CALL2ACTION: "Granito" 10 Activism Ideas

By Andy McLellan


In 1964, General Efraín Ríos Montt became the dictatorial leader of Guatemala. For the next 20 years, the indigenous Mayan population of the most populated country in Central America was subjected to an extended and brutal military campaign, secretly waged with the support of the United States government. Death tolls are estimated to be upwards of 200,000, an the 1998 Truth Commission in Guatemala City acknowledged the events as a genocide. "Granito: How to Nail a Dictator" is the story of bringing evidence against General Montt and serving justice. The country remains largely in the dark regarding the specifics of its recent history for many reasons, principal of which are to not admit to such atrocities and shelter Montt and other government and military leaders who are responsible.

Even today, in the highlands where the conflict was focused, it is not safe to discuss what happened. Malnutrition and misperceptions persist among the indigenous peasants, augmented by sustained army propaganda that insists it was they who saved the people against the armed insurgents. A lack of education is a major factor in the continued repression of these people.

But this documentary by Pamela Yates, and its predecessor, "When the Mountains Tremble", are not the only actions being taken. There are numerous organizations seeking to educate and enable Mayan communities in the highlands. This documentary was co-presented by Philanthropiece (www.philanthropiece.org) and Reading Village (www.readingvillage.org) as a part of the Boulder International Film Festival's call2action series, and they have identified 10 "Action Items" to encourage everyone to become involved:
1. Educate yourself! Learn more about the Guatemalan conflict and human rights violations by reading "Guatemala: Memory of Silence". http://shr.aaas.org/guatemala/ceh/report/english/toc.html
2. Show your solidarity with the Guatemalan people by signing the Justice for Genocide petition. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/415/justice-for-genocide-in-guatemala/
3. Donate to the Philanthropiece Scholars program in building the next generation of leaders for Chajul, Guatemala.http://www.philanthropiece.org/getinvolved.php#donate
4. Donate to Reading Village and support our mission to create leaders and to promote literacy in Guatemala.http://www.readingvillage.org/get-involved.html
5. Stay up to date with Philanthropiece's and Reading Village's work by following us on Twitter or liking us on Facebook.
6. Order this film to share with your personal networks and then donate it to a local middle school, high school, or university library. http://granitofilm.com
7. Invest 3 minutes! Watch "Granito, Every Memory Matters" about the film's sister project dedicated to building a digital library of firsthand accounts from the war. http://skylightpictures.com/films/granito
8. Connect with Antonio Caba of the Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR) to express your support. Send messages for Antonio to: inquiry@philanthropiece.org.
9. Be proactive about preventing future genocide and ethnic cleansing. Write your representatives in Washington, D.C. and share your outrage about human rights violations occurring around the world.
10. Create change! Become a documentary filmmaker - attend the BIFF workshop "Produce a Documentary" Sunday, Feb 19, 3-5pm at the Boulder Library.

Another organization working in Guatemala is Cultural Survival, who has established a network of indigenous community radio stations that facilitate communication, sharing, learning, unification, politicizing, and cultural survival. They can be found at www.cs.org.

BIFF Presents: THE TENT!

For several years, we've thought of the Boulder International Film Festival as a circus. Now, we've got The Tent to prove it!

Ladies and gentlemen, and children of all ages, we welcome you to The Tent, a central gathering place for all kinds of BIFF activities. It will be located conveniently at 14th and Pearl Streets on the Mall, and will be this year's site of our round-the-clock Info Booth, as well as a place for post-film discussions, networking, kibitzing, and just plain chewing the fat.

Most importantly, it will house groups associated with all our Call 2 Action films. Here you will be able to meet with people from organizations such as the Boulder County AIDS Project, Goodwill Industries of Denver, the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center, Ecocycle, the WILD Foundation, Boulder Reads! and the Boulder Valley Women's Health Center. These entities, representatives of which will be at the screenings of films that touch on their topics of activism, will be present at The Tent as well and can help you effect positive and swift change that will address concerns of social conscience.

No matter what Mother Nature may have in store for us over the course of BIFF 2011, The Tent will serve as a warm and cozy shelter for festival-goers and activists alike. See you there!

(Thanks to RC Special Events for setting up The Tent, and to the Twisted Foundation for funding its pitching this year.)

Call 2 Action: What is it?

Boulder, Colorado has a reputation. Actually, several. Its beauty is world-renowned. Its populace is exceptionally educated. The dedication of those in the area to the outdoors – adventure, fitness, and year-round sports activities – is noted.

And, true, we are a little granola-y. That People’s-Republic-of-Boulder hippie-era devotion to social consciousness and action has, thankfully, not waned among our citizens. You can find people pursuing all kinds of causes in Boulder – from improving childhood literacy in our community to acting to eliminate injustices in the United States, and even bundling supplies and raising funds to send to the needy worldwide.

Maybe that’s why we at the Boulder International Film Festival came up with Call 2 Action. You see, we believe that film has the unique and creative ability to educate, integrate and involve the entire community to teach us about our world. Visiting filmmakers at BIFF discuss not only the art of filmmaking, but also the often explosive social and international issues their films present, and offer audiences a way to be entertained, to learn and to be inspired into action.

The topic: Tibet. The film: "When the Dragon Swallowed the Sun," Thursday, 2/17 at 4 p.m. at the FUMC. (Photo by Robert Muratore)

However, what we DON’T want is to show you a film, hit you up for a donation on your way out, and have you forget about the issue by the time you’ve gotten home. Call 2 Action is a program that offers concrete ways for filmgoers to translate the energy and passion that film evokes into action. A film is a springboard, a departure point that unleashes a torrent of thought, dialogue and energy – all of which can be purposed toward healing the world, one person and act at a time.

The topic: Overpopulation. The film: "Mother," Friday, 2/18 at 10 a.m. in the Boulder Theater.

This year, 11 films have been selected as part of the Call 2 Action program. After each and every Call 2 Action film, we will provide the opportunity for discussion, interaction, ways to find out how you can help. Entities associated with the causes championed in these films will be on hand in our brand-new venue – The Tent (yes, a big tent) erected at 14^th and Pearl Streets, conveniently close to all our screening venues. We are very excited about this expanded opportunity to help people connect and make a difference!

The topic: Pollution. The film: "Waste Land," Friday, 2/18 at 2:30 p.m. in the Boulder Theater.

You can find out more information about our Call 2 Action films on our Web site, at http://www.biff1.com/call-to-action.html. Plus, we’ll be discussing these movies in future blog posts.

Our thanks to Philanthropiece, The Twisted Foundation, Mothers Acting Up and Sandy Younghans for spearheading this initiative, and never doubting the power of film to change people’s lives.

The topic: Civil rights. The film: "Freedom Riders," Sunday, 2/20 at 2:30 p.m. in the Boulder Theater.