“War Child” A film by Karim Chrobog On the occasion of the International Day of Peace on 21 September and to commemorate the 60th anniversary of UN Peacekeeping, UNRIC warmly welcomes you to the screening of the gripping documentary War Child followed by a discussion with UNICEF Programme Advisor, Sylvie Fouet. Ms Fouet is the focal point for children’s issues in humanitarian action and post crisis transition situations with extended field expertise in the area of children affected by armed conflict. This feature-length documentary film chronicles the tumultuous, shocking, inspiring, and ultimately hopeful life of Emmanuel Jal, a former child soldier in Sudan’s brutal civil war and emerging international hip-hop star with a message of peace for his war-torn land and beloved Africa. Jal’s life story, in many ways, mirrors his homeland: tragedy and terror mingling with hope and restoration. In the early 1980s, at the age of seven, Jal was swept in to Sudan’s civil war, becoming one of 10,000 child soldiers conscripted on both sides of the two decades’ long conflict. This documentary tells the story of Emmanuel Jal’s life through his own words and his music, explores Sudan’s tormented modern history of civil war, assesses the prospects for peace after the January 2005 ceasefire agreement, highlights the growing problem of war children, and shines a light on the growing African hip-hop scene. The film will be shown in English with French subtitles
Time and place: Wednesday 24 September 2008, 6pm Polak room, ground floor, Résidence Palace, Rue de la Loi 155, Brussels 1040. (Metro Station: Schuman) We kindly ask you to register by email to halling@unric.org by noon Wednesday 24 September 2008. Places are limited.