CIVIC AND SOCIAL COMPETENCES

learn about Human Rights

Zespół Szkół nr 2 Rybnik, POLAND

„Watch Docs” Festival http://www.watchdocs.org.pl

‘”WATCH DOCS’’ Festival is the biggest Human Rights Film Festival in the Silesia Region.

Each year, after the international festival in Warsaw, WATCH DOCS embarks on a journey throughout Poland. Cooperation with dozens of partners throughout the country will allow the

WATCH DOCS Traveling Film Festival to visit over 30 Polish cities and towns in 2010 – Katowice was

one of them.

Bona Fides Association is the local organizer in Katowice with cooperation of Helsinki Foundation

of Human Rights, based in Warsaw.http://www.watchdocs.org.pl

In our town, Rybnik, organizers invite people to the ‘Campus’ student centre, where they can watch these films and take part in discussions . Our students also take advantage of this initiative.

The program of the festival includes:• documentary film projections,• exhibitions, • meetings with Polish writers ,• discussion on different topics.

Most of them are held in the Polish language (for example the meetings with authors and discussions).

During the festival we see the movies which make us realize that violating human rights is not caused only by ethnical conflicts on other continents or the dictators who lust for absolute power.

The victims of these violations are often the people we meet every day. These movies were made by direct witnesses of those events: journalists and amateur filmmakers. The Festival gives an opportunity to look closely at the problems of the contemporary world and to have discussions.

What’s important, admittance for all the films and other events is free. Thanks to this, everybody is able to take part in this festival.

Information gathered by Anna Nowak kl. II g

Zespół Szkół nr 2 Rybnik, Poland