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Living with Refugees
Canadian TV viewers can go straight to the end of the posting!
The Portuguese António Guterres, former Prime Minister of Portugal, has been appointed head of the United Nations refugee agency. I have read that two thirds of the world countries have supported his name, one exception being the Bush administration. The world expects him to do better than his predecessors, there should always be hope, that is what 17 million refugees worldwide are entitled to.
The UN has a specific definition for refugee: "A refugee is a person who "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country..." but words don't quite express what 17 million people in the world now have to endure.
I have recently watched Sorious Samura's documentary "Living with Refugees" on CNN and I couldn't help thinking that that show and similar ones should be aired over and over again until we finally notice them. Following this link, you can see a clip of this documentary, read the transcript and buy the VHS or the DVD:
"Through Sorious video diaries and the filming of the crew who shadowed him throughout his experiences with Adam and his family we see the life of a refugee as it's never been seen before. It's a first, an exclusive and a must-see film for anyone wishing to truly understand what it is like to be a refugee. Undoubtedly this is one of the most important documentaries of the year."
I cannot stress enough the urgency of watching this film. Fortunately I am not alone: read Jewels in the Jungle about this and Africa in general. A great blog. And while I was trying to find a meaningful photo to illustrate this subject, I came across Keld Bach's Press Cuttings blog. Some people still care.
Please watch Sorious Samura film. And the others he has made.
An interview with Samura here at Open Democracy, free thinking for the world.
And a photo gallery of Chad camps for Darfur refugees here.
The best article and collectin of links about "Living with Refugees" comes from CBC News, CANADA. The film is airing there May 28 at 8:00 pm. A 6 minute video interview with Samura can also be watched from the CBC News webpage. He has a very good definition for "refugee":
"People who have lost everything that makes them human beings".
Thanks Burt for highlighting this important documentary about the plight of
the Darfur refugees living near the Chad/Sudan border.
Sorious Sumara has again done a fine job in helping viewers around the world to feel what it is like to be a victim of war, hunger, and social injustice on the continent of Africa. That link to the interview with Sorius Sumara at openDemocracy.org is especially appreciated.
I would welcome you to the Africa sector of the Blogosphere, but it seems you have been around for awhile and posting regularly on Africa. I'll be back soon for another look around your place. Should've known that those Jayhawkers from the other side of the Missouri River would be smack dab in the middle of the global fray and dialogue...:-)
Cheers and many greetings from Deutschland.
Thank you for your comment! Sometimes, more than others, it is great to get
some feedback on those issues that you really care about. You're most
welcome to come back, I'll try to meet the expectations! ;-))