Harnessing the Power of Film to Prevent
Violence & Support Conservation
The Challenge
Lack of information, the spread of misinformation, and deeply-rooted mistrust often prevent people from effectively addressing the challenges facing their communities. In central Africa, isolated communities have very limited access to information and safe forums for dialogue to help them effectively address underlying issues that contribute to violent conflict in their region. This includes information about armed group activity, the role communities can play in encouraging rebel fighters to peacefully leave the battlefield, how natural resource exploitation helps perpetuate violence, and misperceptions about minority groups or neighboring communities.
Our Response
Invisible Children believes in the role of storytelling through film as a powerful way to challenge a society’s perceptions and behaviors and catalyze collective action for positive change.
That is why we collaborate with local and international experts and filmmakers to create short films with and for communities in the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Screenings of these films, which feature actors from local communities, are paired with guided dialogue sessions that provide a powerful opportunity for communities to discuss the issues they face in new and imaginative ways and develop their own solutions.
Across central Africa, local communities play the most important role in preventing violence, addressing its impact, and building a safer, thriving future. That’s why Invisible Children invests in innovative, community-based solutions that build resilience at the local level and reinforce the leadership and ingenuity of local communities as peacebuilders.
How mobile cinema films are made
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