Film Festival Explores Complexities of Conflict

by Michelle . · 2010-01-31 14:09:00 UTC
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Moral absolutes are much easier to cling to from a perspective outside of a conflict. The view from the inside, of course, is much more riddled with the ethical trade-offs confronted in fighting the perpetually-uphill battle that defines the work of civilian protection in the world's protracted conflicts.

The "Human Rights in Crisis" Film Festival at Georgetown Law Center in Washington, D.C., will explore this theme, among others, through a collection of films that show these struggles as they are confronted on the ground in conflict zones. The films are all projects of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, a non-profit organization that supports independent international journalism.

The film "Troubles in the Congo," for example, explores the difficulties of UN peacekeeping in the eastern region of the country, where UN forces have come under harsh criticism recently for collaborating with the Congo's notoriously violent and unruly military. While the UN forces recognize past mistakes and are reevaluating their operations, the reality of the situation on the ground necessitates some level of "dealing with the devil," or choosing between "least bad" options.

For those of you in DC, the event takes place at Georgetown University on Monday, February 1, from 6-8pm. For those of you elsewhere in the world, information on the films and the other great work supported by the Pulitzer Center is available online.

Photo credit: UN Photo/Marie Frechon.

Michelle . has been involved in various activist endeavors, including the Teach Against Genocide pilot campaigns.
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