general public are brought together to debate their points of view. The Festival has invited 300 international guests and expects over 36,000 festival-goers.

South Sudan: World’s Youngest Nation at the Crossroads to Peace

On Saturday, March 9, Interpeace and the FIFDH will co-host the event: “South Sudan: World’s Youngest Nation at the Crossroads to Peace”. Acclaimed actor and director, Forest Whitaker, will be joined by young activist, Magdalena Nandege, to address peacebuilding issues in South Sudan in a panel discussion moderated by Interpeace’s President, Scott M. Weber. Together they will present the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative Trailer Film and discuss the most pressing issues of the youngest country in the world – what are the strategies and actions necessary to guarantee peace and prevent human rights violations?

Currently, South Sudan is facing a major crisis with nearly 380,000 deaths and more than 2.4 million refugees and displaced. Forest Whitaker’s NGO, the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI) established the Youth Peacemaker Network in South Sudan in 2012. This programme seeks to strengthen the leadership capacity of former child soldiers, orphans and youth impacted by conflicts and violence in South Sudan. The objective is to empower youth with peacebuilding and conflict management skills. In more than 25 years of peacebuilding experience, Interpeace recognizes the significance of working with youth to build sustainable solutions for peace. The event will be held at Espace Pitoëff – Grande salle at 14:00 on March 9.

Guatemala: For Memory, Against Impunity

On Sunday, March 17, Interpeace will co-host the event “Guatemala: For Memory, Against Impunity”. Joined by the World Organization Against Torture, Casa Allianza, the Geneva Solidarity Delegation and the Right Livelihood Award, we are proud to present the documentary film Burden of Peace, Directed by Joey Boink from the Netherlands. The film illustrates the work of Guatemala’s first female Attorney General, Claudia Paz y Paz, and her fight against impunity, as she seeks to bring justice to the crimes committed during the armed conflict.

After decades of civil war, Guatemala is still struggling to cope with widespread violence and impunity. The panel discussion for this event will include prominent figures in Guatemala’s political landscape to discuss the current situation on the eve of the presidential elections on June 2019. The panelists include: Iván Velásquez, Commissioner of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala; Juana Baca Velasco, Director of the Ixiles Association of Women’s Organizations; and Lenina García, Secretary General of the Student’s Association of the San Carlos University. The event will be moderated by Arnoldo Gálvez, Global Communications Lead of Interpeace. The event will be held at Espace Pitoëff – Grande salle at 13:30 on March 17.

For more information visit www.fifdh.org