The 8th Human Rights Festival is in its last day today.
The festival commenced on Friday with the theme ‘Look. Know. Act or Luksawe Na Kirapim Wok.’
Films are shown yearly to highlight human rights challenges faced nationally and internationally.
“In PNG, we have a very large inequality gap. Through the film festival, we hope to inspire you to consider some of the critical human rights issues that are impacting PNG today,” said Alithia Barampataz – festival director.
Barampataz said the program this year was heavily PNG focused.
Out of 17 films shown, 13 are made in PNG.
“As part of the theme, we want to inspire more films to be made in PNG to highlight human rights issues and to have more Papua New Guineans to be the ones to tell those films, shown widely around the country and world,” she said.
The other four are international films. This, she said, was to show that human rights is a global issue. And from this variety of films, PNG and the global community can learn from each other’s example and lessons.
Barampataz stressed that with rights come responsibility so it is up to every individual to ensure the rights of others are respected.
She stressed on the underlying principle of “leaving no one behind”.
This meant, reaching people in the furthest parts of PNG in the journey to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
“Inspire a culture of activism to prove human rights in the country.”