War Child

"Recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world." With these words, which opened the preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948, the international community recognized the need for a multilateral system of global values ​​based on equality, justice, and the rule of law. Sixty years later, the ideals and principles of justice and equality contained in the Declaration and the fundamental freedoms enshrined therein are still not a reality for all. Human rights are being trampled upon by governments, businesses, and armed groups in many countries. It cannot be denied that progress has been made in developing human rights standards, systems, and institutions, at the international, regional, and national levels, which has improved the situation in many parts of the world. However, governments too often lack the political will to implement the international norms they themselves voluntarily accepted. Injustice, inequality, and impunity remain the dominant features of our contemporary world. If we examine the articles of the Declaration to assess their effective implementation, a bleak picture emerges: torture, discrimination against the most vulnerable communities, violence against women and children, the death penalty, repression of fundamental freedoms, denial of the right to health, food, water, and adequate housing, are proof that states fail to respect human rights. Amid the troubling panorama of widespread violations, forgotten wars, and unresolved humanitarian crises, this edition of the festival has chosen to focus attention on two emblematic areas of the world: Tibet and Darfur. China, in the spotlight this year for the Beijing Olympics, has not only failed to honor its commitment to the International Olympic Committee to improve human rights, but the situation has visibly deteriorated since the Games. This also applies to the Tibet Autonomous Region, where the Chinese government has severely restricted Tibetans' freedom of religion, expression, and association for years, and where a dramatic crackdown on protesters occurred in the months leading up to the Olympics. Tibetan resistance is poignantly personified by Palden Gyatso, a 75-year-old Tibetan monk, who spent 33 years in Chinese prisons, where he was subjected to brutal torture. The protagonist of the documentary "Fire Under the Snow" by Japanese director Makoto Sasa, the monk represents a direct link to the controversial issue of the Olympics in China: during the 2006 Winter Games, he conducted a prolonged hunger strike in Turin to draw public attention to the human rights situation in Tibet and the inappropriateness of awarding the Games to China until there were signs of visible improvement. A curious fact links China to Darfur: for the past four years, China has been the main supplier of arms to Sudan, ravaged by decades of civil war. Just as the forty-year conflict with the south of the country was waning, a new, horrific conflict erupted in the western provinces of Darfur in 2003. As early as 2004, the US government declared that genocide had been committed in Darfur and that the Sudanese government and the Janjaweed were responsible, but the massacre continued, with hundreds of thousands of victims and over two million displaced. Dozens of Security Council resolutions are systematically ignored by the countries they address, and just as many are blocked by states with veto power. The documentary "Darfur Now" seeks to shed light on the situation in that area by following the work of individuals who, in various capacities, work on behalf of this tormented region. Among these figures, particularly significant is Luis Moreno Ocampo, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, who recently indicted and called for the arrest of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for genocide. Speaking of anniversaries, the International Criminal Court, created to ensure justice, truth, and reparation for the worst human rights violations (genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes), is also celebrating its 10th anniversary this year: the Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court, was adopted in 1998. Another documentary is also linked to Sudan: "War Child," which features Emmanuel Jal, a former child soldier and now a famous hip-hop singer. His story is tied to the decades-long civil war in South Sudan, which has seen 100,000 children recruited by both sides in the conflict. This phenomenon also affects many other countries in Africa and beyond, countries where the right to childhood is denied. According to UNICEF estimates, around 320,000 children under the age of eighteen are currently involved in conflicts worldwide. Despite Article 5 of the Declaration stating that "No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment," Amnesty International's latest annual report denounces that torture is still practiced in at least 81 countries. From Belgium, the ironically titled animated short film "Do-it-yourself" offers an original approach, warning of the risk of taking the use of torture for granted. The most immediate danger is the glorifying of torture in the "war on terror." It is indeed risky for the emotion aroused by terrorist acts to lead to the belief that the use of torture is inevitable in the fight against terrorism. Current events show us that the moment we accept the use of torture, we are faced with aberrations such as those at Abu Ghraib in Iraq, Guantanamo Bay, and other secret prisons created to detain suspected terrorists. A more in-depth analysis of the theme of torture is explored in "Sous la cagoule: voyage au bout de la torture." Director Patricio Henríquez begins with the history of torture, dating back to the Inquisition, to retrace the modern-day stories of several people who have been illegally tortured in democratic countries, fully convinced of their right to do so. The documentary also provides an interesting overview and reconstructs the connections between the torture techniques practiced by the United States since the end of World War II and transferred to the South American dictatorships that have used them extensively in recent decades. Despite the denial of rights denounced in the documentaries presented in this section, there is no desire to give up hope. Two emblematic images: on the one hand, the former child soldiers featured in "War Child" who created the Association of Artists of South Sudan, whose goal is to contribute to a return to normalcy through art and beauty; on the other, the words of prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo, who in his own country had already successfully brought to trial the Argentine military responsible for the thousands of disappearances, convinced that sooner or later international justice will be served. This makes us increasingly convinced that if the international community of citizens makes its voice heard, governments will begin to listen to the demands for the freedom of prisoners of conscience, for the abolition of the death penalty and torture, and to ensure that the Universal Declaration does not remain a promise on paper but that the universal and indivisible rights enshrined therein become a reality for all.

The promises of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and their realization in 2007. Article 1: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." In Egypt, in the first six months, 250 women were murdered by their husbands or other family members; an average of two rapes were committed every hour.

Article 3 "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person." At least 1,252 death sentences were carried out in 24 countries.

Article 5 "No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." Amnesty International has documented cases of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in at least 81 countries.

Article 7 "Everyone is equal before the law and is entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law." Amnesty International has highlighted discriminatory legislation against women in at least 23 countries, against migrants in at least 15 countries, and against minorities in at least 14 countries.

Article 9 "No one shall be arbitrarily arrested, detained or exiled." At the end of the year, at least 600 people were detained without charge, trial, or judicial review at the US Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, and 25,000 were held by the Multinational Force in Iraq.

Article 10: "Everyone has the right in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal." Amnesty International found unfair judicial proceedings in 54 countries.

Article 11: "Everyone charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law." At the end of the year, approximately 270 of the 800 people transferred to Guantánamo Bay since 2002 were still detained without charge or due process.

Article 13: "Everyone has the right to freedom of movementand residence within the borders of each State.” Over 550 military posts and other blockades imposed by Israel have restricted or prevented Palestinian movement within the West Bank.

Article 18 “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.” Amnesty International has registered prisoners of conscience in 45 countries.

Article 19 “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression, [...] to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” Amnesty International found laws restricting freedom of expression and the press in 77 countries.

Article 20 “Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.” Thousands of people were arrested during the crackdown on peaceful protests in Myanmar; according to Amnesty International, approximately 700 prisoners of conscience were in prison at the end of the year.

Article 23 “Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, and to just and favourable conditions of work [...] and to form and join trade unions." At least 39 trade unionists were murdered in Colombia; in the first four months of 2008, 22 people had already died.

Article 25: "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family [...] Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance." Fourteen percent of Malawi's population was infected with HIV/AIDS, and only 3 percent had access to free antiretroviral drugs. One million children had been orphaned due to HIV/AIDS-related deaths.

(Data from Amnesty International's 2008 Annual Report)